forest lake times voters guide

Age 41, single. Unem-ployed but working on starting new job as pizza delivery driver because I worked as a delivery driver for over 20 years for a pizza shop. I did run for a City Council seat in Plym-outh but I lost. Visit w w w. f a c e -book.com/brianhilefor-mayor and https://twit-ter.com/bd-hile200.

1.) Explain what specifi-cally motivated you to run for office.

I would like to try to be successful as mayor by providing what residents expect: city hall to do its job, like protecting peo-ple, improving the city, improving the budget, etc.

2.) An engineering re-port found that 46 percent of Forest Lake’s road sys-tem is in need of recon-struction. Do you support the city’s recent plan for the establishment of a franchise fee to fund road maintenance? If not, what is your vision for main-taining and improving the street system?

We need very good roads to make them more clean and safe. When snow is covering a bad road, it will not be safe. With good roads, people will not have to worry about getting hurt. Broad-way looks very luxurious, but way too much luxury. It cost too much. I’d rec-ommend improving roads

that would secure safety rather than putting way too much into luxury. Some roads don’t need re-pair for a few more years.

3.) There has been on-going debate about the need for new or improved city govern-ment facili-ties. What degree of need do you detect, and how would you like to see it be ad-dressed?

Editor’s note: The can-didate did not respond to this question.

4.) Explain your support for two projects or policy changes; one likely requir-ing taxpayer money and one that likely saves tax-payer money or does not require it.

I want to improve the budget, perhaps build more [city-owned] apart-ments for seniors and those with disabilities so they can pay 30 percent of their income so city hall can begin to make some profits and use those profits to lower property taxes. Residents that live in houses work very hard to buy a house for their family. We need to work on helping them out so they will not lose their home. Build secu-rity to keep people safe, most importantly chil-dren. I want to work on improving the budget so that it will not increase and require taxpayers to pay more.

Thursday, October 25, 2012 Make an informed decision - Vote on November 6, 2012

Forest Lake Times

Paramedic, co-owner of Tyler Blu Golf. Mar-ried to Missy (Delta Air-lines), with children Katie (Willowbrook Church) and Tyler (Tyler Blu Golf). Eco-nomics de-gree from Univers i ty of Minneso-ta, Microsoft C e r t i f i e d Systems En-gineer - Da-kota County Te c h n i c a l C o l l e g e . Moved to Forest Lake eight years ago. Longtime high school and college hockey and football offi-cial.


I’m one of those who think government at all levels needs to start over. Forest Lake has had fiscal mismanagement, limited the freedom of speech at council meetings, has let the citizens/small busi-ness down with tax bur-dens including special “fees.” Let’s bring in more revenue without taxation.

2.) An engineering re-port found that 46 percent of Forest Lake’s road sys-tem is in need of recon-struction. Do you support the city’s recent plan for the establishment of a franchise fee to fund road maintenance? If not, what is your vision for main-taining and improving the street system?

I think it’s shameful how the city tried to “cov-er up” a tax by calling it a “franchise fee” on our utility bills. They should have been honest and forthright. Streets should be paid for by proper fis-cal budget management, state assistance from gas taxes, possibly user fees, gambling revenue and other creative ideas from the public. Fix current roads before spending

money on new roads.3.) There has been on-

going debate about the need for new or improved city government facili-

ties. What degree of need do you detect, and how would you like to see it be ad-dressed?

The May-or of Forest Lake doesn’t need a big, new, fancy office. I hope that when we set

up a solid financial base in the years ahead we can address a new police/fire facility and maybe a new government center. But no way should we be considering spending $22,000,000 on a building in poor economic times. Pay police more and give them better equipment. Put new commerce on that site and produce rev-enue.


As mayor, I would look at rezoning and creat-ing more commercial/in-dustrial building sites to bring in the tax base we need to lead our city into solid financial growth to pay for the beautification of the city and reduce property taxes. The best small cities in the coun-try have the lowest taxes. Low taxes bring in more home buyers and small business, thus more rev-enue and jobs. As mayor, I would start a statewide initiative with other may-ors to freeze property taxes for retirees and vet-erans until the state abol-ishes property taxes.

My wife, Lara, and I have three young kids. I gradu-ated from Forest Lake High School. I’m a business owner/attorney in town. I’m also past president of the Rotary Club and the 19th District of the Min-nesota State Bar Associa-tion, and am past board chair of the Chamber of Commerce.

1.) Ex-plain the single accom-plishment you take the most pride in from your current term.

Generally, I am most proud of changing the mo-mentum of the city from stagnant and reactive to forward-thinking and pro-active. We have done a significant amount of long-term planning, now have a five-year strategic plan and are taking action to attract more families and busi-nesses and addressing the city’s challenges.

2.) An engineering report found that 46 percent of For-est Lake’s road system is in need of reconstruction. Do you support the city’s re-cent plan for the establish-ment of a franchise fee to fund road maintenance? If not, what is your vision for maintaining and improving the street system?

Currently, roads mostly only get repaired if the adjacent property owners agree to pay for it through street assessments, often in the price range of $7,500-$15,000 per home. Most decline and roads don’t get fixed. I’m in favor of aban-doning the one-time, large-assessment approach and instead beginning a pro-gram by which all energy users pay a small flat fee each month dedicated to roads. By repairing our roads, more won’t need costly reconstruction.

3.) There has been on-

going debate about the need for new or improved city government facilities. What degree of need do you detect, and how would

you like to see it be ad-dressed?

I don’t be-lieve anyone that tours the facilities q u e s t i o n s the need. Police cars and their computers are currently stored out-side. Fire trucks bare-

ly fit in the old fire hall and the buildings all need sig-nificant repairs. By build-ing one building that hous-es police, fire and city hall, we save significant money by eliminating duplicated spaces like entries, bath-rooms and training rooms, we reduce ongoing operat-ing costs and we provide better customer service to our residents.


Redeveloping North-land Mall allows us to increase the tax base by transferring existing op-erations from commercial-ly-viable properties to a single site that is among the city’s least commer-cially-viable. We’ll treat the currently-untreated water that flows through Winnick Supply, Northland Mall and a large subdivision, signifi-cantly improving the water quality of Clear Lake. By acting now on this site, we address many challenges and save money in the long run by taking advantage of today’s prices and inter-est rates and by fostering further streamlining and efficiencies of operations. I strongly believe the proj-ect will be reflected on as a fiscally-prudent decision.

Editor’s Note:

Bruce Anderson

Julie BunnDFL-Lake Elmo

Karin HousleyR-St. Mary’s Point

Brian Hile Chris Johnson (I)

Two challenge Johnson for FL mayor

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Forest Lake CItyHall (P-1)

St Peter'sChurch (P-2)

FaithLutheranChurch (P-3)

HosannaLutheran Church (P-4)

Washington CountyService Center

(P-5)

P42746

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P54723

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_̂ Polling Location

Precinct Boundary

E0 0.5 10.25

MilesSource: US Census Bureau.Created by the GIS Support Unit.March 13, 2012

Forest Lake

(Number is population in the precinct)

Precinct Population1 41842 30613 36614 27465 4723

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Forest Lake CItyHall (P-1)

St Peter'sChurch (P-2)

FaithLutheranChurch (P-3)

HosannaLutheran Church (P-4)

Washington CountyService Center

(P-5)

P42746

P23061

P14184

P54723

P33661

_̂ Polling Location

Precinct Boundary

E0 0.5 10.25

MilesSource: US Census Bureau.Created by the GIS Support Unit.March 13, 2012

Forest Lake

(Number is population in the precinct)

Precinct Population1 41842 30613 36614 27465 4723

Forest Lake Precincts

Some responses from candidates were lightly edited for grammar, length and clarity. Care was taken to preserve intent. Candidates in challenged races who did not respond remain listed in their respective article. Several at-tempts were made to reach each candidate.

•Precinct 1, Forest Lake City Hall, 220 N. Lake St.•Precinct 2, St. Peter’s Church, 1250 South Shore Dr.•Precinct 3, Faith Lutheran Church, 886 North Shore Dr.•Precinct 4, Hosanna Lutheran, 9300 Scandia Trail N. •Precinct 5, Wash. Co. Service Center, 19955 Forest Rd. N.

I am an economist with over 25 years of aca-demic, government and consulting experience. I formerly served in the Minnesota State House (2007-2010), on my city’s p l a n n i n g c o m m i s -sion, and as a host mom to AFS and Rotary ex-change stu-dents. I am a member of the Greater S t i l l w a t e r Area Cham-ber of Com-merce and Lake Elmo Rotary. My husband of 28 years, Marlon Gunder-son, grew up on a Chisago County dairy farm. We have one daughter.

1.) Explain what spe-cifically motivated you to

run for office. We are witnessing too

much extremism, con-flict, and lack of progress at the state Capitol. I am

a principled m o d e r a t e who is com-mitted to a civil, honest discussion of issues, and to hard work in finding real s o l u t i o n s to prob-lems. I have a proven track record of biparti-san achieve-ment, pass-ing major

legislation to lower the cost of health care, to support job creation in the small business sector, and to protect our drink-

Bunn, Housley seek open seat in 39

Married 27 years to high school sweetheart, former NHL’er Phil Hous-ley. Four children. Owner, Karin Housley Homes and Lumberyard Hockey & Sports. Ran-dom House-p u b l i s h e d a u t h o r , p r e s i d e n t of Let’s Go Fishing with S e n i o r s , C o m m u -nity Thread Board, Can-vas Health Chair and S p e c i a l O l y m p i c s . Host of The Karin Hou-sley Show-KLBB Radio, a program featuring busi-nesses and non-profits. Washington County Ag-ricultural Society, Wash-ington County Historic Courthouse Council. Min-

nesota Farm Bureau and Minnesota Chamber En-dorsed. BA-State Univer-sity of New York.

1.) Explain what spe-cifically mo-tivated you to run for of-fice.

I care about our community. I’ve listened to the con-cerns about unemploy-ment, the e c o n o m y, e d u c a t i o n and health care. Resi-dents ex-pect new s o l u t i o n s

and fresh ideas. I am not a career politician. My priorities at the Capitol will be to address our un-employment and help our

Bunn see page 8A Housley see page 8A

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voters guide

Connie Amos (I)

Bob Hegland

Dan Lee

Dustin Hegland

Chris Ness (I)

1.) What is your back-ground?

We have lived in Scandia for 20+ years. I have 3 children and 12 grandchildren. I am an Incharge for AT&T Ex-ecutive Teleconference Service. I have been em-ployed by this company for 18+ years. I have held no public office be-fore this one.

