▁office ▁in ▁D ul uth , ▁though ▁John ▁Fed o ▁was ▁ 2 9 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁ ▁N ess ▁ran ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁term ▁uno pp osed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁He ▁held ▁an ▁ 8 9 % ▁appro val ▁rating ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Mayor ▁to ▁run ▁without ▁a ▁ch allen ger ▁since ▁D ul uth ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁ ▁Since ▁N ess ▁took ▁office ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁D ul uth ▁has ▁overcome ▁several ▁challeng es . ▁The ▁first ▁resolution ▁was ▁to ▁balance ▁the ▁growing ▁$ 4 . 4 ▁million ▁budget ▁def ic it . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁N ess ▁addressed ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁run away ▁ret ire e ▁health care ▁costs ▁by ▁moving ▁retired ▁City ▁employees ▁to ▁a ▁plan ▁that ▁matched ▁those ▁of ▁current ▁employees . ▁El ig ible ▁ret ire es ▁were ▁moved ▁to ▁Medic are . ▁Pre viously , ▁ret ire es ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁plan ▁in ▁effect ▁upon ▁ret irement . ▁This ▁adjust ment ▁reduced ▁D ul uth ’ s ▁un fund ed ▁health care ▁li ability ▁by ▁$ 2 0 9 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁Labor ▁un ions ▁took ▁the ▁City ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁over ▁the ▁issue ▁but ▁were ▁un success ful . ▁Through ▁hard ▁work ▁and ▁making ▁other ▁difficult ▁and ▁un pop ular ▁dec