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Author: admin
My Experience on the Special Assessment Committee
Looking back, I’ve always had an interest in local government, and I have a passion to get involved. My first experience with Special Assessments came when my wife and I were in the process of purchasing a home. We were also looking at building, but we were finding that special assessments were limiting what we...
Planting the Seed
I recently finished reading a book written by Erik Hatch, Play for the Person Next to You. In this book he talks about servant leadership. There is a chapter that really resonated with me. The chapter discusses trust instead of transaction when formulating relationships. The chapter discusses how Hatch has worked on building relationships with...
Let’s be Proactive
One thing that was brought up on a radio show I listened to yesterday was the Core Area Infrastructure. As many of you know, the West Fargo Core Area has aging infrastructure. Sewer and Water lines running underground are reaching ages of 40 to 50 years old. This area is predominantly between Main Ave and...
Special Assessments Part 3: What Can Be Done?
Special Assessments are always in the back of people's minds. Specials don't typically come to the forefront until projects are assessed and properties affected are notified by letter that a Special Assessment is coming. When a notice gets sent out, property owners can protest the Special Assessment. If the majority of the owners protest, the...
Special Assessments Part 2: Funding Sources for Projects
There are a number of ways that a project can be funded. The City of West Fargo most often uses Special Assessments, however, there are other methods that can be used. Sales tax is one way that funds projects. West Fargo has a 2% sales tax, with 75% of that (or 1.5%) going towards capital...
Special Assessments Part 1: What Makes Up a Special Assessment
A Special Assessment is comprised of project costs and some additional fees. The project costs are the actual construction costs that the City incurs to complete that project. There may also be some other costs such as easements that are included in the project. I'll get into a bit more detail about the process but...
Why I am Running
Before I announced my candidacy for West Fargo City Commission, I was thinking a lot about why I wanted to run. Each time I would think about it, the Residents and my kids would come to mind. While there are several areas I would like to address and focus on, the recurring theme centers around...
What Drives Me
I wanted to share some additional information about myself, to help describe who I am as a person and who would be representing you on the West Fargo City Commission. My full-time job is as a Finance Analyst. I’ve been in several analyst roles in many different areas. I am currently employed at Doosan Bobcat....
A Little Deeper: Strategic & Thoughtful Investment
When it comes to a growing city like West Fargo, there is a lot of investment. When the private sector invests and develop areas, the city then invests in those areas to provide the roads, sewer, and water lines, and all other infrastructure. Ultimately these fall under some sort of tax. It's expected that the...