2.) Explain the single accomplishment you take the most pride in from your current term.

I take pride in working with a great Mayor and Council. We are able to work out our differences and move on.

3.) How would you characterize Scandia’s fi-nances? What would you keep the same, and what would you change?

Scandia’s finances seem to be very good, solid. Spending is on proper financial footing.

4.) What should Scandia do to manage development, protect its natural resources, and support agriculture and business?

We have a Comprehen-sive Plan that promises to serve as a blueprint for the city, describing how natural resources will be protected, where and how development will take place, and how Scandia will continue to maintain its rural char-acter.

5.) What challenges does Scandia face, and how would you address them?

We need to promote new business. This bene-fits all Scandia residents.

Five candidates compete for two seats on scandia council


I have been a Scandia resident for 14 years, serving for two years on the city council and 10 years on the planning commission before that. I’m a graduate of White Bear Lake High School and Brown Institute and work for Best Auto Sup-ply in Osceola. I have two grown daughters and the world’s cutest five grand-children.


The hirings this year of our new city administra-tor, Kristina Handt, and public works director, Tim Kieffer, were excel-lent accomplishments. Much time was spent in meetings and interviews


I attended college for computer science. I work as a consultant in the in-formation systems man-agement field. My family consists of my wife Me-gan, my daughter Madi-son and my sons, Tristan and Breckan.

2.) What motivated you to run for office?

I saw our property tax levy increased 33.9 per-cent from 2008 to 2012. Incomes aren’t increas-ing, and home values have dropped greatly. Even with all this, our city council continues on as if it is business as usual. These ideas must stop and every expense must be scrutinized.


Scandia’s finances are good, but it’s how the money is spent that needs to be looked at to make sure that it stays that way. If the city coun-cil continues spending more and more money they will have to keep raising tax levies every year just to keep up with spending. We need to re-duce spending and our debt to keep from raising taxes and maybe reduce them over time.


This question infers we need more govern-ment. I am an advocate of less government. I be-lieve in government that manages its funds with common sense and stays out of people’s lives as much as possible. Busi-ness, agriculture, and de-velopment thrive when there is less regulation, not more. Protecting natural resources is the

Scandia will vote for mayor and two council mem-bers on Nov. 6.

Mayor Randall Simonson is running unopposed for a second two-year term. The mayor is paid $3,882 per year.

Terms for council members Connie Amos and

Chris Ness also end in 2012. Both are running for re-election. Attempting to defeat them are Dan Lee, a member of the city’s Park and Recreation committee, and two newcomers to city politics, Bob Hegland and Dustin Hegland.

Robert Pilz will also be on the ballot but has with-

drawn from the race.Council members serve four-year terms and are

paid $3,148 per year.The Forest Lake Times asked the five council can-

didates to answer five questions. Their responses are printed here.


BSEE electrical engi-neer. Began my career as a research engineer at 3M but spent most of my career in corporate management. Now semi-retired, I maintain a finan-cial practice managing investments. 4 children and 7 grandchildren. I moved to Scandia to be near my youngest son and his 3 children.


Our property tax levy increased 33.9% from


I was raised in Hop-kins, joined the Air Force and served three years in the Netherlands dur-ing the Vietnam conflict.

I got my insurance and real estate licenses

2008 – 2012. With 2013 factored in the result is in an increase from 2008 – 2013 of 41.8%. Incomes are flat, purchasing power has diminished, and home values have dropped considerably but our city council ap-parently thinks it is busi-ness as normal.


Scandia’s finances are sound but better utiliza-tion is required to main-tain that. Continuing current spending we will weaken them, unless we continue to raise prop-erty tax levies. As noted earlier, our property tax levy has increased dra-matically over recent years while our economy has not. We need to re-duce debt and work to-ward stabilizing property taxes and perhaps even reducing them over time. If you vote for an incum-bent, you choose higher taxes and more spending. To choose lower taxes and less spending, vote for me.

4.) What should Scandia do to manage develop-ment, protect its natural resources, and support ag-riculture and business?

This question infers we need more government. I am an advocate of less government. I believe in government that man-ages its funds with com-mon sense and stays out of people’s lives as much as possible. Business, agriculture, and develop-ment thrive when there is less regulation, not more. Protecting natural re-sources is the function of the DNR. We don’t need to duplicate their efforts.


The biggest challenge is an ever-encroaching government that is grad-ually forcing many of our residents out of their homes. Our neighbor For-est Lake seems to under-stand this and is working toward a zero increase property tax levy for 2013 whereas Scandia is pro-jecting a budget increase of 6.2%. Government in-herently grows unless there is a concerted ef-fort to examine all expen-ditures and alternatives, short term and long term. One person can effect change. Two can really make a difference which is why my son, Dustin, and I are running for the two open positions on the city council.

and worked for Ameri-can Family Insurance.

Then I gravitated to construction and at-tained my journeyman certificate. I have an AA in personnel manage-ment and a BA in inter-national relations.

I followed my fiancée to Seattle and started BRC Inc., a brick resto-ration company. After a successful nine years, and expecting a child, we moved to the family 16-acre farm on the east side of Hay Lake to raise our son in a rural town with good schools.


I am currently on the Park and Recreation committee and head the Lilleskogen subcommit-tee. With Greg Zauner I am liaison with the Li-ons and with Friends of Scandia Parks and Trails.


Like many small towns, Scandia is chal-lenged with mounting budgets, loans and lev-ies to improve our infra-structure and keep Scan-dia’s fire department and city services up to date and progressive. This re-quires large amounts of money unattainable in an annual budget, so we must make payments.

This in itself is not bad; however, I would like to bring some wis-dom to the table in the allocation of these funds.

Now that we are a city, much of this cost will be directly added to our property taxes. I don’t want this to be the “easy fix.” I would like to see long-range plan-ning commensurate with carefully thought-out budgeting and fiscal re-sponsibility.


I would like to see the mayor more involved with promoting the busi-ness climate and encour-aging new businesses to Scandia. If I’m elected, I can nudge him for more focus with ideas and pro-motions and/or incen-tives, making Scandia a great place to work, live, and raise our families.


Scandia has a unique responsibility with the historical significance and the environmental challenges with growth and protecting our air and water. We have the St. Croix River and O’Brien State Park, two jewels recognized na-tionally and treasured locally, giving the resi-dents access to a pleth-ora of opportunity. If elected I will promote bike, walking and horse trails, making Scandia the envy of every small town.

With these economi-cally stressed times, our job is to spend when we have to and budget con-servatively to enable Scandia to grow and prosper. I will look care-fully at both sides of the issues and present the best case to serve Scan-dia’s residents, city-envi-ronment and business.

function of the DNR. We don’t need to duplicate their efforts.


Scandia’s biggest is-sue is spending. This is gradually forcing many of our neighbors out of their homes. In a hard economy, many taxpay-ers are looking to cut unnecessary financial expenses. Taking time to analyze and prioritize expenditures is a must. I have a strong record of excellence among numerous businesses through decreasing spending while increas-ing their effectiveness without the loss of quali-ty. I believe in evaluating the decisions made to ensure that the citizens of Scandia are not being over-taxed. We have an opportunity to guaran-tee that fiscal discipline is taking place, without losing the greatness that Scandia encompasses.

to accomplish this. I’m also very proud of the work I’ve done through the years with the plan-ning commission.


Scandia’s finances are in great shape. We should continue with our capital improvements plan, for which I’m a committee member, to stay prepared for long-range expenses. With the hiring of our new public works direc-tor, we’re looking at doing more projects in-house, at a substantial cost savings from having to contract them out. This will entail more short-term expense for the needed equip-ment, which needs to be balanced against those savings.

4.) What should Scandia do to manage develop-ment, protect its natural resources, and support ag-riculture and business?

We have a great com-prehensive plan and de-velopment code process in place for managing development and sup-porting our agriculture, including small farms, which have grown in num-ber recently. As for natu-ral resources, we must be vigilant and make sure that protecting them is our default position, espe-cially our fantastic water-ways. I believe that if we want to grow business, we’ll have to expand our business park, as almost all the lots there are occu-pied now.


We are truly blessed to be living here. Our chal-lenge is to keep Scandia the beautiful place that it is, which is something I’ve heard visitors here say so many times. Our ordinances do a great job of this, but we must also be sure to safeguard our property owners’ rights at the same time. We need to maintain our in-frastructure, particularly our roads and three sew-er systems, which are ag-ing and in need of repair. We are on our way to ac-complishing this, with the aforementioned public works plans.

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voters guide

Dennis Hegberg (I) Fran Miron

I have s e r v e d District 1 for over 22 years, giving me multi-facet-ed govern-ment ex-p e r i e n c e . My 40-plus years of b a n k i n g and man-agement experience and my per-sonal dedication to serving enable me to be a strong voice for you. I live in Forest Lake, am single, with four children and six grand-children. I have a B.S. in Business Administration. I have held many leadership positions, currently Washington County Board Chair, and several other board chairs.

1.) Explain the single accom-plishment you take the most pride in from your current term.

I have helped manage a con-siderable amount of growth in Washington County and District 1, delivering many projects such as Hardwood Creek Trail, Big Ma-rine Park, County Road 8 in Hugo, County Road 2 (Broadway), Coun-ty Road 83 overpass, senior hous-ing in Hugo, Trailside-Forest Lake, northern government center and library-Forest Lake, park and ride and express bus service to Minne-apolis and St. Paul. These projects have provided services closer to the people in this district.

2.) Washington County is pro-jected to see a 55-percent growth in population by 2030. What needs to be done in the near future to ad-dress the challenges that growth will bring?

I have experience in managing the growth in Washington County while improving our credit rating to triple A and providing core gov-ernment services in a cost-effec-tive manner. Providing services for an aging population such as trans-portation options. Managing the natural resources such as ground water will be a challenge.

3.) With the County Road 2 (Broadway Avenue) project wrapped up, what transportation issue most needs addressing in Dis-trict 1?

Highway 61, currently a state highway to be turned back to Washington County and Highway 97, a state highway needs improve-ments to handle the current and growth traffic. I sit on leadership positions such as TAB (Transpor-tation Advisory Board) and CTIB (County Transit Improvement Board) to advocate for Improve-ments for District 1.

4.) Explain your support for two projects or policy changes; one likely requiring taxpayer money and one that likely saves taxpayer money or does not require it.

I would support increasing the hours at the public library and improvements in technology to in-crease e-books and faster access to information.

Human services is where we spend the most taxpayers dollars. We need to become more flexible in delivering the services. The federal and state mandates give us very little flexibility in provid-ing for these needs. In some cases we need to provide higher case management. And in some provid-ing more self-directed options for those being served. I would advo-cate for federal and state laws be-ing changed to provide for more flexibility. Manage by results in-stead of process.

