My name is Heather MacDonald, and I was born and raised right here in Devils Lake, North Dakota. My roots in this area run deep. Both of my parents were raised as farm kids, and shortly before I was born, they took a chance and opened a small mom-and-pop shop in the basement of the Uptown Downtown Mall, in the building many will remember as the old Montgomery Ward building. Over the years, I watched their business grow, change, and eventually downsize before their retirement. Growing up in a family that understood both agriculture and small business taught me a lot about hard work, taking risks, making ends meet, and what it means to depend on your community—and have your community depend on you. I am incredibly proud of my family's heritage in this area. My dad's family homesteaded near Fairdale, North Dakota, near the Ramsey County border. That's where my grandparents on my dad's side met. My grandfather was a school bus driver, and my grandmother was a school teacher. Eventually, they established their farm in Grand Harbor Township, where that land remains in our family today. My mom's family has equally deep roots here. My maternal grandparents met at a dance at the church that once stood where Fox Lake Cemetery is today, north of Southam. My grandmother was a Hatten and was raised in the Southam area. My great-grandfather worked at the elevator before the family moved to Garske, where he went on to run the elevator. My grandparents, Gordy and Eileen Fugle, lived north of Devils Lake before eventually establishing their small farm in Poplar Grove Township. Grandpa Gordy helped at the Breakey farm near Edmore and worked at the sales ring—and every once in a while, you might even have found him dealing blackjack at the Elks. Grandma Eileen worked at the County Extension Office. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been raised by and around people who worked hard, served their communities, and believed in taking care of the place they called home. Today, I'm a mom to two girls, Aubrie, 17, and Burkley, 14, who are both students at Devils Lake High School. I'm also the youngest of three siblings. My sister, Michelle, teaches at Central Middle School and owns Fairview Grocery—better known to many people as "the little store"—with her husband, Roger. My brother, Darin, works in agronomy sales. For the past 11 years, I have shared my life with Nolan Olmstead, and together we help operate Devils Lake Speedway. That experience has given me another perspective on what it takes to run a business, bring people into our community, work with sponsors and other businesses, manage budgets, solve problems when things don't go according to plan, and keep moving forward. But this campaign isn't really about me. It's about you. It's about the people who live here, work here, raise their families here, own businesses here, farm here, retire here, and want to see Ramsey County succeed. I don't believe one person walks into public office with all the answers. Sometimes what we need is someone willing to ask different questions, bring fresh ideas to the table, look at an issue from another perspective, and be willing to listen. I guess I decided it was time for me to step into the ring and see if I could make a difference. I'm not running because I believe everything is wrong with Ramsey County. I'm running because I believe there is a tremendous amount worth protecting—and even more potential for what we can become. I want us to think about how we grow our tax base instead of simply asking the same taxpayers for more. I want us to support agriculture and existing businesses while making Ramsey County a place where new businesses and families want to come. I want county government to be transparent, financially responsible, accessible, and willing to communicate with the people it serves. Most importantly, I want to listen. Because at the end of the day, this isn't my county. It's our county. And sometimes making things better starts with being willing to bring a different perspective to the table.
I hear from so many of you about the constant rise in our taxes and the struggle to find jobs that pay enough. The truth is, we cannot keep digging into our residents' pockets. To stop raising taxes and give our employers the opportunity to pay better wages, we need more money flowing through our community. Ramsey County used to be home to many different industrial ventures, but today those are sparse. When that industry left, our retail sales started to slump too—because it all goes hand in hand. I am committed to growing our private sector and getting it clicking on all eight cylinders again. By bringing traffic and business back to our county, we can build a thriving local economy and finally give our taxpayers the relief they deserve.
The water issues in our basin may not disappear in my lifetime, but we cannot sit idle. All year, I have watched a frustrating struggle between my neighbors and the state over Fenster Slough. When state regulations tie the hands of our county and townships, our public safety hangs in the balance. That is simply unacceptable. Every day, I watch two different school buses cross those vulnerable roads, and I pray that today isn't the day a road blows out with a bus load of our children on it. This should not be our norm. Public safety must be our absolute priority. As your commissioner, I will not stand by and watch. I will force this issue and fight to ensure our local voices are heard so we can protect our roads and keep our community safe.
Too often, people get into politics for their own selfish gain. That is not leadership; that is simply being self-serving, and there is a major difference. I want to bring a different approach to our community: being a true servant leader. I realize that many different hot topics will come up along the way, but the most important thing we can do is hear all parties out. I am committed to doing the research. When I don’t know the answer to a problem, I won't hesitate to call someone who has a better answer or who can educate me further on the topic. For me, leadership isn't about having all the answers—it is about listening, learning, and serving you.
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!
Campaign Headquarters
916 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274