My Thoughts a Few Hours Out

The forum tonight marks the first time that the city council candidates have come together to discuss the issues.  Finally.  While I've been posting my ideas and thoughts, I've had to watch city council meetings - and read a single newspaper article - to try and figure out what the other candidates want or plan to do.

I'm excited for this opportunity to see what we agree on and what we disagree on.  In short, I'm excited for dialogue and conversation - what forums, debates, and elections are supposed to be all about.

I hope you can make it tonight.  If you can't and you have Charter, it starts at 7pm on Channel 19.

Thursday's Candidate Forum

As a reminder, there's a St. Cloud City Council candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters this Thursday - 7pm @ City Hall.  I'd like to briefly lay out what I hope to accomplish at it:

1. Why I'm running for City Council
2. What the big issues will be as we move forward
3. Differences between candidates
4. A discussion on the future of St. Cloud

These types of forums are crucial in order for the voters to get a better idea of where a candidate stands and in gaining an understanding of each candidate's points of view.  This is something that reading a newspaper article or blog does not allow for.  This particular forum is audience-based meaning the audience drives it with their questions. I fully expect questions about crime / public safety, rental properties, property values, parks / trails, economic development, and job creation.  There will probably be questions that I haven't thought about before or may not have much knowledge of.

I should note that while I have experience in public speaking, I haven't participated in a debate like this before.  This makes me both nervous and excited.  It has also led me to spend a rather significant amount of time preparing.  (Coincidentally, this same preparation is essential as a city council member if elected.) 

I plan on posting the questions that are asked on this blog afterwards along with my answer (if I recall it verbatim) and my opponent's answers.  I will also use it as an opportunity to better explain my answers, if needed.

Also the St. Cloud Times is conducting an endorsement interview / forum the following week that is supposed to be recorded and available on their website at some point.  I look forward to that event as well.

That's it for now!

The Changing Economy

I've alluded to our changing economy before, but I wanted to devote a blog to what I see are future challenges we need to address as a community.  It will take a community discussion with many people to develop a strategy to ensure we're successful in the future.

More and more people purchase things online.  This affects a couple of things.  First, it reduces the need for brick and mortar stores.  Just look at Best Buy and the impacts on its business from Target and Wal-Mart - as well as Amazon.  In the future, retail footprints will change and as they do, so will the amount of commercial space needed.  This could potentially reduce the property value of these entities and decrease the amount of property tax revenue flowing into local government.  Crossroads Center, for example, is an incredibly large and incredibly important property taxpayer.  As a result, additional pressure will be put on industrial, agricultural, and residential property owners to fund services.  That added pressure may be significant, costly, and crippling.  This will impact our quality of life.

When people buy things online, they also typically avoid paying local sales tax.  This directly impacts us at the local level as our sales tax levy directly funds important projects like regional roads, the library, parks / trails, and the yet-to-be-built aquatic center.  If this trend continues, we will not meet projections that we've set.  That's money we've counted on being there.  This will impact our quality of life as well.

Now, there are opportunities.  Small, boutique shops have been successful in this economy.  As well, businesses like the iPod repair guy in downtown St. Cloud have filled a niche. 

Over the next decade, we must come to grips with these new realities and begin to plan for them.  Our economy has undergone significant changes throughout our country's existence.  It will continue to do so.  It is the job of elected officials and local leaders to begin recognizing those changes and adapting St. Cloud to them.  I don't pretend to have the answers to these challenges, but I believe we can meet them if we start discussing them now.

Demographics and Representation

I like data and facts.  It allows for a more healthy discussion and provides a good basis for that discussion.  Today, I'd like to review some demographics - specifically as it relates to age.  The current candidates, except for me, are in their 50s and 60s.  I'm 32.

According to the American Community Survey, St. Cloud's median age is 28.7 years. The chart below illustrates how different age groups make up our population - including children.

It should not be a surprise that nearly a fifth of our population is college-aged.  If you look at the total number of people between the 20 - 34 (since I'm in this group at age 32) and over 45 (since my opponents are in that group), the percent breakdowns are nearly identical.

The question becomes:  should we elect people who represent the age groups of our population?  Does an older generation really understand the younger generation?  More importantly, do their ideas represent the younger generation?

I tend to think we should have a council filled with council members who more accurately represent our population.  It brings about new ideas, new perspective, and a better understanding of what's important to that age group.  Most people probably wouldn't disagree with that reasoning.  In my opinion, it's just one more reason to consider casting your vote for me.

A Note on my Blogs

I often post blogs (see Aquatic Center) that detail what I'm thinking at any particular moment.  They often reflect initial reactions to a particular topic.  It should be noted that it doesn't necessarily mean that my positions are set in stone.  Indeed, I'm often willing and open to hearing alternative points of view or different evidence that may differ from my initial thoughts. My view might change completely.

In short, your input matters and discourse / discussion matter.  I simply provide my two cents as a way to start a conversation (in most cases).

Aquatic Center

When I was kid growing up on 12th Avenue near Lake George, I frequented Municipal Pool.  I was saddened when it was closed and torn down due to its age and condition.  Whether or not we should have renovated it is a moot point - which brings us to today.

The voters passed a half-cent sales tax that was designed, in part, to fund a new year-round aquatic center.  Approximately $10 million was supposed to be allocated to its construction over a 13-year period (might not be entirely correct on length, but it's not relevant to this post).  With the economic collapse of 2008 / 2009, that amount will not be generated.  In addition, the overall cost of an aquatic center is supposed to be around $20 million and that does not include operating costs - estimated to be nearly $2 million a year.  The city has partnered with the YMCA to operate it.

My biggest open question about this project is the overall operating cost and what potential impact it will have on taxpayers.  If the YMCA is unable to operate it or unable to meet the financial obligations of the center, will St. Cloud taxpayers be forced to cover those obligations?  If not, would the center close, leaving a $20 million unused facility?

We've been struggling with tight budgets for the past several years and any additional pressures on the tax levy from this aquatic center may lead to cuts in other services, or increased taxes.  I'd like to see this discussed and appropriate worst-case funding scenarios discussed before I'd offer my full support for the project.  That's only fair to the taxpayers.

FYI - my primary concern / example comes from the Vadnais Sports Center.  

A Moment of Thanks

Candidates often forget to thank their supporters.  I'd like to take a moment to thank those who have liked my Facebook page and / or have contributed to my campaign or simply told their friends about me.  I didn't choose to run for office for the glamor or the fame; I decided to run because I wanted to make a difference.  We can do better.  Our community is so much better off when we take all of our ideas and figure out how we can make Saint Cloud a better place.  I was sure of that when I was a young kid, and I'm still sure of that today.  So, thank you.

I'm going to work my butt off in October to make sure we can make Saint Cloud the place I believe it can be.  A place where we enact progressive policies, where we lead the nation in innovative initiatives, a place where students want to stay.

Let's do this, people.  Together.  Thank you for your help!