Fran Miron, 58. Married 34 years to wife Mary Ann and have raised six children. A dairy/crop farmer.

University of Minnesota (1976) and For-est Lake Area Senior High School (1972) graduate.

Political/civic experience: Hugo may-or - 16 years; Hugo City Council - four years. Chair, Hugo Economic Develop-ment Authority; Chair, I35WE Coalition; Hugo Fire Relief Association; Forest Lake Community Scholarship Founda-tion Board; Minnesota Farm Bureau State Board; Minnesota 19th Judicial District Ethics Committee Past Member.

Visit www.miron2012.org.1.) Explain what specifically motivat-

ed you to run for office.I bring a fresh perspective to coun-

ty government backed by 20 years of experience in local government. I un-derstand the importance of providing quality services while maintaining fis-cally conservative values. Expanding and retaining businesses, conserving open spaces, and planning for growth; particularly at a time of declining mar-ket values are areas of focus. I deeply care about the opportunities Washing-ton County can provide the next genera-tion. Our communities hold the key to success!

2.) Washington County is projected to see a 55-percent growth in population by 2030. What needs to be done in the near future to address the challenges that growth will bring?

I will work closely with communi-ties within District 1 to manage growth, where growth is desired. This expan-sion should be balanced with a focus on business retention and expansion while maintaining open space lands. I’ll bring a comprehensive approach that takes into consideration local governments, citizen input and needs for public in-frastructure improvements. The county must take a leadership role in develop-ing strategies to expand business op-portunities and jobs with a focus on our people!

3.) With the County Road 2 (Broadway Avenue) project wrapped up, what trans-portation issue most needs addressing in District 1?

A strategic plan must be developed and goals identified in which transpor-tation is a key area of focus. Many of our county roads, bridges and trails, partic-ularly in northern Washington County, need improvement and repair. Business retention and expansion typically fol-low infrastructure improvements which bring jobs. Reprioritization of current county spending must be made to sup-port our current transportation system. As District 1’s representative, I will work to bring equitable transportation fund-ing to our area.

4.) Explain your support for two proj-ects or policy changes; one likely requir-ing taxpayer money and one that likely saves taxpayer money or does not re-quire it.

Washington County has significantly cut funding for 4-H. I believe strongly in youth programs, such as the Youth Ser-vice Bureau and 4-H. Investing in our youth is good policy!

Washington County has an oppor-tunity to become engaged with local communities by supporting economic development. Growing businesses and creating jobs in the private sector is a significant change from current policy. Building retail and commercial market value in Washington County allows us to maintain a flat tax rate policy, with the potential of a decreasing tax rate. We’ve done it in Hugo and we can do it in Washington County!

Hugo mayor challenging longtime commissioner in Washington County district 1

seeking fourth term, dettmer faces Bruno in 39A

M a r r i e d 20 years to wife, Cath-erine, rais-ing sons Christopher and John Jr. Veteran of the U.S. Ma-rine Corps. I have worked in both the public and private sec-tor. In the public sector, I worked in Social Services. Midway through my life, I returned to college and entered the scientific field as a product de-veloper and inventor. I volunteer lo-cally through my township and have an Adopt-A-Highway section we have managed for 11 years.

1.) Explain what specifically moti-vated you to run for office.

Over a period of years, I have been asked to run for different offices and always said no. After being asked to run for this position, I spoke with fam-ily, friends and small business owners in the area. One thing became clear: people are upset about property tax-es. The more I asked others, the more I was convinced to run. We need prob-lem solvers at the legislature. I am a problem solver.

2.) Republicans say they balanced the state budget, while DFL’ers say it was through smoke and mirrors. What is your take on the state budget? Do you see the current model as being sustain-able for future years?

No, I don’t think it is sustainable. They are already borrowing money (tobacco fund) to help cover the debt. They also borrowed from the school fund ($2.4 billion) and now they are going around telling anyone who will listen that they have a $103 million “working surplus”. What they are not telling you is that they have $4.4 bil-lion deficit which will magically ap-pear after the election in the next leg-islative session.

3.) One issue all can agree on is the need to create jobs. What can be done at the state level to lower unemploy-ment and foster business growth?

Start with a good bonding bill. Our infrastructure is in dire need of repair. Roads, bridges, sewer and water sys-tem, public buildings need repair. With interest rates where they are now, it is cheap to bond right now. Include tax credits for hiring unemployed work-ers, job retraining, and more money for the Minnesota Investment Fund (small business) and Buy Minnesota should all be part of the creating jobs solution.

4.) Identify a concern specific to your district. What is your stance on it?

Education is our children’s future. The legislature “borrowing” from the education fund with no real plan to pay it back jeopardizes that future. Schools will now have to borrow with interest to make up that revenue. The state is not going to pay that interest. The formula needs to be re-thought-out. Why does one school district have a $937-per-pupil rate (Chisago Lakes) and another a $3,645 (Minne-apolis)? There needs to be a more bal-anced formula.

5.) Explain your support for two proj-ects or policy changes at a state or lo-cal level; one likely requiring taxpayer money and one that likely saves taxpay-er money or does not require it.

A.) Repeal the Homestead Credit (requires tax). Restoring the market value homestead credit would put $370 million back to taxpayers’ pock-ets to help the economy.

B.) Lock-box the state budget re-serves so it cannot be used to be hand-ed out in good times as tax refunds, thereby not be available in bad times. Because the nature of biennium bud-gets, they tend to be a boom-and-bust roller coaster ride; having a reserve is important to stabilize the budget.

Wife, Colleen, two sons and one daughter.

O c c u p a t i o n : Chief Warrant Offi-cer, USAR (Retired 2011); teacher, head wrestling coach, Forest Lake High School (Retired 2007); MSHSL wrestling official, 2006-pres-ent; Minnesota State Representative, 2006-present.

Political/civic experience: Currently serving as the Minnesota State Representa-tive for Senate District 52A for three terms. Chief Warrant Officer, Military Intelligence, USAR, 25 years.

Education: Bachelor of Science in Health & Physical Education-Bemidji State Univer-sity, MA-St. Thomas University.


Authored legislation that passed both the House, Senate, signed by the governor which aimed at giving hiring preference to veteran-owned small businesses.

Authored legislation that extends eligi-bility for a market value exclusion benefit for the surviving spouse or approved family caretaker of certain disabled veterans.

Supported legislation that turned a $6 billion budget deficit into a $1.2 billion bud-get surplus.

2.) Republicans say they balanced the state budget, while DFL’ers say it was through smoke and mirrors. What is your take on the state budget? Do you see the current model as being sustainable for future years?

State revenues in the first quarter of fiscal year 2013 exceed projections – Min-nesota took in an extra $145 million from July through September, 4 percent better than expected. Revenues for the current two-year budget cycle are now $444 million above expectations. Increased revenues signal that Minnesota’s economy is recov-ering. As the existing tax code is delivering better than expected revenues, budgetary focus at the State Capitol should remain on reining in unsustainable, unchecked spend-ing.

3.) One issue all can agree on is the need to create jobs. What can be done at the state level to lower unemployment and foster busi-ness growth?

The Tax Foundation last week released their 2013 edition of the State Business Tax Climate Index. Minnesota again ranked near the bottom in the nation for its business tax climate -- 45th out of 50 states. This is ter-rible news for a competitive economy and job creation. As we continue to see positive news in the state’s economic update we must continue support legislation that will encourage entrepreneurs to keep and grow jobs in Minnesota.

4.) Identify a concern specific to your dis-trict. What is your stance on it?

Minnesota has a long history of excel-lent public and private schools. Providing adequate, fair funding has to be among the highest priorities. Local schools receive thousands less per student than schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Equity fund-ing is essential to lower class size and hire the staff necessary. We must also build in reform so taxpayers are assured their dol-lars are used in the classroom and not squandered on excessive bureaucracy or programs with dubious merit.

5.) Explain your support for two projects or policy changes at a state or local level; one likely requiring taxpayer money and one that likely saves taxpayer money or does not re-quire it.

I will support legislation that promotes job growth and initiatives that help small businesses grow and succeed, which will in turn provide jobs and strengthen our lo-cal and state economy. The elimination of the statewide business property tax on our businesses will be one of the initiatives for the 2013 session along with the reduction in government spending.

I will support legislation that will help keep higher education affordable and will promote K-12 education reform and equi-table funding and pay back the education shift.

John Bruno, Sr.DFL-Lindstrom

Bob Dettmer (I)R-Forest Lake

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voters guideChallenger battles incumbents for Columbus City Council seat

Jeff Duraine (I) Glen KotheDenny Peterson (I)

I have been married to my wife, Colleen, for 22 years and lived here for 20. I have been with the Saint Paul Fire Department 26 years, currently an in-vestigator in the arson unit. I have been a Colum-bus council member for six years, and a past park board member.

1.) Explain the single ac-complishment you take the most pride in from your cur-rent term.

I take pride in the fact I have worked hard to keep our city property taxes af-fordable. I support shared resource agreements with surrounding communi-ties, thereby holding down costs. On city issues I strive to obtain input from others, gather the facts and analyze the issues be-fore making a decision.

2.) Is it important for Co-lumbus to build its commer-cial and industrial property base? If yes, what is the best way to foster that growth?

Having a good commer-cial tax base is an impor-tant way to help support and maintain our five-acre minimum homesteads. Columbus needs to be competitive with the sur-rounding communities. We need to keep our property taxes low and city regula-tions reasonable. We have just passed a resolution of-fering business incentives to new and existing busi-nesses in our commercial district. We need to con-tinue promoting Columbus with its business-friendly atmosphere and desirable location.

3.) What is Columbus’ best option for future law enforcement and public safety coverage?

Public safety is the primary responsibility of government. Fortunately, Columbus enjoys a rela-tively low crime rate. We are now under contract with Anoka County for a dedicated officer eight hours daily, seven days a week. The remaining 16 hours are provided by the Anoka County Sheriff’s county-wide patrol typi-cally assigned in our area. This coverage appears to be meeting our citizens’ needs. We will continue to monitor our coverage and make adjustments as nec-essary.

4.) Explain your support for two projects or policy changes; one likely requir-ing taxpayer money and one that likely would save taxpayer money or not re-quire it.

One important project that needs our attention is the redevelopment and improvements of the 97/35 interchange. We have had several meetings with Anoka County and MnDOT discussing available op-tions and the timeframe involved. The uncertainty of the placement had hin-dered development and needs to be addressed.

