Public Safety

I am a strong advocate for all areas of public safety and believe we need to properly support law enforcement and county attorney services to keep Anoka County residents safe and with a functional system that advocates and seeks justice for victims.  Our public safety system also needs to protect the liberty of citizens and work with all appropriate stakeholders to make sure Anoka County remains a sanctuary of freedom.

I will work with our county public safety officials to assess and audit operations, strengthen core services, review technology and training needs, review policies, and make other improvements to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of all services.

Infrastructure

Having a prosperous county is impossible without the proper infrastructure.  It is also impossible to enjoy the beauty of our county if we don't have the means to easily and freely travel via car, bike, and foot.  

It is extremely important that we don't lose sight of our infrastructure and the vital importance it plays in our daily lives.  I will work closely with local, state, and federal agencies and local stakeholders to ensure Anoka County receives modern infrastructure and has the resources to properly maintain our roads, bridges, trails, and other related items.

I'm not a fan of the Met Council and will fight hard against any draconian measures they want to impose on the citizens and businesses of Anoka County.  There is a delicate balance of looking at available state and federal resources for Anoka County while making sure we don't sell out our citizens, destroy their liberty, or engage in lopsided deals that put our taxpayers on the hook for years to come.

Government Transparency

Government at all levels has a transparency problem.  There is still too much done in the shadows and this erodes public confidence in our government.

I will do everything I can to make Anoka County government as transparent as possible.  This starts with shining the light on backroom conversations and making access to government information easier to obtain.  There is much more information that the county should be publishing on their internet site to make it easy for the public to get the information they want and deserve.

As an Anoka County commissioner I can assure you that I will be a huge advocate for transparency and I will make myself available to citizens that have questions or need help navigating the confusing maze of government.

Protecting and Maintaining Great Oudoor Spaces

Let's not forget that Anoka County has over 11,000 acres of beautiful land with numerous recreational activities for all to enjoy.  These resources should be protected and nurtured.  These awesome natural attractions are one of the reasons Anoka County is a beautiful place to live and raise a family and a big reason many move here.

I will work to maintain this Anoka County treasure while always looking for ways to improve park services and find efficiencies and cost savings where possible.

Improving Government Operations

I have worked in government for over 30 years and have a great deal of knowledge about the internal workings of city, county, and state government.  I also have over 17 years of experience working in Anoka County government.  

My experience and knowledge will allow me to identify inefficiencies, issues, gaps, and areas of improvement.  I will review internal policies, workflows, training standards, hiring practices, and other areas of Anoka County operations.  I will also look to have independent audits and assessments conducted if appropriate.

I will also work with other government entities to identify and address areas of improvement and potential resource sharing.  Government is excellent at not just duplicating efforts, but duplicating the duplicated efforts.  In other words, there is certainly many areas where we can find ways to make things easier and more efficient.  Often times city, county, and state agencies are requesting the same data and then vendors the government works with is also requesting the same information.  This is just one area where we can look to make improvements.  There are surely many others to identify.

Finally, I will work to address recruitment and retention of county staff, as well employee career development and training.  Regardless of how you view the role of government, it is important to make sure our public employees have the skills and experience required to perform their jobs at a high level.  Anoka County leadership needs to make sure hiring practices are sound and there are robust training plans in-place.  There have been and continue to be many issues at Anoka County in regards to employee recruitment, retention, and training.  I will work to address these issues.  Competent, well-skilled, and trained staff are necessary to make county operations efficient and effective for the citizens of Anoka County.

Property Rights

Here is the one thing that many elected officials refuse to discuss and yet it is fundamentally the most important issue for many citizens.  

Have you ever felt like you don't actually own your house or recreational property because of all the taxes and rules put upon you?  Have you had property taken from you through eminent domain?  Do you own a business and been stripped of using your property for the purpose you need it for?  I'm sure there are many other scenarios citizens have been put in because of an over reaching government.

As an Anoka County commissioner I will fight hard for your property rights.  I will fight against insane mandates from the Met Council.  I will listen to your story and help to the fullest extent I can.

