Recently candidates for local offices were approached by the Citizens for an Informed Electorate to complete a questionnaire along with submitting a head shot and 2-minute introduction video. These have all been recently posted to their Facebook page.
My submitted answers and video have been included below for ease of access.
Reader-submitted candidate questions
1. How long have you been a resident of the City of Bemidji or Beltrami County?
I have been a member of the Bemidji Community for almost 40 years. I graduated from Bemidji High School in 1990 and from Bemidji State University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Over the course of my life in Bemidji, I have lived inside and outside the city limits on several occasions. I have resided at my current address in Ward 5 for the past 6 years. I am a partner in several local businesses including LaValley Industries, LVI Supply, Idea Works and Evolve Creative.
2. How do you see the role of the Mayor, Councilor, County Commissioner?
I believe that the Mayor of our City carries a great responsibility in casting the vision for our community. As the highest elected official in the city, citizens look to the Mayor for leadership and direction as community opportunities and challenges arise. Further, they have a correct expectation of the Mayor to balance the needs of our diverse populations and lead the City Council in making decisions that benefit our community as a whole. Further, the Mayor must be an excellent team builder and communicator as they must create an environment of collaboration first amongst the other 6 members of the City Council and expanding outwards to include city staff, legislators, civic organizations, businesses, citizens and more. The Mayor must also be future oriented, not just focusing on the issues at hand but leading the city forward to take advantage of new opportunities while anticipating problems before they arise. Lastly, the Mayor should remain true to the non-partisan definition of the role and should never act in a partisan fashion as they represent all citizens, not any particular party.
Regarding the specific statutory powers and duties of the Mayor’s office, they are outlined in the Bemidji City Charter. Per the Charter, the Mayor is an equal voting member of the City Council. Highlighted duties of the Mayor/City Council include providing policy direction to city staff in the day-to-day operations of the city, representing the city to outside constituents and upholding the City Charter.
3. What have you done as a volunteer for the betterment of the community or county?
During my almost 40 years in Bemidji, I have volunteered my time and provided financial support to a host of civic groups, charities, faith-based organizations and community events. Some of the more recent things that I have been involved with in our community include:
Occupational Development Center (ODC)– Board of Directors
ODC is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to providing employment opportunities to people with diverse disabilities and vocational needs. ODC also provides individuals with a multitude of services in life skills, vocational and employment training needs. I have served on the Board of Directors for the past 10 years recently completing a 2-year term as Chairperson. In that role, I have freely volunteered my time to successfully bring new financial stability to the organization while opening new doors of opportunity or the diverse clients we serve.
Bemidji Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) – Commissioner
The Bemidji HRA is a public housing agency that participates in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing programs. The mission of the HRA is to provide access to affordable housing for lower income households. I recently completed a 2-year term focusing on improving the culture of the organization to positively impact the service received by our clients.
IDEA Competition
The IDEA Competition is an annual competition designed to identify innovative new business ideas and provide financial and technical support to entrepreneurs in developing their ideas to create employment and economic development in the 12 counties of northwest Minnesota. I have had substantial involvement with the competition over its 11-year history. I was part of the group that helped create the competition and provided direct business consulting services to many of the competitors at no cost to them. Over the years, I have served as a business mentor, judge, speaker and created some of the initial curriculum used in the competition. Recently, the companies that I co-own provided $100,000 worth of funding and technical assistance to the competition and its winners helping to secure the future of the competition.
Manufacture Your Future
As part owner of LaValley Industries, I worked with our ownership group and team members to create a curriculum and learning experience for our community’s fifth graders named Manufacture Your Future. This curriculum provides hands-on learning experiences in manufacturing technology and entrepreneurship for students at their school culminating in a special half day event at our manufacturing campus. Prior to Covis-19, we engaged not only all of District 31’s 5th graders, but also St. Phillips, Northome and Blackduck school districts as well. This program is offered free of charge to schools including bussing costs.
4. What is your response to a "Citizen Militia" like we are seeing in other communities?
We are indeed living in challenging times due to social unrest and the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have been shocked by the amount of “mob” tactics that we have seen deployed by groups on many fronts. I suspect that many “Citizen Militias” have been born in response to the burning, looting, and rioting that we have seen in larger metropolitan areas. It concerns me greatly that civil discourse is being replaced by mobs of people clashing openly, trapping many in the middle of escalating danger. Although I think people have a fundamental right to protect themselves and their property, I am not in favor of groups of people brandishing weapons in the name of the law without proper training nor direction from law enforcement authorities.
That said, the Bemidji Police Department only has approximately 25 officers to serve our city 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This puts them at a fundamental numbers disadvantage during times of crisis such as what we saw recently resulting in an unprecedented curfew. Our police department therefore relies heavily on the County Sheriff’s support. I believe we need to take proactive steps to assist our police department by expanding the lines of communication between the department and the diverse populations they serve. In response to Police Chief Mastin’s request, the city council has discussed an idea for a police commission to facilitate improved communication and greater cooperation between law enforcement and citizens which I support. I also have an interest in assessing the current staffing levels, roles and auxiliary capacity of our police department to better understand whether or not we need to consider adding roles or resources so we can be better prepared should we be faced with a future crisis.