Another issue that has been a detriment to our commercial base is the program of fiscal dispari-ties. This tax is assessed on local commercial busi-nesses and is redistributed outside of our community. As a city we should lobby for a reduction or change in this unfair tax.

Columbus resident, 25 years. Owner of Total Recall School for Dogs. Thirty-year veteran St. Paul police officer (re-tired). Past member, Co-lumbus Planning Com-mission. Past member, St. Paul Mayors Responsive Services Task Force. Past member, School District 612 Budget Review Com-mittee. Past treasurer, Harding High School PTA.


Our current political situation throughout the United States government is out of touch because of voter complacency. There needs to be more direct involvement and it has to start somewhere.

2.) Is it important for Columbus to build its com-mercial and industrial property base? If yes, what is the best way to foster that growth?

Yes, by establishing a “business-friendly” envi-ronment. Columbus has a unique situation, in that its business district is next to a major freeway (I-35) and on the eastern edge of the city limits, away from most of the residential areas. An ax-iom of business is “Loca-tion, location, location.” Columbus is the perfect place. Working with busi-nesses to bring in jobs and increase the tax base is beneficial to both the city and the business.


Currently the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office provides coverage for Co-lumbus. We pay extra for a full-time deputy. As a re-tired police officer, I know how expensive it can be to have your own agency. There are only 3,900 resi-dents of Columbus, thus establishing its own po-lice force would be cost-prohibitive. If increasing law enforcement is nec-essary it would be easier to pay for more deputies around the clock. They al-ready have the personnel and equipment.

5.) Explain your support for two projects or policy changes; one likely requir-ing taxpayer money and one that likely would save taxpayer money or not re-quire it.

The only projects or policies I support are those necessary for safe-ty and betterment of the citizens. Establishing a sheriff’s substation would require tax dollars and at the same time save tax dollars, not only for Co-lumbus but Anoka Coun-ty. Having the substation would save fuel costs, travel and response time.

Also, we still have sev-eral dirt roads in Colum-bus. They are hard to maintain and should be surfaced, but only if the residents there want it. Many like the rural atmo-sphere in parts of Colum-bus. Surfacing these roads would require tax dollars, but be more beneficial to the residents.

Columbus business owner, 33 years. Colum-bus City Council, six years. Columbus Fall Fest organizer, six years. Columbus Economic De-velopment Committee -- current liaison. Sunrise Watershed Committee, five years. Columbus Maintenance Building Committee/ Columbus Incorporation Commit-tee -- 2006. Columbus resident, nine years. Married 44 years, five children, 10 grandchil-dren.


Uniting Columbus citi-zens in city events. The September Fall Fest has attracted a larger crowd since adding the Car & Tractor Show. Holding the tax line.

2.) Is it important for Columbus to build its commercial and indus-trial property base? If yes, what is the best way to foster that growth?

By presenting Colum-bus to potential busi-ness owners as being the great location it is. This can be accomplished through appealing di-rect advertising. The city has already installed bill-boards along Interstate 35 to promote develop-ment of this land. The City Council is striving to be business-friendly to companies looking to open or relocate in our city.


The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office is doing a great job. Crime in Co-lumbus is less frequent. The present program is working great. Keeping the current program, as long as it satisfies our community’s needs, saves money for Colum-bus residents.

4.) Explain your sup-port for two projects or policy changes; one likely requiring taxpayer money and one that likely would save taxpayer money or not require it.

Improvement of the city image will cost mini-mal additional funding, while attracting busi-nesses to the area. Co-lumbus needs to become a “known” city. Many Minnesota residents don’t relate with the lo-cation or recognize our city’s name. We are look-ing at the installation of attractive signs along roadways welcoming people to Columbus.

Rhonda Sivarajah (I)

Anoka board chair seeks re-election

Chair, Anoka County Board of Commission-ers. Married 22 years to Ran, two children, grades 10 and 12. For-mer small business own-er. Lino Lakes resident since 1996. Born and raised in Cambridge. B.A. from St. Cloud State University. Board of Di-rectors, Greater MSP; member of Quad Area and Metro North Cham-bers of Commerce; Ap-pointed to Minnesota Commission Serving Deaf and Hard of Hear-ing. Member of Eagle Brook Church.


I am proud to have kept my promises to taxpayers by imple-menting the first reduc-tion in the county levy in over 30 years while maintaining services; initiating efficiencies through the use of tech-nology and “lean” busi-ness processes saving time and money; mak-ing county government more accessible and

transparent to citizens through online services and county board meet-ings in the community; and addressing our in-frastructure needs with the largest road con-struction and road reha-bilitation season ever.

2.) Anoka County cut its property tax levy by 7 percent for 2012 and a further cut is proposed as part of next year’s bud-get. In a time when most governments are stretch-ing each dollar to make do, do you feel these cuts can be afforded while still providing adequate services?

Yes. These reduc-tions did not come at the expense of our ability to serve the tax-payer. They were ac-complished by focusing on needs versus wants; implementing efficien-cies in service delivery and work processes through the use of tech-nology; improved main-tenance of our facili-ties bringing down our per-square-foot costs; and implementation of a voluntary separation program saving $1.5 million annually in sala-ry and benefits through restructuring and hiring replacements at a lower pay rate.

3.) What is the condi-tion of the county tran-sit system in District 6? What improvements would you advocate?

The Metropolitan Council contracts with Anoka County to pro-vide transit link (dial-a-ride) services through-out the county so that riders can go anywhere in the metro area. In or-

der for transit to be suc-cessful, the ridership has to be there in order to justify the expense. I will advocate for bus routes that have good ridership, but will not lend support to those routes where ridership is not sufficient.

4.) Explain your sup-port for two projects or policy changes; one likely requiring taxpayer money and one that like-ly saves taxpayer money or does not require it.

I am supportive of a new interchange at I-35 and County Road 23 (Lake Drive) and Highway 97 in order to address the growing safety concerns and congestion issues along with the anticipated in-creases in traffic. This is a long-term project that will require federal, state and local resourc-es.

I will work with legis-lators to identify oppor-tunities for streamlining the wetland and water permitting process for transportation projects with a single-point of is-suance system for state wetland and water per-mits relative to trans-portation projects. Our current system requires multiple permits and fees. This would save time and money.

Ryan did not re-spond.

The first official presidential election in the United States took place in 1789 with George Washington becoming the first president. However, only 10 of the 13 states participated in the election, as New York had chosen no electors, and North Carolina and Rhode Island had not yet ratified the Constitution.

Facts About Elections

http://facts.randomhistory.com/2008/10/20_election.html

Kevin Ryan

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voters guide

Peterson has a Bach-elor of Fine Arts degree from Mankato State Uni-versity, has worked as a chef, managed and owned bakeries. “In 1990, with the escalation of tensions in the Middle East, I left the food service and joined the U.S. Army, where I at-tended the Defense Lan-guage Institute at the Pre-sidio of Monterey, learning Russian and becoming an interrogator for military intelligence.”

After service, he began working with Luther Auto in internet sales, learning web design. In 2005, Pe-terson joined wife Karla as a broker in their real estate company. “In 2011, we closed our real estate company, and I began to build websites full time.”

“I have the business and analytical skills as well as the creative in-stincts to come up with solutions. I believe that when I was elected mayor, I was elected to guide the city as a business, with a duty to ensure we provide our shareholders (the citizens) with the best re-turn on our investment. Each decision we make as a council needs to con-sider not just the immedi-ate impact, but how this decision will impact our residents five or ten years from now. I’ve always been a problem solver.”

Referring to the pro-posal to include $500,000 in the 2013 Levy, (2) Pe-terson says, “I absolutely support this program. Streets in our city have been ignored for a long time, in some cases over 35 years. Failure to start replacing our failing infra-structure will cripple our city, lowering home val-ues, and making it more difficult to attract busi-nesses.

“The use of a dedicated street fund as an alterna-tive to assessing property owners is a smart move. Small contributions, about $125 on a $150K home through the tax levy are tax deductible. Assess-ments are not. It’s taken our city a long time to get into this mess, and it will take awhile to get out.”

Other challenges; (3) “Streets are probably one of the biggest issues, but there is our aging city hall, and a (needed) new water tower.

“These things cost money. We need to take advantage of the low inter-est rates, and turn these tough times to our advan-tage. We also need to work diligently to reduce the tax burden on our property owners by attracting new businesses to our city, and promote the expansion of existing businesses.

“Our council has al-ready made the extraor-dinary step of creating an incentive program policy through tax abatements. Our EDA is developing a website, www.wyominge-da.com, showcasing our city and promoting a

shop-local mentality and is turning to our business-es for input through busi-ness-retention-and-expan-sion survey to analyze how the city can best help our businesses grow.”

(4) Finally, “not many mayors are willing to say that they’re proud of their councils, but I am. Over the last couple of years, our council has started to work with a mission–to improve life within our city in an affordable way, bring more businesses into our city, and reduce the tax burden on our property owners.”

He concludes this mis-sion can only be achieved through cooperation, dis-cussion, and a commit-ment to work together for the betterment of our city. “It is my hope to continue the work we’ve started, as your mayor.”

VinZant and wife, Eliza-beth, have three daugh-ters. (1) He is on the fac-ulty at Anoka Technical College. VinZant is presi-dent of VinZant Construc-tion Inc. and owner of Ray VinZant Plumbing and Heating, L.L.C. His civic and faith experiences in-clude, “seven years as Councilor Advocate for the Homeless, Dorothy Day Center; volunteer at the Union Gospel Mis-sion, board member Min-nesota Higher Education Facilities Authority, board member of Light the Way Church.”

(2) “I support a levy to fix the roads in Wyoming. I suggest paying for it by the increased tax revenue from Polaris and other new businesses when they begin paying taxes (in 2014). This, in addition to a small assessment to the residents of the roads being affected which could be placed on their taxes and paid over a 10-year period.”

(3) VinZant says a ma-jor challenge “which will need to be addressed is the need for a new fire substation along Highway 8. Without the substation the city will be reassigned a higher insurance desig-nation and all insurance rates for the city will rise. I feel we should raise the money by fundraisers, by involving all of the resi-dents of the city and the local businesses, who will be affected by the higher insurance rates.”

Finally (4), “I don’t sup-port raising taxes while residents of Wyoming are struggling to make ends meet because of the economy; living on social security, and loss of jobs. I support growing business in Wyoming to increase the tax-base” so the city has “the ability to pay for roads and essential city services. The main func-tion of city government is to provide, police, fire protection and repair the roads.”

