Mayor and City Council
Our mission is to provide a safe, positive environment through the responsive, efficient and cost-effective delivery of City services while celebrating and building upon our treasured history. This statement is adopted with the following core beliefs:
- Excellence and quality in the delivery of municipal services;
- Fiscal responsibility with ethics and integrity;
- Respectful treatment of each other;
- Dedication and commitment toward making our City an ideal community;
- Visionary leadership and planning for the future.
The City Council meets on the first and third Monday of each month beginning at 7:30 p.m. The meetings are rebroadcast on Public Access Channel 180 on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and the City YouTube channel after the meeting.
Email: mayor@ci.little-falls.mn.us
Phone: (320) 232-9336
I am a lifelong resident of Little Falls. I have five brothers and two sisters and they all live within 30 miles of Little Falls. My wife Wendy and I have been married for almost 25 years. I have been employed at Coborn's Superstore for 39 years, the last 20 of which have been as Store Manager. I served over nine years on the Little Falls Board of Education, two years on the City Council and the last two years as Mayor. I am an avid Minnesota sports fans and I enjoy fishing and hunting in my spare time. I love being Mayor of my hometown and am honored and humbled to serve the residents of our great community!
Jerry Knafla
Council President
Contact Jerry
Email: ward2a@ci.little-falls.mn.us
My name is Gerald (Jerry) Knafla. I was born, raised, and attended school in Sauk Rapids, MN. After graduating from high school, I attended St. Cloud State University where I attained my Bachelor of Science and Master’s degree in Elementary Education.
In 1972, I began my teaching career as a 4th grade teacher at Lindbergh Elementary in Little Falls and taught there until my retirement in 2007. During that tenure, I also coached Middle School and High School tennis and was co-director of many High School musicals as well as directing and performing in many of “The Hole in the Day” Community Theater productions.
After retirement, I mentored new teachers at the Little Falls School District, began working at Emblom Brenny Funeral Service, and at the Pine Ridge Golf Course in Motley, MN.
I have been married to my lovely wife, Pat, for 50 years and we have two wonderful children and four grandchildren. In my "spare" time, I enjoy golfing, gardening, reading, traveling, playing bags, and spending time with my family and friends around a campfire solving the world's problems.
I have been on the Little Falls City Council for the past 10 years and am currently serving as the City Council President.
Raquel Lundberg
Councilmember
Contact Raquel
Email: ward1a@ci.little-falls.mn.us
Raquel moved to Little Falls in 2006 to open a bed and breakfast. She and her husband, Scott, ran the B&B successfully for 13 years.
In 2016, Raquel was elected to the Little Falls City Council and is currently serving her second term. She currently works at the Little Falls Community High School as a Paraprofessional.
Raquel has been married to her husband for 25 years. They have an adult son who lives in St. Paul. Raquel's hobbies include sewing, knitting, painting, cooking, designing, and restoring old houses. She is outgoing, involved in the community, and always available for a conversation or a cup of coffee!
If you would like to contact Councilmember Lundberg, her email address is ward1a@cityoflittlefalls.com.
Wayne Liljegren
Councilmember
Contact Wayne
Email: ward2b@ci.little-falls.mn.us
My name is Wayne Liljegren and I live on Circle Drive in Little Falls. I grew up in Cushing, Minnesota, on a farm and graduated from Little Falls High School. I am married to my wife Shirley and have been for 52 years. We have two children, son Michael and daughter Lori.
I worked at Camp Ripley for 30 years as a Plumbing and Heating Technician. I served in the military for 32 years with 6 years in the Navy and 26 years in the National Guard. I retired as a First Sergeant for the 142nd Engineers. I have been on the City Council for eight years.
David Meyer
Councilmember
Contact David
Email: ward3b@ci.little-falls.mn.us
David Meyer is married to Gabrielle and has four children, two girls and twin boys. He has lived in Little Falls for most of his life, graduating from Little Falls Community High School. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture and Landscape Design from Iowa State University. After college, he and Gabrielle came back to Little Falls and he started Minnesota Lawn Company, which he has run for over twenty years. In his free time, he works on projects at home, coaches’ youth basketball, is an avid golfer, and cheers his kids on at sporting and theater events!
