At the Nov. 24 Moorhead City Council meeting, a nomination of Ron Carlson Jr. to the airport commission was withdrawn after council members raised concerns about appearance and process.

Council member Deb White asked that two nominations be considered separately and objected to the mayor’s nomination of her husband, saying she worried that selecting the mayor’s spouse could discourage other applicants and could appear to undermine the integrity of the selection process. Mayor Shelly Carlson responded that her husband has pilot experience and that she had waited for qualified applicants; she offered to withdraw the nomination and the original mover of the motion withdrew it.

Earlier during the same agenda item, council considered and approved a separate nomination: a motion to appoint Steve Lindas to the Ward 2 vacancy on the Morehead Public Service Committee passed by roll call, 4–3 (Matson, Niesmeyer, Moore and White voted yes; Nelson, McDougall and Hendrickson voted no).

Council did not take further action on the airport commission seat at that meeting. The minutes record the withdrawal and the council’s split vote on the Ward 2 appointment.