The candidates for the Crookston City Council At-Large seat are incumbent Bobby Baird, Morgan Hibma, and former mayor Wayne Melbye. We asked each candidate to introduce themselves and why they are running.
Q: Would you please tell us about yourself?
Bobby Baird: I grew up on a farm east of Crookston here. I have a wonderful wife Natalie with five children, four boys, and a daughter. I have two lovely grandchildren that are 11 and five. And work at Best Used Trucks. I enjoy working there with everybody.
Morgan Hibma: I am originally from Rapid City, SD, and moved to Minnesota for school. I worked down in the Twin Cities area in marketing and helping small businesses across the country grow and prosper. I was lucky enough when my husband moved up here, I was also able to find a job in the area. And I’ve been able to continue that. What I’ve found through all of my time is that every business is different. I have found this huge passion for small business because they don’t have the resources, maybe, as large businesses. So, my huge passion is helping small communities and small businesses.
Wayne Melbye: Previously I was with Ward 4, At-Large, and mayor for the city over the last 18 years prior to retiring a couple of years ago and doing some traveling. Looking to get back at the excitement.
Q: Why are you running?
Baird: There’s a lot of reasons why but I’ll make it quick and simple. We struggled the first few years as a council, but I think now with a new City Administrator on board and all the things in the works, what’s happening, you know. I just want to continue to be a part of it. Work for the taxpayers. Try and keep the taxes down as low as we can. We’ve had the big expansion at RiverView. The bus company, with the electric buses, that’s going to be a mainstay in Crookston here. We’ve got Ag Innovation Center coming up. There is a lot of things coming up. We’re moving forward with day care. I still want to be a part of it. I’ve been a part of it and I just want to continue that.
Hibma: I’m running because I feel like we need some change. We need some fresh ideas. Some people in there that are looking at the issues and how we can make them into opportunities. They’re not problems, there just ways of maybe doing things better. And wanting to help our town grow and become an epicenter for people from outside to come in. I’ve seen it in other small towns and I just don’t see why we can’t do it here.”
Melbye: I was off for two years. We did some traveling and, actually, I missed it. I missed the involvement. I’ve got the time and I felt that there was a need.
Q: Anything you would like to add?
Baird: I’d like to thank all the people that have supported me. I hope I’ve voiced it well with the taxpayers and all the voters. I want to continue to do that and I appreciate all of your support.
Hibma: I would just be greatly honored if the people of this town chose me to help be a leader. I would like to work for them, and with them. And continue to give back to a community that has been so welcoming and open arms to me.
Melbye: There needs to be some changes and we all know that. Hopefully, we can come to some type of a unified body, including with CHEDA, CVB, the Chamber, and the Council. It’s been in the news too long that those are dysfunctional or disconnected and whatever. Everybody in the neighborhood hears it. When I was traveling, I was hearing it from all over – boy, you guys got some stuff going on there, you got this going on. Well, not all the time is bad advertisement acceptable. We’re out on everybody’s radar. Crookston is up and coming, we have a lot of things going on. And I’d like to be part of it, showing we’re open for business as they say and ready to take on whatever we’ve got for challenges.
