WILLMAR

Candidates for the Willmar City Council race on Tuesday shared their views about why they should be elected to represent the citizens from their respective wards.

Four of the six candidates participated in the forum — Tom Gilbertson, seeking a seat in Ward 1; Steve Gardner, seeking a seat in Ward 2; and two incumbents seeking re-election, Justin Ask of Ward 3 and Tom Butterfield of Ward 4. Gardner shares the same name as Kandiyohi County Board member Steve Gardner, who is also seeking re-election this year.

Of the four candidates present at the forum Tuesday, only Gilbertson and Ask are in contested city races.

Gilbertson is challenging incumbent Mike O’Brien, who was unable to attend the forum. A prepared statement from O’Brien was read by forum moderator Marie Doran of the League of Women Voters of the Willmar Area, which hosted the forum. Ward 1 encompasses the northern portion of Willmar.

Ask is seeking re-election in Ward 3 against challenger Gabriel Nelson. Nelson did not respond to the League’s multiple requests to participate in the forum. Ward 3 generally encompasses the central eastern portion of Willmar.

Gardner is running unopposed in Ward 2, which encompasses southwestern portion of Willmar.

Butterfield’s opponent is no longer eligible to hold the council seat. Hans Hibma, who filed for the seat in Ward 4, has dropped out of the race due to relocating outside the ward, which generally encompasses the southeast portion of Willmar. However, his name will still be on the ballot.

In his opening and closing statements, Gilbertson said he has been a Willmar resident his entire life and was raised in a small business family. He has a degree from the University of St. Thomas in business administration and entrepreneurship and owns a financial advisory practice.

“I’m running for City Council because I believe in Willmar’s potential to build community. I believe now is the time to roll up our sleeves and make some hard decisions that have been looming for years, if not decades,” he said.

He said some of the work on which the council needs to focus are making a decision about city hall and the community center, maintaining and reconstructing roads, improving drainage and water infrastructure and continuing to grow the tax base through smart, sustainable development.

“I’m not running to sit on the sidelines or avoid the tough decisions,” Gilbertson said. “I’m running to represent you, to bring people together, to listen to diverse perspectives and make decisions that benefit our city for generations to come.”

In his prepared statement read aloud, O’Brien said that he enjoys being a part of organizations to help improve and grow the community, and he has gained a lot of experience working with a variety of people.

He spent his career as a conservation officer and has volunteered on several boards over the years.

“My ability to research information and my broad experiences with law enforcement, schools and our environment have been beneficial to my current role as a city council member,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said that he has been working on railroad quiet zones since 2017 when he first moved to Willmar and it is now in the city budget with a road safety grant.

In his opening and closing statements, Ask said it has been a privilege to serve the community on the Willmar City Council. He noted the city in the last four years has made significant strides in improving infrastructure, attracting new businesses, adding affordable housing and expanding access to affordable child care.

“However, in all of those areas and many more, there’s still much more work to be done, and that’s why I’m seeking re-election this year,” Ask stated.

He noted some of the challenges still facing Willmar include making a decision on city hall and the community center, developing the broadband initiative, the need for more housing, expanding the tax base and furthering economic development while being fiscally responsible.

“Those are real challenges, but at the end of the day, we have so much to offer each other,” Ask said. “When we come together and everyone is welcomed at that table and truly valued for who they are — everyone in this community — I believe that there is nothing out of our reach. I promise to keep working towards that future, to make our city safer, to make it more vibrant, to make sure that this is a place where everyone is welcomed and feels at home.”

When candidates were asked during the forum about the housing crisis currently facing Willmar, Gilbertson and Ask both acknowledged that the recent housing study shows the greatest need is for affordable senior housing, which in turn could open up single-family homes for young families.

Gilbertson shared an example of Sioux City, Iowa, where private homeowners are eligible for tax increment financing to build new homes.

Candidates were also asked what they would do to make downtown Willmar more attractive and vibrant. Both Ask and Gilbertson noted there is a lot that has taken place to improve downtown in recent years and they would like to see that continue.

Ask also stated, “I think I want to reject the premise of the question. I think downtown Willmar is beautiful. I think downtown Willmar is thriving in a lot of ways. … If you have a view of downtown that … it’s a dead part of town, it’s an ugly part of town, I think you need to come back and take another look at it.”

In his opening and closing statements, Butterfield said that he is seeking re-election for the same reason he ran the first time — to be the voice of the little guy and stand up for people when they ask for something to be done.

While he agrees with spending money on roads and city parks, he is conservative with the rest of the budget.

“I really appreciate all the feedback I’ve gotten from every single person throughout Willmar that’s contacted me, every single one,” he said. “This is a learning curve. We’re still learning, and there’s much more to learn going forward on this, but I will continue to be a voice for the people.”

In his opening and closing statements, Gardner said he has been a Willmar resident for more than 22 years, moving here as a transfer from the Army and is a 20-year veteran and a member of local veterans organizations.

He has a Master of Business Administration in quality management from Upper Iowa University with an emphasis in quality management and is a project manager.

“The City Council for the city of Willmar has a $22 million budget. That’s a budget that takes careful eyes to look at and discernment to look at and see where we spend (tax dollars),” Gardner said. “I think it’s important to have somebody that has that discernment on the council. I believe I can bring those skills to this race.”

He said that the city government has basic functions, such as public safety, roads and infrastructure and clean water, and needs a functioning team of City Council and city staff and he believes he can foster that relationship with his ability to be a team leader.

A full recorded video of the candidate forum is available on the Willmar Area League of Women Voters Facebook page.