It's been a year of discontent for the Lincoln city council that everyone hopes will culminate in Tuesday's recall election - at least the candidates hope they can put aside their differences and move forward after the vote.

Only one challenger has officially come forward to run for one of the seven council seats on the ballot. Former mayor Bob Johnston is hoping to take a seat away from a group including Rick Fischer, Kathy Schneibel, and Pete Hoerner. Only three of the four will get a seat on the council.

The election is Tuesday, Sept. 13 with ballots cast at the city administration building from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Glenn Christmann is the only name on the ballot for mayor, while current council members Helen Magilke, Karen Daly and Mary Ann Filibeck are listed for the three one-year terms. A write-in blank is offered in each category, so there are no assurances anyone will retain their council seat.

All the candidates hope they can put aside their differences after the election and get to work on the community's important projects. They realize with the creation of the Northern Plains Commerce Centre and the continued retail growth in Bismarck, Lincoln will likely see some strong residential growth.

But the council members also realize that unless there are some strong write-in campaigns, there will be little change in the council's makeup, and the problems of the past will remain.

Here is a look at the candidates who will appear on the ballot in Tuesday's Lincoln city council election.

Glenn Christmann

Glenn Christmann was a council member four years prior to winning the election for mayor in 2004.

"The biggest challenge we face is getting the council to work together with a positive attitude. We've got to let bygones be bygones, move ahead, and work with our employees," Christmann says.

Christmann says he thinks Lincoln is poised for growth, and the council has taken the necessary steps to provide for that growth by making improvements to the water and sewer utilities.

He stresses the needs for a good road to serve as a route between Bismarck and Lincoln and the need for a public educational facility to serve not only the children in Lincoln but the entire area southeast of Bismarck. But Christmann also says the council needs the support of the entire community to achieve these projects.

Karen Daly

Council president Karen Daly was appointed to the council in February 2002 and three months later was elected to the council. Her seat will be up for election again next spring.

"I think we've accomplished some things financially and we've gotten three major projects taken care of, the lagoon expansion, water reservoir and water hookup with Bismarck," Daly says.

Daly does expect some major growth and expects many of the people who will work at the NPCC will look to Lincoln as a place to live, as will employees at the new Wal-Mart and Sam's Club in southeast Bismarck.

"We're ready for the growth, and our main concern will be looking at a new road connecting us with Bismarck,"Daly says. "Maintenance-wise, we have to start looking at our infrastructure, particularly street repair."

"I'm certainly hoping we can go forward from here and not dwell on the things as we have been," Daly says.

Mary Ann Filibeck

Mary Ann Filibeck was appointed to the council in March of this year. It is her second stint on the council after first being elected in 1996 only to lose in a recall election in December of 1998. The council seat she holds will come up for re-election next spring.

Filibeck is compiling a survey of Lincoln residents that the city sent out in August. She says the answers to the survey have been an eye-opener.

"The big thing is the recall. People are basically happy to live in Lincoln. But what bugs them is the constant turmoil on the council that they see in the paper," Filibeck says. "A lot of people are tired of this stuff. It's not been political issues we've been fighting about, but personal conflicts. I had no clue this was going on, I just hope everything works out."

While Filibeck has been on the council only a short time, she has managed to get a utility payment drop box installed to save residents time and money in sending in their payments.

She hopes the survey will provide the council with a guide as they return to business following the election.

"I do enjoy serving the community, it's just something I like to do," Filibeck says "We just have to put personalities aside and get along. We're all trying to get to the same place, making Lincoln a better place to live."

Rick Fischer

Rick Fischer made his debut as a council member after winning a seat in the June 2004 election.

Fischer calls the recall "a joke" and admits it is disheartening and an embarrassment to the city and the state.

"My number one priority is the taxpayers. Number two is accountability and the third is the city's employees,"Fischer says.

Fischer feels the city is up to the challenges growth will provide. He sees street maintenance as an area the council will have to concentrate on to find the funding necessary.

"If most of the council returns after the recall, we'll be able to get back to work without the threat of the recall hanging over our head,"Fischer says. "There are things we need to straighten out to make this a working board."

Fischer holds the council's beautification portfolio and says he's worked hard in that area along with bringing the Bismarck-to-Lincoln connecting road to the public's attention.

Pete Hoerner

Pete Hoerner spent time on the council in the early 1980s, when he served two terms, and ran again in 2004, winning a four-year term.

Hoerner has concentrated his efforts in the areas of recycling and getting the maintenance department updated. Hoerner has tried to stay out of the bickering the council has experienced.

"I'm hoping we can get through this. I myself haven't had any problems. I try to work with everybody on the council. We've had a bunch of bad feelings and I hope we can get those ironed out," Hoerner says.

One of the biggest challenges facing the council will be what route is chosen to connect Lincoln to Bismarck. The city has to begin looking at street repair and maintaining the infrastructure it has in place.

"We're ready for growth and now we have to look at that new connecting road and how it can be place to best compliment our existing streets,"Hoerner says.

Bob Johnston

Bob Johnston served as Lincoln's mayor for six years, first winning office in 1998's recall with re-election in 2004.

"Actually I had accomplished what I had set out to, and that's why I really didn't run for re-election in 2004, and I thought Glenn (Christmann) could do a good job," Johnston says. "When I ran the first time, I wanted to restore credibility to the governing body. It was in a shambles. The council again seems to have lost some credibility and needs to be balanced again."

Johnston agrees that street infrastructure needs attention along with planning for the future. He'd like to see a school in the community and wants to lend his support.

"I helped set up those big projects, the water project and sewer expansion and the water from Bismarck. That was all done while I was in office," Johnston says. "Development is one area we need to look at."

Johnston was appointed to a council advisory board created earlier this year to deal with the subject of personnel and creation of new city jobs. That role was expanded as the council was asked to look at other subjects of interest to the council.

Helen Magilke

Helen Magilke was appointed to the board two and a half years ago and won a four-year term in 2004 as a write-in candidate with 17 votes.

Magilke gets choked up when talking about the city and the council's problems and says she has worked hard on behalf of the community.

"I love this little town and try to do so many things. My husband and I have volunteered hundreds of hours to help out around the community," Magilke says. "I'd like to see everybody on the council working together as a unit, but we've got to be on the same page to accomplish things."

Magilke is a strong supporter of Lincoln's two-person police department, whose portfolio she holds. She also advocates accountability and says Lincoln needs an administrator to watch over the city's workers.

"We have the greatest police department Lincoln has ever had,"she says. "We've had a police department for many years and it's never been as smooth or worked as well as it does now."

"Accountability, respect and integrity are what we need," Magilke says. "I want to work with our taxpayers and use the money the city has saved to provide a buydown on the water project when the bill comes in."

Kathy Schneibel

Kathy Schneibel has been a council member for five years, winning elections in 2000 and 2004.

"When I started I had the finance portfolio. When I got on we had $200,000, in total funds and now we have $500,000," she says. "I've always been insistent on accountability of city employees. After all, we were elected to watch the taxpayers' money."

Schneibel wants to see more done to beautify the city. She's involved herself in the recycling program and wants to be involved in developing more efficient routes between Lincoln and Bismarck.

Another area Schneibel wants to rectify is consistency in office hours to allow easier access for taxpayers.

"Taxpayers always seem to get lost in the shuffle. I want to ensure we use what we saved to provide a buydown on the water project,"Schneibel says. "Bob Johnston says we've done nothing, but we've got a lot done and I don't know where that's coming from."

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 701-250-8255 or gordon.weixel@;bismarcktribune.com.)