Mark Dickinson Reacts to Winning Bemidji’s Ward 3 City Council Election

For the first time in 24 years, the city of Bemidji has a new city council member representing Ward 3.

After securing 806 total votes, or close to 59% of the votes in this past Tuesday’s general election, Mark Dickinson, a lifelong resident of the city of Bemidji, will take over at the beginning of next year.

Redistricting in Bemidji led to current Ward 3 councilor Ron Johnson running in Ward 1. Dickinson, a graduate of Bemidji High School and Bemidji State University with a degree in business, jumped at the opportunity to fill the open seat.

“I’m a lifelong resident of Bemidji, so I love our town,” Dickinson said in an interview with Lakeland News. “I feel like I’m heavily invested in our town and in our community, and I just felt like it was my turn to step up and help out.”

He defeated challenger Katie Carter in the race. Even though Dickinson will be the representative of Ward 3, he says he will do his best for all the citizens of Bemidji.

“I really don’t look at Ward 3 as having any special differences from any of the other wards. I look at Bemidji as a community, and nothing really specific to the ward, but trying to do the best we can for the whole town and really the whole area,” explained Dickinson. “I really look at all of our decisions, are going to affect people that live in Northern Township, Bemidji Township, maybe they live in northern Hubbard County. Anybody who works or their kids go to school in Bemidji, all the decisions we make are important to everybody, not just people that live in Ward 3, but the whole city.”

Given Dickinson’s background as a real estate agent and broker since 1984, and owner of Century 21 Dickinson Realtors since 1998, he believes he has a lot to offer towards addressing the housing crisis that has plagued the city for quite some time.

“I’m very familiar with the neighborhoods, I’m very familiar with multifamily property owners,” he added. “I think I understand the issues and what some of the hurdles maybe have been and are, and hopefully we can make those a little easier to overcome and be able to help the private sector create more units.”

Dickinson wanted to show support to everyone that voted for him, and feels he will have a great working relationship with the rest of the city council once he is in office.