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OLMSTED COUNTY COMMISSIONER (CONTINUED)
Q: Why are you running for county commissioner and how does your experience qualify you for the position? A:I had been on the Rochester Township board for 18 years and have an interest in local government. In my time on the board, I had to deal with annual budgeting, equipment updating and purchasing, employee work groups and road maintenance issues. The township is also able to do planning and zoning with valuable help from TCPA. I have been self-em- ployed for 29+ years, so I understand many areas of small business and it is very important to be fiscally responsible. I believe my experience will be beneficial in integrating with the rest of the commissioners, because there will be a large learning curve in dealing with the many issues at the county level. Then I can start serving the residents of Olmsted County.
BRIAN MUELLER DISTRICT 4
Q: What are your top two priorities or issues as a candidate for county commissioner? A: It is difficult to label just two top priorities with the many programs the county is involved in. Several very important areas are housing rehabilitation, care of vulnerable adults, senior citizens and at-risk youth. We don’t want them to fall into homelessness. I believe housing rehabilitation would help families and neighbor- hoods. This would be important in small communities and cities. Homes falling into disrepair is not good for anyone. Q: Why are you running for county commissioner and how does your experience qualify you for the position? A: In order for rural communities to thrive, there needs to be a different focus from the past few decades. It takes more than a focus on road maintenance and rural land use to ensure that the people in our commu- nities thrive. The County has purview over millions of dollars in social sup- port, and yet most constituents do not know that. I will be the strongest candidate for this position because I have an educational background in public policy, and 20 years of leadership experience leading very large complex projects that require sound decision making skills, communica- tion skills, and diplomacy skills. My work on the Olmsted County Human Rights Commission, my leadership on the board of IMAA and the NAACP have been additional volunteer experience to add to my qualifications for the position. I am also incredibly grateful to the Rochester Chamber of Commerce for having been a part of their program Leadership Greater Rochester, and am proud to be an alumni of that group. Q: What are your top two priorities or issues as a candidate for county commissioner? A: 1. The County has purview over a significant scope of social services. For decades, our communities have been experiencing a market failure where daycare and long term care are too expensive, and yet no one can make money in these spaces. I will prioritize policy that will help solve these crippling issues, while staying in the lane of what the government should get involved with. 2. Government policies, or poor gov- ernment policies are many times what undermines the social and environmental progress that is needed. I intend to spend time understanding why Olmsted County’s land use policies are not guided by principles of environmentalism. From a business perspective, there is a significant amount of opportunity to make mon - ey at the same time as we innovate for the environment. The government does not need to get involved in issues of businesses and nonprofits, but can significantly impact their success or failure through policy. KINDRA RAMAKER DISTRICT 4
| Advantage Magazine 10
October 2022
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