North Dakota State Senator Josh Boschee’s interview on The Jay Thomas Show
FARGO, N.D. – Josh Boschee has been has served in the North Dakota Legislature since 2012.
The Minot native attended college at North Dakota State University and was offered a job right out of college, and never left. Now, the 43-year-old Fargo man is stepping onto the local stage and running in the City of Fargo’s mayoral race.
In an interview with WDAY Radio’s The Jay Thomas Show, Boschee highlighted several topics that are important to him during the campaign.
Change to government structure
The City of Fargo currently has a commission style of government. All commissioners are at large, meaning they do not represent one single area of the Fargo community.
Boschee favors a different style.
“I’m a ward and council guy,” he said. “I wish we could have done something where it was a handful of wards, and then a couple at-large folks, but we’re limited by state law on how we can structure that.”
Beginning with the next mayor, the job will become a full-time position. Presently, Mayor Tim Mahoney only works as a part-time mayor.
“We see how hard Tim works,” Boschee said.
Boschee said he supports the job becoming full-time.
He also has concerns with the present Fargo City Commission.
“I think what folks are seeing coming out of the current commission is just a lot of reactionary leadership, instead of really being proactive,” Boschee said. “it’s about getting out into the community, talking to folks, having conversations with them and helping them understand how city government works, but also engaging them on what do they want their city to be, and how can we represent them better and address the concerns that they have.”
Addressing the needs of the city
Boschee said he’s focused on results when it comes to leadership.
“I will work with anyone who shares my values on issues, and we may not agree on 90 percent of stuff, but the 10 percent we can agree on, let’s move something forward,” he said.
Boschee said it’s important to make sure people in the Fargo community ‘are having a livable wage and have safe housing.’
“Those are all things that might be pinned as to the left, but I’m pragmatic about it,” he said.
Helping the homeless
Boschee said it’s difficult at times to handle things like homelessness, behavioral health and other topics that have been highlighting discussions around Fargo lately.
As a legislator, he’s seen the difficulties firsthand.
“think it’s important to also understand that in the absence of good infrastructure, the private sector, nonprofits, and things like that taking care of situations like this, the government becomes the catch-all,” Boschee said.
An example is at the Southeast Human Service Center.
When they don’t have enough beds elsewhere, the city is involved.
“What I’d prefer to see is the city’s involvement being in helping make sure that we have an appropriate crisis response system,” Boschee said. “It’s more about convening and making sure that we bring those stakeholders together, the providers, the folks who are working on this work, and talking about what do you need.”
He described his vision for involvement should he become elected.
“I would be more apt as the mayor to say our vision is to eliminate homelessness, reduce homelessness, whatever it is. What do you need? How do we help you with it?” Boschee said. “And then (I’d) let them do that.”
Addressing the city’s debt
Boschee was asked how he’d address the city’s debt, which has exceeded one billion dollars.
“A lot of the debt is tied to our special systems and to the infrastructure debt that we have taken on,” he said. “So, I think we need to relook at infrastructure, and this is coming as a guy who sells houses for a living, is look at when we develop incentives for growth or for housing or for different types of industries, what are the expectations we’re putting, what are the goals of the city of Fargo with those incentives? They’re not just granted. Are you meeting the goals, and then you can get the incentive. It’s not a carte blanche incentive. It’s an incentive built on what you’re meeting the needs we’re looking for.”
