Fitzthum, Peterson Vying to be Next Sartell Mayor

SARTELL -- After next month's election, Sartell will have a new mayor. The two men who are running for the job were on the News @ Noon Show Monday for a candidate forum.

Councilman David Peterson was first elected to the council in 2006. He says he'd like to see the Northstar Commuter Rail come to Sartell with a stop at the former paper mill site.

It's close to 15, it's close to 10, and it's relatively close to 94.  I think it would be a great location for the Northstar Rail.  And then by having Northstar there that would develop other economic developments on that site.  That would drive that for Sartell as well.

Councilman Ryan Fitzthum has been on the council since 2016. He agrees that the Northstar Rail would help drive development on that side of town.

Create a regional destination there.  Often times I think of Stillwater and what they've built with their festivities and everything else in their downtown area.  A group of people could go there and have dinner, then go down to Minneapolis-St. Paul for a sporting event or concert, and then come back and cap the night off.

Both men agree that because the site is privately owned, the city doesn't have a lot of say in what eventually gets built there.

Current Mayor Sarah Jane Nicoll announced earlier this year that she was not going to run for re-election.

The general election is on November 6th, but early voting is already underway.