By Lori EhdeResidents and would-be political analysts are still scratching their heads over the outcome of last week’s Luverne city elections.Challengers Maynard Lafrenz and Esther Frakes ousted incumbents David Hauge and Tom Martius by decided margins of victory.The outcome was surprising — some say shocking — for a number of reasons.The South Ward results were surprising in that Lafrenz has relatively little political experience.The North Ward results were surprising because it’s rare for a write-in candidate to beat an incumbent. Voters had to remember to correctly pencil in Frakes’ name on the ballot."The people have spoken," said outgoing Mayor Glen Gust. "Apparently they didn’t like what the council was doing, and they want to see some change."Gust, who decided not to seek a third term, said he was personally surprised by the election outcomes. "I was shocked, actually," Gust said. He said he thought the current aldermen were doing what they could to gather citizen feedback on public issues."Obviously we lost the PR battle," Gust said. "Everyone had good intentions, and I think they’d like to have things worked out." Bill Weber served eight years as alderman and eight years as mayor in Luverne before Gust took over in 2001.What was surprising to him, he said, was the margin of victory for the challengers."I believed there was the possibility of both challengers winning, but I think the margin is an indication of the depth of feeling on the issue of joint law enforcement," Weber said."The message the citizens of Luverne sent not only to the incumbents, but to the city as a whole, was to sit down at the table and negotiate realistically. … Quit trying to claim ‘poor city this’ and ‘poor city that’ when all our local units of government have realized budget hits in recent years. … We’re all in the same boat. The reason we had joint law in the first place was to make better use of resources available, recognizing that budget cuts were coming."Steep learning curveIn January, the leadership of Luverne will consist of a brand-new mayor, two brand-new council members and another two aldermen, with only two years under their belt. To top it off, the City Administrator Greg LaFond has been here just one year, and a new economic development director started just a month ago. Weber recalled that after his first four years he found himself the senior alderman on the council in 1988. He said the city survived then on green leaders, and it can this time, too.His advice to the current new crop is to think for themselves."I think, above all, they have to be confident with the data they’re presented, and if they’re not, they need to go out and get it on their own."Weber said a new mayor and two new aldermen are perfectly positioned to "form a coalition" for change."It would behoove the council to form a unanimous position to make change come about, without the two current members digging in their heels," he said. "They should be asking themselves, ‘What is the public saying that we’re obviously ignoring?’ If they ask a few people, there are plenty out there willing to tell them. The public has definitely made its position known."At the very least, he advised the new council to make reconciliation a priority in order to wrap up negotiations with the county on joint contracts — particularly law enforcement.He looks to incoming mayor Andy Steensma for leadership in that area."The mayor’s job is to find some middle ground," Weber said. "If there are bridges that have been burned, he needs to try to work toward the goal of reconciliation."Gust said it would help for the city to concentrate on positive things that have transpired in recent years, such as the new hospital and Total Card Inc. moving to town with the promise of hundreds of jobs."Luverne is in great shape, and I hope the new council and new mayor continue on the path we’re on," said Gust, who has offered his help to the new leaders where needed."We’re a great city, and we’re moving forward and we’re doing the best job we can to create jobs and make Luverne a better place to live."