Minnesota and North Dakota Voter's Guide

Forum Communications Co., in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and of North Dakota, is providing this voter guide to help keep you informed ahead of the 2024 election.

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Voter Guide

Comfrey City Mayor

The mayor is usually the head of the city and may represent the city in front of other government bodies. They also can preside at council meetings and appoint city workers. A mayor usually has a role in proposing a city budget which influences services provided to residents and can veto ordinances proposed by the city council.Voting in local elections is important - learn more here: Why Vote for Mayor

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  • Candidate picture

    Gary Richter
    (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

If elected, what strategies will you use to ensure transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in city government under your leadership? (500 characters)

How will you engage with residents to solicit feedback, involve them in decision-making processes, and ensure their voices are heard? (500 characters)

How will you approach public safety and community policing to ensure the well-being of all residents? (500 characters)

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Contact Phone 5078773523
Campaign Email nkrichter@frontier.com
I have lived in Comfrey all my life, except those college years. This is home. I've been mayor now 22 years and feel the local-life experience brings a well rounded feel for our community. I also owned the local newspaper for 23 years and with that you see and are involved in everything in a small town. you know people and the history of the community, how we got where we are and how we need to change to try to stay viable into the future.
Our flooding the last two years brought the need to deal with climate change first hand, it's real and we've been effected by it. Dealing with our ever increasing cost of electricity, leads us to solar. I am a big proponent and we are working on energy efficiency projects all the time. We, like everyone, need more affordable housing. The cost of building is high as well as taxes. We need to address both those housing issues.
I feel the city of Comfrey, since I've been mayor, is transparent. We engage the public and want peoples input. Disagreements often bring compromises, which bring better results and I hope that continues. We don't always agree, but I feel people or comfortable disagreeing, as we listen and include them in discussions. Sustainability in many different aspects are what be a driving force in a small town. It seems at times like everything is an uphill struggle, but you get used to it and keep on.
We have a Resilience Committee that worked on a grant and we are now expanding that to the entire community. It will expand from the original mission under the grant to deal with climate, to any and all aspects of the community. Main street, school, quality of life, taxes, any and everything is open to be brought up. Ideas and questions will be followed up on and answers found.
Beginning this year we had to go with a policing contract with the county, as we just ran out of available part-time officers willing to fill our own department. It is something new for them also, but to date things have gone well. I am glad that the overall majority of people are in agreement that police protection is important and a quality of life issue. We have not had any of the policing issues that are in the news so regularly.
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The League of Women Voters of Minnesota and North Dakota crafted the questions sent to the candidates in the Spring of 2024. They reached out to candidates based on contact information in their public candidate filings. Candidates with email addresses were invited and reminded with emails. Candidates with only mailing addresses were sent a letter. Candidates with phone numbers received a phone call as well.

Candidate responses are published as they responded and have not been edited, except when responses were longer than the given character limit. In those cases, the responses are truncated.

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