Ballots to be loaded with options in City of WyomingAlice PickeringWyoming Reporter

Wyoming elects a mayor during the 2012 general election. Two candidates are running for the two-year office. Eric Peterson is the incumbent, running for his second term. Raymond VinZant is running for the

mayoral position for the first time.Each was asked to provide (1) a brief biography,

identifying skills/experiences which they believe will help lead as mayor. They also responded to two ques-tions: (2) The Wyoming preliminary 2013 Levy in-cludes $500,000 to provide revenue to pay off bonds sold to repair and reconstruction of city streets. Do

you support this as part of the 2013 levy? If not, what suggestions would you support to finance the proj-ect? (3) Identify an important major challenge you believe the city faces in the next five to 10 years. How can the city best prepare for it? (4) Other brief com-ments.

Their responses are listed in alphabetical order.

Eric Peterson (I)

Kriss Hakala

Claire Luger

Raymond VinZant

Council RaceIn Wyoming, council

members are elected at-large for four-year terms. There are six candidates vying for the two open council seats. They are Kriss Hakala, Claire Luger, Stuart Stevermer, Dennis Williams, Linda Yeager and Joe Zerwas.

They were asked the same questions as the mayoral candidates. Their responses are also listed alphabetically. The two council candidates receiv-ing the most votes fill the two seats.

Hakala writes (1) “I have been a human rights advo-cate for 25 years. In addi-tion to that I have worked for labor unions for 24 years, with my skills be-ing in constituent services. I am a problem-solver, a resource-finder, and have a solid ability to mobilize and energize people of the community. I am a strong leader with a great sense of justice and am able to solve problems and assist in compromise if neces-sary.”

Hakala says, “I support the 2013 levy. The streets of Wyoming have been talked about for too many years. I want the least amount of hardship for the citizens of Wyoming. Instead of facing $7,000 to $15,000 assess-ments that would have to be paid off in just a few years, the citizens would pay between 10 and 20 dollars per month in taxes to cover the cost of their roads. This money is also tax deductible. Our fami-lies could ride their bikes down the streets without hurting their bodies and their pocketbooks.”

(3) “Wyoming needs businesses in order to broaden the tax base for the citizens. The heart-of-the-business is the people who work there. Wyoming needs to recognize that workers’ rights are human rights. Wyoming needs a prevailing wage ordinance, a living wage ordinance, and a sense of goodwill toward others. When our people are making money, they are able to save for our children’s college, our future retirement, and are able to spend more money in the community.”

Luger says, (1) “I’ve spent nearly my entire life here, and chose to raise my own family because

I love this community. I have a BA in political sci-ence, and an MA in special education. I am a parent, teacher, volunteer, and tax-payer, and understand the value in evaluating poli-cies from a number of dif-ferent angles. I am running not only because I would bring a new perspective to the city council, but also because I welcome the opportunity to serve the same community of which I am a product, by utilizing a common-sense approach and strong work ethic.”

(2) “As the only alterna-tive to strapping individual families with excessive and inefficient street as-sessments, I support ex-ploring this option (Street Reconstruction Plan) as part of the 2013 levy, as well as other options such as working with Chisago County Economic De-velopment Authority on implementing tax incre-ment financing as a way of decreasing the short -term impact on owners of commercial properties with high assessed values. We can all agree that the streets of Wyoming need repair, some more than others. Inaction is not an option anymore; we need to make a decision and move forward with it. Any plan that we commit to needs to be inclusive of rel-evant research as well as community members’ and business owners’ input.”

Luger comments that, (3) “Wyoming’s infrastruc-ture has been neglected for too long. Quality roads en-sure that families are able to travel safely by car and bike, and that businesses do not incur unnecessary wear and tear on their ve-hicles.” She identified sev-eral challenges. “Initially, we need to identify the multiple options and ap-proaches that have the po-tential to be implemented. This requires research and dissemination of informa-tion to community mem-bers and business owners.

“Residents need to un-derstand where their tax dollars are spent, and how policies affect them. Any potential tax increases should be very carefully weighed both in terms of its potential benefits, but also in terms of their im-pact on residents. In par-ticular, it is important that we have both a healthy business atmosphere and one in which we derive rev-enues necessary to help support the need of our community.”

Stevermer did not re-spond.

Williams writes, (1) “I am a former business own-er, now retired. I know how to be fiscally responsible. I’m good at negotiations, and am inspired to help improve our city. I have worked with other cities in the past and learned how they make money without

raising taxes. I’m very pas-sionate about our city and will make decisions based on our city’s needs.”

(2) About the proposed 2013 levy, Williams says, “Yes I do agree, we have talked and talked about fixing the streets for years now. Now we have a plan in place thanks to Eric Pe-terson. Let’s go with it. I be-lieve it to be the best plan.”

(3) “First the street repairs needed, this will be on-going for years to come.” Tax revenue is needed. “People are leav-ing Wyoming, Forest Lake, Stacy, with gas at $4 a gal-lon it hurts when you work in Minneapolis or St. Paul. We need jobs here and business here in Wyoming. Here in Wyoming we need to start making our own money to help off-set the taxes. So in five to 10 years from now we will be in bet-ter financial state.”

Finally, (4) “Every vote counts. I lost by three votes two years ago. Vote smart. Vote Dennis Williams, Wyo-ming City Council.”

Yeager is an incumbent running for her second term as council member. (1) She is a chemist by training, who volunteers for Experiment with a Chemist and Friends of the Giese Memorial Library. A resident of Wyoming for 23 years, she says, “My long-time interest in commu-nity affairs led me to regu-larly attend Wyoming City Council meetings before making a successful run for a council seat in 2008. I am Council Liaison to the EDA, the Rush Line Corridor task force and the Wyo-ming Area Library Society. I am running for re-election so I can continue working to make city government accessible, accountable, and affordable.”

Yeager says, (2) “I voted against the 18 percent in-crease in the preliminary maximum levy for two reasons. First, I object to an increase in the general fund (expenditures) at a time when our taxpayers are still dealing with the effects of a lingering reces-sion. My second reason is the proposed $500,000 in-crease in our debt service to pay for potential road project bonds---our resi-dents and business own-ers deserve to be present-ed with a completed plan that includes their input, and that not only identifies road projects but also how to pay for them, before the city raises the levy.”

(3) “Like many cities, Wyoming faces the chal-lenge of paying for road and infrastructure mainte-nance and improvements, while at the same time at-tracting and retaining busi-nesses. City government must meet these chal-lenges in such a way that folks can afford to live or own a business here. Wyo-ming made a good start by keeping the 2011 levy the same as 2010. I will con-tinue to promote respon-sible spending and keeping taxes as low as possible because Wyoming needs

to be affordable.”Yeager concludes, (4) “I

believe that government works best with the con-sent of the governed. This is why the city needs to listen to the voice of the public, especially when considering major proj-ects or policy changes. Therefore, I am the peo-ple’s representative to the city government, not the government’s representa-tive to the people. I can be contacted any time with questions, comments, and concerns. I will make every effort to respond promptly and if I can’t answer your question, I will direct you to someone who can.

“I also don’t believe in simply rubberstamp-ing someone else’s deci-sion. I research issues that come before council. I also ask questions during the council meetings because, after all, good ideas can withstand questioning. This way, I can thoroughly weigh the issues and sepa-rate good ideas from bad ones.”

Zerwas is also an in-cumbent who has lived in Wyoming for 23 years, with wife Lynn. (1) He raised his family here. Zerwas has “worked with city gov-ernment for most of my working life, has served as police patrolman and is re-tired from law enforcement as a police chief.” Zerwas has been a Wyoming coun-cil member for the past eight years. He says “I be-lieve this gives me an edge on the other candidates – I have a clear vision on which direction the city is going.” He concludes, “I would consider it an hon-or to serve the citizens of Wyoming for the next four years.”

(2) “I do not support the $500,000 that is included in the 2013 levy as it is now. I need to know what interest costs are, the length of time allowed to pay the bonds off, how many dollars the bond is for, and a lot of in-put from the taxpayers of Wyoming.”

Comments on the chal-lenges facing the city; (3) “there is a need for another water tower on the west side of 35E, the city hall is in need of major roof repair, the heating and cooling sys-tems need replacement, the back-up generator is unreli-able, and then we still have the streets to consider. The City Council is going to have to explore all options to prepare for these expen-ditures and choose the one that is the least painful for the taxpayers. The one op-tion I will not consider is to assess home owners.”

Finally, (4) considering the economy, it is a “chal-lenge to serve on the coun-cil with all the issues com-ing up in the near future. I hope the City Council will exert positive leadership, deal with diverse issues, groups, and various per-sonalities; and work with a team-oriented approach to city operations, initiatives and projects.”

Dennis Williams

Stuart Stevermer

Linda Yeager (I) Joe Zerwas (I)

A – Thursday, October 25, 2012 – Forest Lake Times www.forestlaketimes.com

voters guidethree supervisors, town clerk to be elected in Linwood townshipAlice PickeringLinwood Reporter

Three supervisors and town clerk are to be elected in Linwood Township on Nov. 6. For the first time in a long

time, every incumbent has at least one challenger.Each supervisor candidate was asked to (1) provide

a brief biography, and identify skills and experiences which would help in the officer of supervisor. Then (2)

identify some of the better qualities of Linwood town-ship government. Identify improvements you would like to see in governance. (3) What important challenge fac-es the township in the next five to 10 years?

Phil Osterhus is running for Seat B as the incum-bent. (1) He writes, “I have been on the Lin-wood Town Board for seven years, and in those seven years this board has stopped the rollercoaster budget that used to be standard op-erating procedure for the township levy. I have been responsible for the over-sight of the fire department, and the road and bridge department that oversees the maintenance over the township gravel roads and for calling out the snow plows, (usually in the mid-dle of the night) to get the roads passable so people can get to work.”

In response to reported problems with roads, “I have responded personally on 80- to 90-percent of the calls to identify and resolve the problem. Resolving the problem does not mean do-ing what is requested, but it does mean that the respon-sible elected official has a personal picture of the complaint.”

Osterhus says, (2) “Town-ship government is respon-sible to the residents for any and all budget expenditures as opposed to city govern-ment, where the council decides where to spend the dollars available, and usu-ally passes the costs directly to the adjoining property owners without input of the affected residents.”

About the budget, Os-terhus says, “I would like to see more funds available to do a better job on our roads, but in these difficult economic times it is not possible, so the supervi-sors have been committed over the past three years to live within a constant bud-get of $1,500,000.”

He pointed out “Lin-wood’s levy rate is very near the bottom of all cit-ies and towns in the seven-county metro area. We are living within a budget and still providing excellent ser-vices.”

