Biographical Information
Campaign Phone Number
7018809126
What are your top priorities?
I am pro data center. If you look at Ellendale or Harwood ND you see job creation, tax revenue, and a healthy economy. Lets look at Oliver County ND. Center in particular. This is a town in which a Dollar General can't even survive. If our children graduate college, Ellendale and Harwood have good jobs open right now. I understand the fact that there will be growing pains. Life can't always be perfect, but we can strive for perfection.
What is the biggest challenge facing the county, and how would you address it?
The biggest challenges facing the county is misinformation in social media and the internet. Politics is an area of life where information can be carefully spun or manipulated for the purpose of pushing a political agenda. Fact must always prevail over emotional or false information. It's easy to find information that fits your agenda by a simple well crafted Google search. However, that information should come from only reputable sources. Emotional politicking is not ethical.
How would you address the housing needs of the county?
This could be an issue if data centers start construction in Mercer County. The biggest concern is where to place all the construction workers if this moves forward. Man camps are a dirty word, particularly in the Beulah ND area. They may be necessary. There needs to be an exit plan in the county ordinance. I would make sure that they are built in a way that can be used as housing after a building boom.
Do you expect that the new state law capping property tax budget increases at 3% will impact the county’s budget?
I would rather see this type of bill on a federal level. I would rather pay state taxes and keep my tax dollars local where it will have a greater chance of ending up in the pockets of the local tax payers. I understand the reasoning behind such a law, but at the same time we need to maintain our infrastructure and that doesn't always work well if the 3% cap can't keep up with inflation. With our federal taxes, those taxes are often sent overseas. Keep our money local.
How would you address the county’s list of infrastructure maintenance projects?
Safety first which means bridges would have a top priority as well as environmental resources management. I would also like to see speed limit and load restrictions replaced on our county gravel roads.