5. Was there a specific event or conversations that caused you to run for office?
As many know, I ran for the office of Mayor in 2014. I did so because I was concerned about the high levels of poverty and overall lack of employment opportunities for our citizens. Further, I was concerned that our city was heading towards financially troubled waters by investing in amenities while overlooking basic infrastructure needs.
As 2020 approached, I could see that the city had not made significant improvement in any of the areas that concerned me in 2014. In fact, the situation had gotten worse. First, the city is facing well water contamination issues along with the necessity for significant improvement to the wastewater treatment facility resulting in the need for two very large infrastructure projects without a solid financial plan of how to handle either, other than just raising utility fees. All this while investing in a new $4 million city owned liquor store. Even more concerning, 2018 census data showed 27.2% of our city population living in poverty and a Household Median income of $34,112. These numbers only verifying what I was seeing with my own eyes as the gulf between those doing well in Bemidji and those struggling only seemed to grow.
As I studied what has gone on in our city since 2014, I became convinced that our community needed a new vision and a change in direction. That we needed new voices at the table and the courage to take on many of our longstanding issues. I filed for office because I want to be part of positive change in our city. I want us to create new diverse teams to address our current challenges and prepare us for future opportunities.
6. What do you see as the most pressing needs for infrastructure or capital projects in the city or county? Why?
The city’s most immediate pressing capital project is the well water filtration plant as it is imperative that our city have clean drinking water. Additionally, that project has already been green lit by the city council without any guarantee of state bonding so it has the potential to create up to a 20% increase in water fees should city bonds need to be issued in order to fund the project. The new mayor and city council will need to study this issue closely, work creatively and monitor the completion of the project as it will be a high priority upon taking office.
The second most important capital project will be improvements to the city wastewater treatment plant. The city is still waiting to receive its new license which will in turn determine what improvements need to be immediately made to the plant. These improvements could range from a cost of $8M up to $16M based on what is needed. This project is critical to Bemidji as keeping our discharge compliant is a serious environmental issue and crucial to the continuing growth of our city. However, if creative ways are not found to fund these improvements, the cost will ultimately fall on utility payers which could result in up to a 20% increase in sewer fees.
After these two significant capital projects, I would place the continuing capital improvements to the Sanford Center as the next immediate concern. The Sanford Center already has an annual operating deficit of $500,000 with a projected annual capital improvement budget of $750,000. Given that the city made an initial investment into the Sanford Center of more than $68M, it is imperative that we maintain the building as it ages so that it can remain functional. I am therefore focused on strengthening operations, improving management, and finding solutions at the Sanford Center that can remove some of the financial burden from property tax owners.
Although I understand funding these necessary capital improvements may seem daunting, I do believe correctly solving them can prepare the city for continued growth and success. It is therefore critical that we make the correct choices as we work through these projects.
7. Since you are running for office, the assumption is that you have been following the actions of the city council or county commissioners. Name two issues that have occurred in the past two years that have caused you to run for office.
It is difficult for me to solely identify two issues that caused me to run for office as it really has been a trend in decisions that have reinforced my decision to seek office. However, the construction of the new Municipal Liquor Store highlights many of my concerns in a single project.
First, it troubles me that we were willing to prioritize spending $4M on a new store thereby robbing ourselves of future financial flexibility to address more critical projects such as the well water filtration plant and improvements to the wastewater treatment facility. Further, it seems that the city was willing to give itself great flexibility with variances creating concern that other private citizens may not have gotten the same treatment should they have decided to build such a structure in the location that was chosen.
Additionally, we saw several out-of-town contractors working on the project resulting in city dollars and jobs not being maximized for the benefit of our community.
Lastly, it is concerning to me that as a city we are willing to benefit from the profits generated from alcohol sales while not directly using any of those funds to combat any of the resulting social ills such as alcoholism and homelessness. It is concerns like these that cause me to question what exact vision for our community, this project supported? It is this lack of a positive cohesive vision for our city that reinforced my decision to run.
QUESTIONS FOR MAYORAL and COUNCIL CANDIDATES
1. Will your employer allow you to have time off so that you may fulfill all of the duties of mayor including attending committee meetings and other necessary events?
As I am a part owner of several businesses, I can set my own schedule and therefore have the flexibility to attend whatever meeting or events necessary. That said, I have anticipated that serving in this capacity would require a significant investment of my time so I have begun preparations to transfer some of my day-to-day duties to another team member who we recently hired.
2. How would you assess citizen opinion to guide important decisions if elected to office?
I am committed to giving citizens an active voice in the decision-making processes of the city. I think this begins with open and accessible communication between city government and citizens so that the Mayor and the City Council have the continual pulse of the community.
As Mayor, I would establish regular office hours at city hall on a weekly basis where citizens could easily schedule appointments for electronic or face-to-face (post COVID-19) meetings. Further, I would continue to support the use of technology to keep citizens updated on city council actions and give citizens the ability to comment electronically in real-time at city council meetings.
