CrookstonNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Crookston Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 8 council seats are on the ballot, with 14 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 2 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

Find your match: 2-question quizSee who is on your ballot

No sign-in. Your answers stay on your device. We never endorse anyone.

Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
General Election Day (Nov 3): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

City Council Ward 6

Unopposed

Voters citywide choose the mayor and one at-large council member; voters in Wards 2, 4 and 6 each choose their ward's council member. Ward 6 has one candidate.

General Election Day · Nov 3

Take your ballot with you

Candidates, positions and key dates in one email, sent now.

Your cheat-sheet comes right away. You'll also get a reminder before Election Day, the results, then what your council decides next. Unsubscribe anytime. No ads, never sold.

Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

012027 budget and tax levy3 sourced facts

Where it standsOn Sept. 28, 2026, the council set a preliminary 2027 levy of $5,378,022, an 11.1% increase, and scheduled a public budget meeting for Dec. 7.

What's on the tableHow large future levies should be and which capital projects, such as street, water and sewer work, to fund.

  • The preliminary levy is the most the city can levy for 2027; staff said the goal is to lower it through cuts focused on capital improvement projects. KROX · Sep 29, 2026
  • The city administrator estimated that the preliminary levy would increase taxes on a $100,000 residential homestead by $11.78 a year. KROX · Sep 29, 2026
  • City staff proposed continuing a water rate step plan that would raise fixed and variable water rates by 3% in 2027. KROX · Oct 20, 2026
02Tri-Valley building and downtown redevelopment3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city plans to demolish the former Tri-Valley building on North Broadway and has been awarded a $495,000 state demolition loan.

What's on the tableWhat gets built on the Tri-Valley site and on other city redevelopment sites such as the former Diocese property.

  • In January 2026 the council voted 6-1 to apply for a state redevelopment grant for the Tri-Valley building, with the city donating the land to a future developer. City of Crookston · Jan 20, 2026
  • The state says the 0.76-acre Tri-Valley site could support a three-story mixed-use building with first-floor retail and upper-level housing. KROX · Oct 19, 2026
  • The city will issue a general obligation tax-abatement bond to secure the demolition loan. KROX · Oct 19, 2026
03Hemp edible retail licenses2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council has split on lower-potency hemp edible retailer licenses, rejecting one in May 2026 before approving it on reconsideration.

What's on the tableHow the city handles future hemp edible retailer license requests within the limits of state law.

04Highway 2 reconstruction2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council approved a cooperative construction agreement with MnDOT in October 2026 for the Highway 2 Broadway and Main Street project.

What's on the tableHow the city manages its share of the cost and the effects of 2027 construction on downtown.

05Community pool2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council approved an engineering study in April 2026 comparing the cost of repairing the existing pool with building a new one.

What's on the tableWhether to repair or replace the community pool once the study is back, and how to pay for it.

4 notes on these statements

Mayor Dale Stainbrook is not running for reelection, and Ward 2 council member Henry Fischer is not running again. KAXE · Sep 28, 2026

Joseph Shostell filed for mayor and withdrew on July 30, 2026; six candidates remain on the ballot for mayor. KROX · Jul 30, 2026

Patty Dillabough first filed for Ward 6; the city found her home is in Ward 3 under the current ward boundaries, and she filed for the at-large seat instead. KROX · Jul 30, 2026

Morgan Hibma currently holds an at-large council seat and is running for mayor. KROX · Jul 14, 2026

No sign-in · answers stay on your phone

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should the city tear down the former Tri-Valley building and give the site to a developer?

  2. 2. Should the council approve hemp edible retailer licenses for businesses that meet local rules?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted5 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Derek Brekken, Clayton Briggs, Joseph Shostell4 on this ballot

8 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 5-vote majority.

  • The City Council has eight members, one from each of six wards and two at-large, plus the mayor. City of Crookston
  • The mayor presides over council meetings and votes only to break a tie; six or more council members can override a mayoral veto. KAXE · Sep 28, 2026
  • Adopting an ordinance or resolution takes the votes of five council members, or four council members and the mayor in the event of a tie. City of Crookston · May 4, 2026
  • The mayor and council members serve four-year terms; this year's winners begin their terms in January. KAXE · Sep 28, 2026

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.