Discussing challenges facing the township, (3) Os-terhus referred to a fire de-partment request for a half-time employee to handle the increasing paperwork. “Improvement in township parks has slowed because funding is down due to the lack of new homes being built, and as a result the Parks budget is down to the bone.” Each time a home is built in the township a $2,000 park dedication fee is paid to the parks fund.

Jeffrey Schipper is the challenger for Seat B. (1) S c h i p p e r and his young fam-ily are rela-tively recent arrivals to the town-ship. Schip-per works in design engineering/manu-facturing management. He has A.A. degrees in ma-chine tool technology and engineering; drafting and design from Dunwoody Institute, a BS degree in management from Bellevue University. He is currently pursuing a management ex-ecutive MBA at the Univer-sity of Minnesota.

Schipper says, “I am an analytical and methodical individual that tends to weigh multiple perspec-tives while I gather the facts. I also believe strongly in proactively involving those affected most during

Mike Parker is running for Seat C as an incum-bent. (1) He and wife Debra have lived in the t o w n s h i p for 19 years. Parker is a Navy and a National Guard veteran. He has been an employee of the State of Minnesota Department of Public Safety for 23 years. Parker was a firefighter in both Inver Grove Heights and more than 11 years on the Linwood Fire Depart-ment. He was first elected to the board in 2005 and is the current chairman.

(2) One of the best things about township govern-ment is that the “people set the levy.” As for the town board, “We work for the people.” Board members share the work and power equally. “The township has a small town feeling;” and he would like to keep it that way.

The “township is in good (financial) shape, the board works together, and com-mittees work well.” The board has worked hard to reduce the budget where it can; as a result the levy has remained nearly level for the past five years. De-partmental spending below budget has helped off-set increases in some services. The board really watches over the “people’s money.”

As for challenges, (3) Parker mentioned the quar-terly Minnesota Associa-tion of Townships meeting where there are discussions about being creative in cut-ting costs while continuing to provide services. In the current economy, the board is looking for “ways to pare costs,” possibly working with neighboring commu-nities to share services, or seek quotes and bids jointly to get better deals.

Carol Searing is also running for Seat C. (1) Searing and husband Tom retired to Linwood Town-ship seven years ago and since then she has “at-tended virtually every Lin-wood Town Board meeting in the past seven years, and I have spent hundreds of hours volunteering for various township activi-ties.”

Learning all the time, she has spent many hours studying the Minnesota Association of Townships’ Manual on Town Govern-ment and Minnesota laws

Budde, the incumbent in Seat E and wife Annabelle have both raised their children in L i n w o o d . (1) Budde says “I have supervisor experience from 1996-2005 then from 2008 until now.” He works for the Township in a maintenance capacity, for Parks, Road and Bridge, and Buildings. He has also served as as-sistant building inspector. He writes “I believe I have a better insight of day-to-day problems in Linwood.”

(2) “Township govern-ment is the grassroots government, where people still have a say in how their taxes are spent and who spends (the money). At the annual meeting, the people will have their voice in how Linwood is run. I believe the town board is doing a good job, with the residents’ best interests at heart.”

Budde writes, (3) “the biggest challenge I foresee is the current volunteers are elderly and not able to do as much. They are the

Ed Kramer, who is run-ning for Seat E, writes, (1) “My wife and I raised five children and ran a busi-ness while residing in L i n w o o d Township. Since 1968 this township has been our home and we plan to live out our lives here, includ-ing final resting at the Lin-wood Cemetery.”

Kramer says, “My first experience with the town-ship governance was at the annual meeting at Grange Hall in 1969...In my early days with the township, I was involved as the build-ing inspector and weed inspector, and was on the Planning and Zoning Com-mission. I also helped in-stall snow fences for Road and Bridge.”

Very busy in the 1980s with a growing family and growing business, his par-ticipation was cut back. “Now that I am retired and my family is grown, I have time to give back to the township that I deeply care about. With my experience in business, family and life, I have learned to listen well. Using this experience I plan to listen to the issues and then research for the best possible answer, this may mean that I need to be persistent to find the root cause, so that the problems are being solved, not the symptoms.”

Kramer says (2) “I do not believe in raising taxes, and the existing board has done a good job at holding the budget down. I do be-lieve in lowering costs or adjusting costs where pos-sible.”

As for challenges, (3) “With closer involvement, I would see places to op-erate more efficiently to save money and then use the funds for what I feel are the three most important township requirements: roads, fire and security. For instance, I am currently working on an ordinance to legally add restrictions to registered sex offenders that are attempting to re-side in our township.”

Mark Olson is the third candidate for Seat E. (1) Originally from New Brigh-ton, he and his family lived for awhile in North Branch. Looking for a good school system, “Linwood moved to the top of our list. We found a location we both loved and built a house. By this time our second child was almost two. Since then, we’ve both been very involved in all their activities. Volunteer-ing whenever we can has become a full time job in itself but we both love it.”

Olson has a career has focused around sales and service, primarily in the financial field. “I’ve con-sulted with hundreds of people and thousands of businesses with the pri-mary goal of providing options and solutions to financial problems.

Phil Osterhus (I)

Mike Parker (I)

Carol Searing

Mike Budde (I)Judy Hanna (I)

Sandy Mischler

Ed Kramer

Mark Olson

Jeffrey Schipper

change as a vital compo-nent to success. In areas of my technical expertise I confidently lead using a coaching method.” Outside areas of his expertise, he is willing to consult other experts. “My goal in all en-deavors is to initiate growth and progress along with leaving a lasting impression that will continue.”

(2) “The fundamental need for any township is to creatively do more with less. Improve visibility and ownership in all aspects of the township is the first step. By drawing on our joint strengths we will be able to discover creative solutions for our challeng-es.”

(3) “Doing more with less as listed above is and will continue to be a chal-lenge for Linwood as with most communities. The more people we can get in-volved in different aspects of the township the better off we will all be. Whether it is serving on a committee or volunteering to clean up one of our parks.”

regulating township gov-ernment. “I spent 15 years working as the personnel director for a major Twin Cities non-profit corpora-tion much larger than our local government, in terms of both annual budget and number of staff.”

As for the quality of Lin-wood Town government, Searing (2) praised the fire and rescue department, school forest, great parks and lakes. Township gov-ernment “allows consider-able citizen involvement in the form of volunteer committees.” It is “less expensive than city gov-ernment, and citizens set the annual tax levy and provide input into govern-ment decisions.”

Searing also says “a democracy requires in-formed citizens. Our local government needs to do a better job of informing the citizens and keeping them engaged. Also, if the office staff were cross-trained and empowered to answer questions, it would be much easier for citizens to get information. Our government needs to be more transparent, more accountable and more fo-cused on detailed record-ing keeping.”

As for challenges facing the township in the next 10 years, (3) residents can-not bear higher taxes and “our current levy should be able to cover Linwood’s needs.” Searing believes “We could cut expenses by doing more work our-selves and not hiring a law-yer so frequently.” Searing also says, “There are many little ways to save money that add up. I believe that with improved efficiency and organization we can reduce the tax levy.”

Searing thinks the town-ship’s personnel policies need updating and be-lieves with her personnel background, she can help with this, as well as im-proving record-keeping, cross-training staff, and better organization over-all.

“I believe that our Township should develop a long-term plan for ma-jor expenditures, such as road improvements, pur-chase of fire and rescue vehicles.” Also, “while we cannot afford, nor do we need, a new town hall; we do have an urgent need to find or create a fire-proof place for our township re-cords.”

foundation the township was built on and I don’t see much of the younger gener-ation becoming as involved as our senior citizens. No one really wants to get in-volved unless they have a problem they might get on a board or join a group un-til their situation is solved. I don’t like seeing separate groups/volunteers argu-ing back and forth as I am seeing now. We are a com-munity and should all work together.”

Clerk RaceClerk candidates were

asked the same first two questions. However, they were asked a different third question: The posi-tion of Town Clerk requires managing many forms of information and requests from residents. List specific technical skills you pos-sess to help you meet job requirements. Comment on software you know how to use. How do you use con-tinuing education to im-prove these skills?

“Being an attentive lis-tener; always wanting to help people has been the driving force behind my work.

“The township is a busi-ness and my expertise and experience in helping busi-nesses financially prosper makes me a great fit for a position that requires be-ing able to provide the most services for the least amount of taxpayer dol-lars. I know how to be frugal and maximize the return on other people’s money.”

About the township he writes, (2) “I think the township supervisors have done a fantastic job with the revenue they have. There are very few businesses in the town-ship, so the folks foot the majority of the levy each year. As costs continue to rise, department cuts will only be able to offset those costs for so long.”

To minimize or post-pone an increase in taxes, Olson believes the town-ship, “needs to spend more time talking about longer range planning,” to anticipate needs.

3) “As I said above, keeping costs in line with revenue going forward is going to continue getting more difficult unless we get an influx of business moving here or a massive wave of new housing, nei-ther of which I see hap-pening.”

Also, “we need more community involvement in both the governance of the township and activi-ties held within the com-munity. People love to have a say in how things are done and how their money is spent. A town-ship keeps that power with the people. We just need to get more people actively involved.”

Judy Hanna is the in-cumbent clerk. (1) Resi-dents since 1979, the Han-nas have raised their five boys in Linwood. Hanna worships at Linwood Cov-enant Church. She is a long-time member of Lin-wood Helping Hand (27 years) and has been on the board of the Anoka County Historical Society for 15 years (33 years a member). Hanna is co-ordinator for Linwood Family Fun Day. She has volunteered for Linwood Seniors and Linwood Food Shelf since 1985. Since 1987 has worked as Senior Center Coordina-tor, which includes super-vision of the transporta-tion program.

Hanna was first elected Town Clerk in 1998. “I would like to continue on as the clerk for another four-year term. I bring sta-bility and commitment to the position, and I feel I do good work.”

The better qualities of township government, (2) include a, “fire de-partment which provides top-notch services, 10th year of contracting with the Anoka County Sher-

iff’s office for a township deputy. Important issues in the township are roads and safety. The township needs to continue upgrad-ing these roads.”

In the position of Clerk, Hanna believes “team-work is important. There has to be a good working relationship between the clerk and office staff, clerk and town board, clerk and treasurer, clerk and au-ditor, clerk and county/state elections, and many other people the clerk works with. I believe I have a good working rela-tionship.”

She referenced the clerk’s duties and respon-sibilities according to Minnesota Township Law 367.11 and direction from the board.

(3) Hanna did not com-ment on this question.