Further, I believe that solving complex problems requires the ability to understand multiple perspectives. That is why I believe in involving community members from different walks of life in the solution process. As Mayor, I would propose the formation of several task forces to explore and evaluate different ideas and actions for solving the most complex issues affecting our community. Each group would be made up of community members from varying occupational and educational backgrounds coming together as a team to focus on bringing new creative solutions to longstanding problems. Our community needs seasoned voices and innovative thinkers working at the same table.
3. What is your position on a hospitality tax or sales tax increase?
Given the current financial position of the city based on the cumulative decisions of past city councils, I believe it would be irresponsible not to analyze, explore and consider one or both as part of a larger overall strategy. Both are considered “usage taxes” that move financial burden from property owners to those who purchase goods or use services. Generally speaking, I find a hospitality tax to be more palatable as it places greater contribution on those visiting the city.
That said, I also consider it irresponsible to not analyze, explore and consider the numerous other factors impacting the city’s finances. As an example, at the Sanford Center, this means possibly retooling the business model and reviewing VenuWorks’s management of the facility to positively impact the current $500,000 operating deficit.
From a city budget standpoint, it also means looking for efficiencies so that we can reduce costs and lower the burden on all taxpayers. Further should the city move to levy a hospitality tax or increase sales tax, I would be motivated to see additional benefit to taxpayers in the form of reduced property tax or other tangible benefit.
4. Setting aside water, sewer, Sanford Center, what is the next big concern for the city?
I would argue that the city’s biggest concern is neither infrastructure nor the Sanford Center but that it is in fact poverty. Our community has struggled with poverty for decades and the economic disparity between those doing well and those struggling seems to be growing yearly.
In reviewing U.S. Census data, 27.2% of the people in our city live in poverty and the median household income in the city is $34,112. Both statistics being markedly worse than the numbers for the state as a whole which are 9.6% poverty and $68,411 median household income. Neither of these two statistics having markedly improved over the past 15 years when adjusted for inflation.
Many of us are not surprised by these statistics as we see the evidence of poverty throughout our city. From increases in homelessness and crime to the lack of jobs that pay a living wage, we see many in our community struggling just to make ends meet. When we consider the potential long term negative economic impact of COVID-19, it is likely that rising unemployment may only further increase poverty in our city. Further, this does not even address those who are barely living above the poverty line.
Our city needs to have a vision for recruiting and home-growing companies in targeted sectors such as manufacturing and high-technology that can provide more and better employment opportunities for all our citizens. The city also needs to work in partnership with education institutions and non-profits to make job skills training available for our workforce.
Lastly, the city needs to take a leadership role in positively impacting many of the social concerns intertwined with poverty such as homelessness, alcoholism, and drug abuse. It troubles me greatly that our city avoids direct involvement in combatting many of these issues while profiting from the sale of alcohol and liquor licenses. I believe that if our city is willing to profit from alcohol and invest in a new $4M city owned liquor store, then it has a duty to positively impact the social issues arising from alcohol abuse. I would therefore support allocating a certain percent of the profits to be used directly to address these social issues.
5. Do you think there should be an arborist position in the future for either Parks & Recreation or the Street Department?
Given the current financial position of the city and all the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, it would be difficult for me to support adding any additional staffing to either department. That said, I would defer to the heads of those departments as to their opinion regarding the need for an arborist position. Were they to recommend such a position, perhaps an alternative to additional staffing might be to reallocate resources within either department to support such an initiative.
6. Now that the Orderly Annexation in Northern Township has been completed should the Charter Commission create another ward?
At this point, I would not be in favor of adding an additional ward to the city. However, I will be curious to see the results of the 2020 Census as that will form part of the basis for redistricting the wards if necessary. Once we have that information, we can review the data and address how best to move the city forward.
However, this question brings up the topic of annexation and its unintended consequences. I have concern that the city does not always analyze or understand the full consequences of its desire to continually annex property. For example, some of the residents recently annexed in Northern Township owned hunting property which they now cannot rifle hunt due to being subject to city ordinances prohibiting the firing of a weapon. I know this is being currently reviewed by the city but as the city seeks to annex more rural property, it will see a rise in these unintended consequences.
Further, I am not convinced that the city properly assesses the long-term costs of annexing property. When a city annexes property, it takes on the long-term liability of providing road maintenance, police, fire, infrastructure, and other services. I suspect that often these costs are greater than the additional property tax revenue created, especially as that property tax is staggered over time and the city does not immediately benefit from 100% of the revenue.
Additionally, because the city often does not bring additional services such as city water or city sewer to the annexed properties, annexed landowners often feel they are being subjected to higher taxes and greater regulation without additional benefit. This in turn has led to lawsuits costing the city significant dollars and creating many hard feelings. I do believe that annexation is a part of city growth but I am in favor of reevaluating the city’s future annexation plans through a lens that includes some of the concerns that I just addressed.
Comments