Dave Glaze
Councilmember
Contact Dave
Email: atlarge@ci.little-falls.mn.us
My name is David Michael Glaze. I was born back in the 50's in Phoenix, Arizona. With the companies I was employed with, I moved around to numerous locations: Denver, Albuquerque, Arizona, Memphis, New Orleans, and finally settling in Morrison County where my wife Judy is from.
I have been married to Judy for 51 years and we have one son, Drue. He and his wife Emmy, and their son, Dawson, live on the edge of Little Falls. Both are employed at Camp Ripley.
When we moved to Little Falls, we purchased a flower shop and went to work. We have lived in Little Falls for 39 years and are now retired.
I have been very involved with the community; I was President of the Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Retail Committee, served on the Board of Directors for United Way, Morrison County Humane Society, Chamber of Commerce, and Community Development. I was on the originating committee for City of Lights, and River-Fest (which is known today as the Dam Festival).
I have always been a sports lover, played baseball all my life, including college. I was on a bowling team and golf league for most of my life. Now my interests have evolved to model trains. I have two large layouts of HO and N scale. I also belong to a fitness center and enjoy working out, walking, and weightlifting.
Email: ward1b@ci.little-falls.mn.us
Phone: (320) 360-3584
I am the fourth generation to reside in southeast Little Falls [Ward I]. I arrived to the Little Falls area [Randall] when my dad decided to move our family back home in 1984. Other than a three-year stint in the United States Army, I have called this area home ever since. Upon discharge from the Army, my wife Jennifer, who was born and raised in southeast Little Falls, and I moved back home, and we purchased our house in 1996. We have lived here ever since; I have two children that are adults and one grandchild. I retired from the Army National Guard after 20 years of service in 2010.
In my full-time job, I am a commercial vehicle claims adjuster for a large national carrier.
Email: ward3a@ci.little-falls.mn.us
Phone: (320) 267-1667
I have lived on the West Side of Little Falls on and off since 1971 and I moved here from Bowlus. My elementary education was in Bowlus and I graduated from Royalton High School. After graduating, I enrolled at the Brainerd Vocational School and received a degree in auto mechanics. I have worked on boats, in a paper mill, as a carpenter, wired ambulances, and did machining on jet engine parts. Beyond this, I ran a welding business, was a stone mason, worked on the railroad, did murals and finally ended up as an art/industrial tech teacher. Now that I’m retired, I work on muscle cars, and I restore old pickups. Occasionally, I do weld projects and artwork, from murals and sculptures to ceramics. I must stay busy, and I chair the Camp Ripley Veterans State Trail, am on the board at Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Housing Redevelopment Authority, and I belong to the Lone Eagles Auto Club and the Royalton Sportsman Club. I especially enjoy serving Little Falls on the City Council (4 terms) and participating on city boards like the Parks and Rec and Firemen’s Relief Board.
The most important thing to me is my relationship with God and my family. I have been blessed to be married to my wife, Christine, for over 30 years and we have 3 three wonderful children and 5 grandchildren. We R.V a lot in the summer and spend time with our grandchildren doing outdoor activities. I do have one bad habit and it is called birding. I spend a lot of time tracking down as many species in Minnesota that I can and I travel overseas and around the United States to bring my extended counts up. It’s all not just for fun, I do turn in reports to The Minnesota Ornithologist Union, Audubon Society and Cornell University to track how species are doing.
It’s been great living in Little Falls and raising my family here. I remember coming back from a trip to Europe where I visited many famous sites and saw many magnificent natural wonders, I found myself looking at the Mississippi River, south of Little Falls, and thought this was as beautiful as anything I saw there. I have met many wonderful people here and they are all special to me. God has really blessed me, and I plan on continuing what I have always done. Be Blessed!!