Sandy Mischler is a challenger for the Town Clerk’s po-sition. Resi-dents of Linwood for 25 years, M i s c h l e r and her h u s b a n d have raised their two sons here. (1) “We have been active in our community and For-est Lake School District since we moved here.”

Mischler has worked “many years in the manufacturing field as a customer service repre-sentative, inventory coor-dinator and receptionist, along with a diverse expe-rience in business as an office manager and owner of a small business for the past 25 years (Triple J’S Towing).” She says, “at-tending Township Board Meetings, along with 11 years working for the town hall, have given me a good sense and respect for the way our local gov-ernment works.”

Mischler (2) believes it is important to maintain and support “vital ser-vices in our community.” Improvements she would like to see include and which she would focus efforts on include “timely and accurate board meet-ing agendas and minutes; keeping the township web-site current and ac-curate; improving efficien-cy, along with assuring proper documentation of disbursements; and work-ing within the established hours and parameters of the position.”

Also “I intend to be more open and available to the citizens of Lin-wood. My focus (would be) making sure it runs like a government center is supposed to. I won’t for-get I work for the people of Linwood, not the other way around.”

Identifying technical skills (3) Mischler notes her experience with a wealth of programs. She says, “I possess excellent organizational and cus-tomer service skills and have completed college coursework on-and am proficient with--the Mi-crosoft suite of computer programs and other com-puter operating systems and databases.

“If elected I will imme-diately start the Anoka County course that is of-fered for new candidates. I am always interested in any class that will help me be better at my job.”

www.forestlaketimes.com� Thursday,�October�25,�2012�–�Forest�Lake�Times�–�Page�7A

voters guide

Former state senator olseen seeks Barrett’s House seat

I was elected in 2010 as the state representa-tive for Chisago County running for office be-cause of the chronic and increasing budget deficits our state faced. My background as an analyst (numbers guy) has served me well in St. Paul. My wife, Judi, is a special education teach-er. I have two daughters, one in college, one a high school senior. I’m a stu-dent mentor and youth sports official and have worked locally for almost 20 years.


There were many ac-complishments. The sin-gle biggest being elimi-nating the $6.2 billion budget deficit we inher-ited and replacing it with a surplus. Also important was increasing school funding by $100 per stu-dent while managing this massive deficit. We also eliminated a mandate which forced schools to use 2 percent of their budget on staff develop-ment. This gave schools $500,000 more to save teaching jobs (6-8 per district). Substantially re-

ducing Chisago County’s unemployment rate was extremely important.

2.) Republicans say they balanced the state budget, while DFL’ers say it was through smoke and mirrors. What is your take on the state budget? Do you see the current model as being sustainable for fu-ture years?

Democrats controlled the legislature from 2007 to 2010. A large surplus was squandered in 2007 resulting in chronic defi-cits. School funding was flat. They raided Local Government Aid and the Market Value Homestead Credit and shifted $2 bil-lion from K-12 education. My opponent repealed Green Acres. A $6.2 bil-lion deficit ensued. Given this, the ballooning $16T national debt, and the fact that the Dayton ad-ministration announces surpluses, Democratic candidates have a cred-ibility deficit regarding balanced budgets.

3.) One issue all can agree on is the need to create jobs. What can be done at the state level to lower unemployment and foster business growth?

Chisago County’s un-employment rate in early 2010 exceeded 12 per-cent. August 2012 unem-ployment is 5.8 percent, a significant decrease. More than 1,000 Chisago County residents are working today than be-fore the last election. Comparatively, the na-tion’s unemployment had been above 8 percent for 43 consecutive months. Resisting Gov. Dayton’s tax increases while elimi-nating the deficit helped boost business confi-dence in Minnesota. Cut-ting red tape and reduc-ing regulations will allow Minnesota to compete with other states and na-

tions.4.) Identify a concern

specific to your district. What is your stance on it?

A large concern is school funding. Local dis-tricts receive much less funding (about $8,000/student) than districts such as Minneapolis and St. Paul, who receive over $12,000 per student. Senator Nienow and I au-thored a bill that would increase the funding for Minnesota’s low-funded districts. No previous lo-cal state rep/senator had ever authored a bill like this.

Another concern is taxes. My border-zone bill, incentivizing lower taxed Wisconsin compa-nies to move here, was vetoed by Dayton.

5.) Explain your sup-port for two projects or policy changes at a state or local level; one likely requiring taxpayer money and one that likely saves taxpayer money or does not require it.

One bill requiring ini-tial taxpayer money re-lates to a pilot project that would study the im-pact that vision therapy would have on reducing the number of special education students in Minnesota. The proj-ect would cost around $100,000 but could help kids learn to their poten-tial and reduce the need for special services sav-ing Minnesota taxpayers money.

Implementing an audit of HMOs in Minnesota could potentially save taxpayers billions. U-Care, the smallest HMO, gave $40 million back to the state in 2011 because of a favorable economic climate. This same cli-mate didn’t produce any refunds by the three much larger HMOs.

I am a 28-year resi-dent of Sunrise Town-ship, where my wife Bambi and I raised our two daughters. When my daughters began school in North Branch, I got involved in a task force for building facili-ties and was a founding member of the PTO. I then ran and served 10 years on the school board. From there I served four years as a Chisago County com-missioner and four years in the Minnesota State Senate.

1.) Explain what spe-cifically motivated you to run for office.

I decided to run for office when I saw my opponent vote to take away the Homestead Tax Credit. The repeal of the Homestead Cred-it hit Chisago County homeowners and busi-ness harder than any-where else in the state and I couldn’t believe our representative would vote for it. Areas like ours that have low tax capacity present unique challenges and I believe my experiences have prepared me to be a strong advocate on

these issues!2.) Republicans say

they balanced the state budget, while DFL’ers say it was through smoke and mirrors. What is your take on the state budget? Do you see the current model as being sustainable for future years?

The Republicans balanced the budget by borrowing. For ex-ample, they borrowed 747 million against fu-ture tobacco settlement funds, which means in the year 2032 we will still be paying for the operations on the state today! I think we have seen a cycle of short-falls, and do not believe the current model will be sustainable for fu-ture years.

3.) One issue all can agree on is the need to create jobs. What can be done at the state level to lower unemploy-ment and foster business growth?

Traveling the state as a truck driver, I see many businesses ready to grow. As a legislator I will work to facilitate job growth and indus-try opportunities in our county. I also I believe we need continuing ed-ucation opportunities, whether vocational school or four-year, to produce a trained work-force that can jump in when businesses ex-pand. I have supported programs like the Angel Investor that fosters creation of new prod-ucts and leaders at our universities.


North Branch Schools are in their third year of four-day school weeks. I’m concerned about

school districts in areas like ours with low tax capacity that makes it hard to pass operating and building referen-dums, with a larger bur-den falling on property taxes than in districts with high capacity. I want to work with SEE (Schools for Equity in Education) to equalize operating levies and ensure our students get the education they de-serve!

5.) Explain your sup-port for two projects or policy changes at a state or local level; one likely requiring taxpayer mon-ey and one that likely saves taxpayer money or does not require it.

Restoring the Home-stead Tax Credit will lower property taxes for homeowners, farm-ers and businesses in our area.

Equalizing operating levies for our schools will require state tax-payer money. Prior to Gov. Ventura, the per-pupil funding formula was a combination of state and local aid. Ven-tura and the legislature voted to take over the formula without a fund-ing stream for it, and schools have been be-hind the eight-ball ever since (especially in ar-eas with low tax capac-ity). Equalizing levies would allow our com-munities to support our youth while alleviating the impact on hom-eowners and property taxpayers.

St. Francis graduate, five years U.S. Air Force, security police dog han-dler, attended Minot State University with a B.S. in criminal justice. After college, hired as a North Dakota state parole/pro-bation Officer. Five years later hired full-time ac-tive duty North Dakota Army National Guard, retired 1998. Commis-sioned 2nd Lt. from Of-ficers Candidate School while in college. Former school board member in ISD 15, currently substi-tute teacher there. Mar-ried to Sue for 28 years, three boys.


Dysfunctional state government. A state shutdown should never happen, which put over 19,000 employees out of work. We need a new Fair Share business tax code so Minnesota business owners can compete on the national level and a new Fair Share income tax code. Women’s rights for equal pay for equal

work, and stronger do-mestic abuse laws for women and kids. I care about our state’s future and citizens, time to get involved.


We cannot balance our state budget by not hav-ing honest and open dis-cussions. We are heading over a financial cliff be-cause elected officials are not able to compromise. We do not have a bal-anced budget and we do not have a surplus! The state owes our school districts over $2.4 billion and they took money from future payments to the tobacco fund. Spend-ing cuts and Internet sales tax are needed to help balance the budget.


A new Minnesota Busi-ness Tax Code on the state and national level so our business owners can compete in the world economy. My seven-point plan drops the national income tax down to 22-25 percent, allows the $1.4 trillion dollars in overseas accounts to be returned for reinvest-ments. Returned dol-lars to be taxed at 13-15 percent with a one-time, 9-12-month timeframe to bring the funds back into your business. Establish permanent taxes so busi-

ness owners can project cost out.


Jobs, jobs and more jobs. I have seen many empty homes and while door-knocking neighbors have told me about fore-closed homes. I want to do all I can to help busi-ness owners as long as they put the tax savings back to hire more em-ployees. I want people to earn as much as they can, yet employees have now become just an em-ployee number. When do we start paying employ-ees a quality-of-life living wage?


1.) Infrastructure proj-ects for roads, bridges and government build-ings. Government and private businesses pro-vide jobs, which put money back into the local economy. 2.) Allow more local control. Washington DC and the state do not have to dictate what to do and how to do it. Give them the standards and let them pick which road to take.

I leave you with a question to think about, “What do you want from your government, and how much are you will-ing to pay for it?” Open and honest discussions are needed. “Because I care, I will represent the people, not special inter-est groups!”

Married, three chil-dren. Retired from auto parts sales, former busi-ness owner, volunteer firefighter. Resident of the City of Oak Grove since 1978. Serving my eighth term as State Representative.


I was the chief author of the game and fish bill in the 2012 legislative session. Working that bill through the entire process and having it signed by the governor was a huge success and accomplishment for me. There were two ar-ticles, and over 100 sec-tions contained in the bill. In my opinion, the best part of the bill was reducing the price of youth hunting and fish-ing licences, and other items, to encourage youth to be involved in outdoor fun.

2.) Republicans say they balanced the state budget, while DFL’ers say it was through smoke and mirrors. What is your

take on the state budget? Do you see the current model as being sustain-able for future years?

