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DETROIT LAKES — With three uncontested Detroit Lakes City Council seats up for grabs this November, all eyes are focused on the city clerk's office as municipal and school district candidate filing opened on Tuesday.
In total, five council seats will be on the November ballot, with two council members, Matt Boeke, Ward 3, and Natalie Bly, at-large, indicating they will seek reelection to their respective seats. Council members Madalyn Sukke, Jamie Marks Erickson and Dan Wenner have all declined to run for reelection, which leaves three uncontested seats in Ward 1, Ward 2 and at-large.
The local candidate filing period closes on Aug. 16 at 4:30 p.m. Any interested candidates should stop by city hall or visit the city's website .
"It's just a great way for if you want to make changes in your community; this is how you do it," said Kari Tyson, deputy clerk for Detroit Lakes.
She said all a person needs to file as a city council candidate is: $5, an ID card and the time to fill out a single form.
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"They just need to come into the city office, grab a packet, there's literally one form they have to fill out, and I just need a copy of their ID, and they pay $5," she said. "It's easy-peasy."
Since filing opened on Aug. 2, four Detroit Lakes residents have filed to run for city council this November.
- Ward 1 (open) — Shaun Carlson
- Ward 2 (open) — Mike Stearns
- Ward 3 — Matt Boeke (incumbent)
- At-large (top 2 candidates) — Jackie Buboltz
If elected, city council members enjoy a $7,200 annual salary, which is split into $600 monthly payments, and the ability to invest into the public employees retirement plan that includes up to a 5% employee-employer match on an annual basis, said Heidi Tumberg, finance officer for Detroit Lakes.
"It takes all kinds of people to make a community work and I think local government is the purest form of government," said Tumberg. "It feels good to be able to help make decisions and see the application of those decisions happen at the local level."
Sitting members of the city council also receive various trainings, paid for by the city, and members are also reimbursed mileage for travel to, and from, the training events.
Residents interested in running for the Detroit Lakes school board should stop by the Detroit Lakes Public Schools office at 702 Lake Ave., or call the office at 218-847-9271.
Since filing opened on Aug. 2, two candidates have filed for the three open school board seats. The candidates so far are:
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- Ashley Schoenberger
- Erica Marquis
