What motivates you to seek the office of mayor, and what perspective or experience would shape your approach to city leadership?

The motivation that has driven me to be Mayor for a fourth term, is to have a continuation of what has worked in the last 3 terms.  In the past 12 years as Mayor, I have tried to use common sense and treat everyone fairly. Once a person gets into office, the community becomes family. And it is a job to keep the family together. And in any family there are always disagreements which have to be worked out. With my experience, I know that I can help in those situations.

What does a business-friendly community look like to you, and where do you believe Sauk Centre is currently succeeding or has room to improve?

A business friendly community is one that welcomes everyone that wants to bring their business to town, or has an existing one that would like to expand. In the past years, Sauk Centre has changed a lot. In the previous comprehensive plan, it stated the City was not to bring in any business that would compete against any existing businesses. That  has changed. Every new business or updated business brings a new tax base, which everyone gets a part of with lower taxes.

What factors would you consider when making city decisions that could affect the cost of operating or growing a business in Sauk Centre?

First the business has to come to City Hall and ask if there are any government programs available for assistance.The City cannot just hand public tax dollars out as it sees fit.  Everything has to go through an established government program. An example is that there was a program which the City oversaw that helped existing businesses redo their storefronts or remodel the inside. I think the City helped with funding for approximately 95% of the downtown businesses with funding.

The upcoming Highway 71 reconstruction will bring long-term improvements but may create significant disruptions for local businesses. What should the city do before, during and after construction to maintain access, communicate effectively and help businesses remain visible and successful?

The Hwy 71 project will be a huge hurdle for the whole City,  I know the City is working on a possible walkway from Main Street to the parking lot behind Schaefer's and the theatre. It is also working to remove the shed behind the west side businesses. The City can only work with the parking and making it easier for people to get to businesses. This project has been talked about for the last several years, and there is a lot of work being done. Communication will have to be done through the Chamber, City Hall, and construction managers.

The mayor serves as a connector among city government, local businesses and community partners. How would you build productive working relationships among these groups, even when priorities or perspectives differ, to support economic growth and move Sauk Centre forward?

The Mayor and Council always engage the business community as well as the residential community when making decisions. Our decisions impact both. As Council members, we take an oath of fiscal responsibility on where tax payer funds are allocated and spent. We spend many hours going over and approving budgets. Clean air, clean water and a great education for our children. We all strive for this. This job requires a great deal of voluntary time and I have been doing this for the past ten years.

What specific action would you prioritize during the first year of the next mayoral term to strengthen Sauk Centre’s economy or business community?

The next term of Mayor really has only one priority.  And that is to get through these next couple years with the Hwy. 71 project. This project will take an immense amount of time to keep things moving smoothly and helping the community. Even though a lot of decisions have to be brought before Council for action The Mayor can have a lot of input.

*All candidates were contacted at email addresses and phone numbers listed in public filing records. Questionnaires had word/time limits and are published EXACTLY as submitted. No info is displayed if a candidate didn’t respond. If you would like a copy of the PDF forms that were submitted by the candidate, please submit that request to saukcentrechamber@gmail.com. Thank you.

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