Just one note, if you want to dump toxic chemicals in the back of your property then I may have to draw a line.  There are limits to property rights if your actions affect others or will do great harm to the environment.  I just want to make sure everyone knows I'm not an absolutist on this topic.  That being said, I'm likely the strongest property rights advocate you will ever find.  I also believe we need to find a way to eliminate property taxes altogether.  A topic for another day, but just wanted you to know where I stand.

Election Integrity

Can any of us have faith in our government if we have no faith in our elections?  Of course, the answer is "No".

I have worked on election security matters from a cybersecurity perspective.  I have also been involved in politics for over two decades where I have been exposed to election integrity information, law changes, and discussions with experts on this topic.

I will be a strong advocate for election integrity measures in Anoka County.  I will work with local, state, and federal representatives and agencies to strengthen voter integrity measures, security, and auditing processes.

It is important we all believe in our elections and the results.  We need to do everything we can to ensure free and fair elections.  We need to make sure counting votes is done uniformly, honestly, and timely.  This isn't asking too much for the citizens of Anoka County.  I will do my part.

Veteran Services

Our heroic veterans should no be kept in the shadows or treated like second rate citizens.  They deserve better from our government and our elected officials.

I will work with our Anoka County Veteran Services team to identify issues that need addressed and find needed resources for our vets.  I will also work with other government agencies and veteran advocacy groups to improve the lives of our vets and their families.  They will not be forgotten.

Controlling Spending and Tax Rates

How do you feel about your property taxes?   Do you feel you are getting a good return on your tax investment?

As your Anoka County commissioner I will work to hold the line on overall spending, find areas for cost savings, and keep your taxes low.  

There will certainly be areas of Anoka County government that may require additional spending just as there are likely areas where we can find cost savings.

There may be times when overall spending for the county will need to rise, but this should not be a given and it should be done with due diligence and appropriate citizen input.

In my 30+ years in government, I have never seen a government agency that is stripped to the bone and running lean.  It simply doesn't exist in government or I have been so unlucky as to never see it once in my career.  There is almost always someplace revenue can be cut without creating a major impact on citizens.  The problem is, you must have strong leaders with the fortitude to make the cuts, readjust spending behavior, and set new expectations.

Human Services

Anoka County Human Services is a very large county department responsible for delivering numerous health and human services to residents of Anoka County.  Many of the services offered are a result of state laws passed by the legislature.  There are numerous mandates for county government and not all of these mandates come with the appropriate resources to carry them out.

I will advocate for appropriate resources to be funded for existing and new mandates passed by the legislature.  I will work with all stakeholders to include legislators, the governor, and others to improve the way health and human services are funded and delivered.

There are also many opportunities to improve how the county delivers these services.

I have a lot of personal experience dealing with Anoka County Human Services, the State of Minnesota, and government healthcare providers as my mother (now deceased) once had very bad dementia and was receiving government benefits.  The process was a nightmare to navigate.  There was duplicate paperwork all over the place, healthcare providers constantly changing, inadequate ability to exchange information in a timely manner with case workers, and many other issues.

I worked for years in this system.  I am proud to say that I was (or believe I was) responsible for improving how Anoka County case workers communicated with citizens.  This was sometime between 2016 - 2018.  At that time the only means of communication to the case worker was via phone or traditional mail.  There was no email option.  I was receiving mail with very short deadlines to provide information and no fast way to respond.  I pushed hard and the county created an email account for sharing information.  It was a big win at that time.  This is just one small issue among a host of other issues.

I will work with the Anoka County Human Services team to identify areas of improvement and the resources needed to make those improvements.  I will also try to work with the state to see if other aspects of these programs can be changed in order to make them easier for citizens to navigate.  I have several ideas already and feel positive that after working on the inside as a commissioner there will be more ideas coming.

Human Services is a very important part of what Anoka County does.  As your Anoka County commissioner I will do everything I can to provide all required services, improve how these services are delivered, and make sure future services have a better framework so they will be successful.