HUMBOLDT — A city councillor is making a bid for the mayor’s chair in the upcoming civic elections.
Michael Behiel has announced that he will be running for the top spot in the Monday, Nov 9. election.
The decision came after discussions with Mayor Rob Muench about his intentions not to run for mayor again.
Knowing of Muench’s intentions, Behiel said the city needs a leader with council experience to shepherd the next council and keep long term projects moving forward.
“I'm very proud of the steps that the city council and administration have taken in the last four years to make this city a great place, and I want to see those works continue.”
Behiel grew up in Humboldt and always considered it the best place to live. Even after he moved away for a time, he always said he wanted to move back to Humboldt when he retired. He wants everybody to feel pride in their community, and that starts with the teamwork of the council, staff, and the residents.
“This is everybody's city and I want to make sure that everybody continues to be able to respect it, have a say in it, and appreciate the work that's being done.”
Behiel was elected in 2016 to the city council and owns and operates Behiel Tax and Accounting from his main street office. He wanted to be part of the solutions, he said, because there are always problems that need solving or direction and he urges everyone to put their names on the ballots.
“I would love ideally to see everybody having a shot at being on council. And I always urge people to run, because it's the diversification of the representation that gives everybody that sense of balance.”
We don’t want a council that is all business people or all retirees, Behiel said. Council needs a cross-section that properly represents the community, and that takes people from all different demographics who have integrity stepping up and putting their names on the ballot. And being defeated on the ballot only means there are other ways to contribute to the City of Humboldt, he said.
“Do what you feel is best for the city, and never have any regrets for that...if you're defeated, so be it. If you're successful, even better but always do what's best for the city and not for yourself.”
The deadline for submitting nomination documents is Oct. 7 at 4 p.m.