The Republicans did a great job of balancing the budget while facing a huge deficit. However, we absolutely need to cut (reduce spending) more than we ever have before. We need to back-up and start cutting the base spending, and not just reducing the spend-ing increases.


Eliminating the bur-densome and expensive over-regulation that keeps business from expanding and locating in Minnesota. Last leg-islative session we got a good start on getting rid of some of these issues, but a lot more remains to be done.


Families are having a hard time making their mortgage payments, paying their utility bills, putting food on the ta-ble, and buying gas for the car to get to work.

As I go door to door campaigning this year, I see a huge number of empty homes that have been foreclosed. We need to do what we can to help keep businesses, and attract new busi-nesses with good paying jobs to boost our econ-omy.

5.) Explain your sup-port for two projects or policy changes at a state or local level; one likely requiring taxpayer mon-ey and one that likely saves taxpayer money or does not require it.

One project that I have supported for many years that would require state bonding dollars is the Oliver Kel-ley Farm Visitors Center. Improvements to this facility is vital to allow tours for elementary school children to learn about how, and where, our farming history and economy came from.

I have always been a major supporter to allow “racinos” in Min-nesota at our two horse racing tracks. I will con-tinue to work on Racino legislation.

Anoka’s Mike starr set to challenge Michelle Benson in senate district 31

Hackbarth seeks ninth term

Mike StarrDFL-Anoka

Tom Hackbarth (I)R-Cedar

Facts About Elections

• In the 1984 presidential election, Ronald Reagan received both the highest number of popular votes (54,455,075) and the highest number of electoral votes (525) in the history ahave yet to be surpassed by another presidential candidate.

• The oldest presidential candidate to be elected was Ronald Reagan at age 69, while the youngest candidate to be elected was John F. Kennedy at age 43.

Rick OlseenDFL-Sunrise Twp.

Bob Barrett (I)R-Lindstrom

��

Nienow, Noordegraaf face off in Senate District 32

Jeske NoordegraafDFL-North Branch

Current state senator. Also served in the Min-nesota Senate from 2003-2006. Lifelong resident of the area, hometown of Stacy. I currently re-side in Cambridge with my wife, daughters and son. Currently serving on these committees: Fi-nance (vice-chairman), K-1 Education, Health & Human Services, Agricul-ture, Government Reform & Redesign sub-commit-tee (chairman).


Obviously, keeping Gov. Dayton from raising job killing taxes $6 bil-lion was an accomplish-ment, but from a policy standpoint I’d highlight

my bipartisan efforts for transparency and ac-countability in our $4 bil-lion per year Medicaid program. I was able to implement true indepen-dent audits of the pro-gram to reduce fraud and abuse. That has already helped return over $100 million taxpayer dollars – even before the first au-dit has been done! That’s good government in ac-tion!


Governor Dayton’s own department reports show a surplus in the cur-rent budget. We placed nearly $1 billion cash in the bank for reserves. If there was no current surplus, it would not be possible to put $1 billion cash in the bank! Despite the rhetoric, every quar-ter we are taking in more revenue than projected and spending less. This has helped to reduce next year’s projected budget deficit by 75 per-cent, because of respon-sible budget reforms.

3.) One issue all can agree on is the need to create jobs. What can be done at the state level to

lower unemployment and foster business growth?

A perfect example of the kind of program that works is JOBZ. That passed by one single vote when I first served–with-out me in office the pro-gram wouldn’t exist! To highlight recent success-es locally, Polaris (who only came here because of JOBZ) just used JOBZ incentives to expand and will create 300 new jobs in Wyoming. That’s real jobs, and without me in office it never would have happened.


K-12 funding equity is a significant concern lo-cally. The state formula is designed to dispro-portionately benefit cer-tain metro districts. That needs to change. Last year I authored legisla-tion to start addressing that, and we also phased out an ineffective $100 million funding program to allow flexibility in the next budget to try to look at reasonable and equi-table funding reforms.


K-12 funding equity re-

My name is Jeske (pro-nounced Yes-ka) Noorder-graaf and I am an equine veterinarian. I moved to Minnesota 21 years ago and started my business, Sunrise Equine Veterinary Services, in 1995. I am also a Sunrise Township Supervisor and currently chair of the board. I am involved in my church, which is Immanuel Lu-theran Church of Alme-lund, and am on the or-

form possibly will require some additional spend-ing, but previous answer shows it’s not always about finding “more” money. Often ineffective spending can be identi-fied and eliminated so money can be spent in better ways. My Medicaid transparency and reform efforts last session yield-ed significant results, but there is much work to be done still. Estimates are as much as 20 percent of that $4 billion program could be lost to waste fraud and abuse. Nearly a billion taxpayer dollars potentially getting wast-ed. I spent two years mak-ing great progress there, and saved taxpayers $100 million in the process.

businesses to create more jobs. I will propose new solutions to our educa-tion concerns and health care issues. I will be very careful with your money and I will hold govern-ment accountable.

2.) Republicans say they balanced the state budget, while DFL’ers say it was through smoke and mir-rors. What is your take on the state budget? Do you see the current model as being sustainable for future years?

Republicans took a $6.8 billion dollar deficit and turned it into a $1.2 bil-lion dollar surplus. They filled empty reserves. A tax and spend budget in shambles was left to the legislature by a DFL ma-jority and my opponent before she was voted out in 2010. The trend of al-ways borrowing from the schools needs to stop. I support a budget model that looks at reforms to streamline and make gov-ernment more efficient.

3.) One issue all can agree on is the need to cre-ate jobs. What can be done at the state level to lower

unemployment and foster business growth?

We need to get Minne-sotans back to work and help our businesses grow and create jobs. We need to keep our businesses here and enact policies that encourage them to create more jobs. Policies such as lowering high fees, taxes and complicat-ed regulations. The only way a business can ex-pand is if they have more capital. If the government consistently dips into the bottom line of local busi-nesses, there is nothing left for expansion, growth, or hiring.


Besides jobs, the big-gest concerns are edu-cation and health care. I’m the daughter of two public school teachers and I am a proponent of improving and reform-ing education. Moving 17 times in 21 years with four school age children, I became an expert at re-searching schools and districts. I have experi-ence with what works. I will listen to the parents, students, teachers and school administrators to

address their needs and concerns, as education is a top priority.

5.) Explain your support for two projects or policy changes at a state or local level; one likely requiring taxpayer money and one that likely saves taxpayer money or does not require it.

Taxpayer dollars should be used for change in the classrooms. I’ve heard from the stu-dents in Mrs. Stenness-Rogness’s [Forest Lake High School] class and others – education needs to be modernized and we need more technology in our schools. (The kids say they need faster wi-fi and a system that doesn’t crash and lose homework files.)

Also, we need to fo-cus on our aging baby boomer generation by addressing both hous-ing and insurance needs. Opening our health care system to competition, increasing consumer-based decision-making in the process and provid-ing greater incentives for those who purchase long-term care insurance are a few tax savings approach-es with promise.

ing water.2.) Republicans say

they balanced the state budget, while DFL’ers say it was through smoke and mirrors. What is your take on the state budget? Do you see the current model as being sustainable for fu-ture years?

When the legislature reconvenes in January to work on the 2013/2014 bi-ennial budget, it will face a deficit of $4.5 billion: $1.1B projected in the February 2012 forecast, $1B ignored inflation on the expenditure side, plus $2.4B still owed Minneso-ta schools. Yes, the cur-rent approach is unsus-tainable, both because it relies on gimmicks and borrowing, and because it fails to address a struc-tural deficit problem due to the aging of the state’s population.

3.) One issue all can agree on is the need to cre-ate jobs. What can be done at the state level to lower unemployment and foster business growth?

I am committed to creating a tax climate

that attracts and grows jobs. I support reducing the state industrial and commercial property tax and corporate tax. Such reductions should be included in a compre-hensive modernization of our tax system to pro-vide more stability as the population ages. We also need to make appropriate infrastructure, R&D, and higher education invest-ments, and to lower the rate of growth in health care costs, a major con-straint on business.


Protection of the St. Croix River and other water resources. We live here, in Minnesota, and along the St. Croix River, for a reason – beautiful lakes and rivers, farm vistas, and abundant outdoor recreation. We must work cooperatively to protect our natural re-sources. I will work close-ly with our non-profit or-ganizations, our federal, state and local officials, and the citizens of our district to protect our wa-ter resources from pollu-tion and invasive species.


Paying back the school shift. Without additional revenues, paying back the $2.4 billion owed our schools would require that all other portions of the state budget experi-ence substantial cuts. Restoration of full K-12 funding requires slowing the growth in health and human services spend-ing and modernizing the state tax system (See reports: Budget Trends Study Commission, and Governor Pawlenty’s 21st Century Tax Reform Com-mission).

Government redesign to reduce costs. Whether streamlining state agen-cies, or assisting local government in efforts to form shared services agreements, redesigning government to improve transparency, efficiency and accountability will be a key focus of my efforts.

ganizing committee for the Chisago County Relay for Life. I am married and have a teenage son.


My interest in run-ning is based on issues I hear when I am out on farm calls. Running a small business takes the ability to negotiate, com-promise and look at the issues from all the sides. Watching the legislature last year was very frus-trating as there was little bipartisanship and the loss of the Homestead Credit affected almost all homeowners, renters and business owners detri-mentally. We need some-one who will look out for our interests.


It is hard to say that there is a surplus when there are bills (the school shift) that have not been paid. The economic fore-cast is that the legislature will face a $4.5 billion budget shortfall on Jan. 1, 2013. Either revenue needs to increase or ex-penses need to decrease to balance the budget. I do not think that the middle class needs to pay more taxes but we need to find other sources of income and continue to make government more efficient.


This is a good time to pass a strategic bonding

bill that will maximize job creation in Minnesota as interest rates are low and residents are looking for work. I wholeheart-edly support efforts to reduce state government spending and streamline services, but not through cutting the workforce. Being a small business owner, I support helping new businesses get start-ed and supporting those that already exist.


Education is a big con-cern to this district as all our schools are finan-cially stressed and North Branch has even had to go to a four-day school week to save funds. All children deserve an ex-cellent education and Minnesota is known for this. We need to redo the school formula to help the districts with a lower property tax base so we continue to have a well-educated work force.


Education funding would be the project that requires taxpayer money that I would support. Car insurance rates are partially based on credit scores. When someone loses their house due to unemployment and be-ing upside down in valu-ation, this causes their credit score to decrease, increasing their insur-ance rates. This needs to be investigated as it could help save taxpay-ers money.

Bunn from page 1

Housley from page 1

Sean Nienow (I)R-Cambridge

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