Mandan · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Mandan public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Capital Reserve Transfer to Destination Development Grant
A proposal to move or designate $16,000 from the capital reserve into the Destination Development Grant fund (218.243) supporting the SideTracks makerspace. This uses savings set aside for capital projects to boost the tourism makerspace.
Special election on proposed ordinance
Voters will decide a proposed ordinance at a December 15, 2026 special election.
Improvement bonds Series 2026ABCD
The financing resolution lets the city sell improvement bonds to fund infrastructure projects.
Sales tax ordinances 1491 and 1492
Commissioners gave final approval to Ordinance 1491 enacting a sales tax code section, and took the first vote on Ordinance 1492, which deals with the maximum tax imposed. A second reading of 1492 is still to come.
2027 Health Insurance Plan Design Changes
The city's employee health insurance plan will see design changes for the 2027 plan year, approved along with a budget amendment. This affects city employees' coverage and the city's budget.
2025 City Audit Results
Mandan's 2025 audit came back clean — unmodified opinions across the board. Two repeat findings involve airport internal controls and auditor-prepared financials; two federal grant findings were fixed quickly. City assets grew $70.3 million, largely from the Memorial Highway project.
Trustee Resignation and Vice President Vacancy
The board was scheduled to accept the Morton County representative's resignation and appoint a new vice president, after Jen Padilla announced in June she would step down before her term ends. These seats shape who guides library policy going forward.
Updated Change Order Policy for Engineering Department
The city replaced its 2009 change order rules with a sliding scale tied to project cost. Staff can now approve cumulative change orders up to 5% of a project's cost on smaller jobs and 3% on big ones, instead of a flat $25,000. Anything over the cap still comes back to the commission, and there's a state law ceiling of 20%.
City Hall roof failure and emergency replacement
The City Hall roof has been patched for years and is now leaking onto employees' desks and computers. The city is spending roughly $250,000 to replace both roof sections, using an emergency declaration to skip delays before winter.
City employee compensation and salary study
The city is paying about 90% of the regional market and 94.5% of what Bismarck pays. New Plan C raises pay to 97.5% of market with a guaranteed 3.5% minimum increase in 2027, costing roughly $600,000 — which finance says fits the ten-year plan.
Fire Department Sales Tax Initiative
The fire department wants to redirect the existing sales tax (currently funding the Star and Sports Complex) to build a third fire station. It goes on the June 2026 ballot, and a public information meeting is set for May 18 at Fort Lincoln Elementary.