1.
Introduce Self?
I have served 8 years on the Isanti City Council and 33
years as a Foreman for Old Dutch Foods.
I am married to Yvonne, a cancer-survivor and, together, they are
devoted to supporting many local community causes. I enjoy hunting and fishing
with family and friends.
NEVER voted for a tax increase in any year as an elected
official as he believes it is important to stay within the limited financial
means of the people he serves. My
background also includes 4 years on the Economic Development Authority, 4 years
on Planning Commission and 2 years on Community Education Advisory Board. My voting record consistently includes common
sense solutions to local problems. I
have earned a reputation for being a strong listener and aggressively protecting
townships against forced annexations.
2.
Favor Alternative transit such as commuter rail or
increased bus service?
The issue we face is a transportation system that is
overburdened by the amount of traffic the last decade of growth has caused. I
believe that we need to develop the most cost effective solution to our
increased traffic needs. The standard needs to be set that if alternative
transportation is cost effective compared to traditional forms then it can
work. We cannot afford to subsidize alternative forms of transportation as this
will only cause greater budget issues.
3.
Keeping a balanced county budget?
Just as our personal budgets, we must live within our means.
As a public official, I respect the limited financial resources of the
constituents I serve. We must use common sense in funding only those programs
that are benefiting Isanti County and supported by the taxpayers. We need to
establish a Long Term Financial Plan that will guide our budget decisions. Not
only has the County repeatedly increased taxes the last decade but has
increased spending per person at unsustainable rates.
One troubling area that I believe needs to be looked at more
closely is the $250K+ budget allocated for “Part-time Commissioners” as I do
not believe it is fair for “part-time” politicians to be given health-care
benefits while “part-time” employees do not receive this same benefit. Commissioner pay is roughly $27,000 a year
yet we have a Commissioner making over $55,000 in pay, per-diems and benefits. Why
do part-time Commissioners take full-time benefits while denying this benefit
for County workers? As Commissioner I will lead by example and not make our
hardworking taxpayers pay for my healthcare cost and I will take ZERO
per-diems.
4.
Plan to attract new businesses and promote economic
development?
I have worked on economic development during my 8 years of
service on the Isanti City Council. It takes strong dedication and a long term
approach to help existing businesses succeed and attracting new businesses. The
County has not set a direction for County wide economic development and has not
made the commitment to bring effective change to our community. We need to
establish our goals working with the cities and townships to produce a truly
collaborative approach that yields significant results. We can only be
successful if we expand our tax base so we can afford the services we need at a
cost we can afford.
5.
Priorities if elected to County Board?
I have listened to Isanti County board meetings and am
disappointed in the lack of professionalism and respect given to constituents
who show up at meetings and are told to “sit down and be quiet as these are
internal meetings of the board.” I
believe our job is to SERVE the public and respect their input, even if we do
not fully agree. We need a
transformational change that the Board serves the public, not vice versa. I support allowing the public to speak at
county board meetings. I have been doing this for 8 years on the Isanti City
Council. Every one of our meetings starts out with a Citizens input period that
allows our residents and taxpayers to bring up issues we do not already have on
the agenda. We must listen to and respect our Citizens.
Athens Township must be protected from any forced
annexation. Our rural areas are a treasure to our County and must be allowed to
grow as they see fit. I have defended township rights in this area for 8 years
on the Isanti City Council and am proud that Isanti has never forced any
annexation. We do best as a County by allowing our individual local governments
to grow and succeed on their own terms and at their own pace.
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