This past year was a major one for city services, with City Council and staff leadership focusing on infrastructure, park improvements, continued focus on housing, and investment in capital equipment and services.

To ensure this work is completed efficiently and effectively, cities have various departments each responsible for specifics functions in a city. In the city of Marshall, four major divisions carry out those functions: public works, public safety, community services and administration:

• Public Works Division — Comprised of public works staff that include engineers, street and airport personnel and wastewater operators who manage the physical framework of the city and ensure that public infrastructure, such as streets, bridges, airport and wastewater systems, are properly maintained and functional. The public works division also includes the community planning department that employs building officials with the duty to protect life and safety and ensure quality of life through the adoption, interpretation, education and enforcement of the Minnesota Building Code. Community planning includes a zoning administrator who is tasked with ensuring zoning ordinances are complied with the goals of orderly development, preventing incompatible land uses, and protecting property values.

• Public Safety Division – Public safety is one of the most visible and vital responsibilities of the city. Police officers and firefighters, provide critical public safety services, responding to emergencies and protecting residents. The Police Department’s mission is to protect life and property, maintain public order, prevent crime, and enforce laws within the city. The police department is also in charge of the city’s emergency management preparedness and response. In addition, the department oversees the Animal Control Kennel operations, the regional public safety training facility M.E.R.I.T. (Minnesota Emergency Response and Industrial Training). The Fire Department helps our community beyond firefighting by assisting with emergency medical response, hazardous materials response and providing public education on fire prevention.

• Community Services Division — Park, recreation and community education staff strive to improve the quality of live for our residents through its programs and facilities. Our community education and recreation programs are a cooperative effort between the city and the Marshall School District and in 2025 alone handled over 7,000 registrations for various programs and activities. The city’s Parks department oversees park and recreation areas, that include a total of 13 parks, the Marshall Aquatic Center and an extensive network of biking and pedestrian trails. The Community Services Division also include facility management of the Red Baron Arena and Expo. Included in the Community Services Division are media communications staff whose responsibilities are to manage Studio 1 TV that helps bring forward a variety of local programming, community events, city council and school board meetings.

• Administrative Services Division –The administrative services staff oversee the day-to-day operations of the local government, ensuring that departments function efficiently and effectively. They work closely with elected officials to implement policies and manage the budget. They also oversee financial reporting, fiscal policy implementation and employee relations such as hiring, benefits and workplace policies. This division also oversees the city’s municipal liquor store, Tall Grass Liquor.

Other areas of the city that help with city services include the city clerk who manages a wide variety of duties, including handling local government elections, maintaining records, issuing licenses and permits, and ensuring council meeting agenda and minutes are maintained.

The city’s assessing department ensures a fair and equitable assessment of all property in the city while committing to treat all taxpayers in a professional and respectful manner. The assessing staff ensure that all property owners pay no more than their fair share of the property tax while upholding the laws and regulations of the State of Minnesota.

Our EDA Director focuses on attracting and retaining businesses, promoting job creation, and fostering economic growth within the community.

The city attorney works directly with the City Council who provides legal counsel to the city’s elected officials, departments, and agencies, approves contracts, represents the city in legal matters, and ensures compliance with local, state, and federal laws.

All these departments and staff work together to implement city policies, respond to emergencies, maintain public assets, support economic growth, and provide services that residents depend on. Along with City Council, they work together for the benefit of the city, ensuring that services are delivered efficiently and that the needs of the community are met.