Campaign Phone Number
701-840-1723
Property taxes, spending, and transparency are key concerns. On transparency, local media often focuses only on high-profile issues involving the County Commission. If elected, I would provide a detailed monthly summary of commission meetings and submit it to local newspapers and radio. Residents deserve a clearer picture of what’s happening than what is currently offered in official minutes, which often lack enough detail to fully understand decisions and discussions.
The biggest challenge facing Barnes County is a declining population combined with a limited economic base, which puts increasing pressure on existing residents through rising property taxes. Barnes County needs to grow its population and economy so that property tax burdens do not continue to rise for current residents. Promote quality of life: low crime, lower housing costs.
Target remote workers and retirees leaving high-cost urban areas Partner with state tourism etc
Barnes County can encourage housing by reducing development barriers and making construction more attractive for builders and buyers.
I would talk to buyers, builders, bankers and others to see what they would like to see the County Commission do to encourage them to build.
I view it as a great incentive to prioritize spending. I would ask the Commission to look at a 5% cut in discretionary spending.
I would address the county’s infrastructure needs by prioritizing the most urgent and safety-related repairs first, especially roads and bridges, to avoid more costly failures later.
To manage costs, the county should use a mix of state and federal grants, and coordinated planning to combine smaller repairs into more efficient contracts.
Endorsements
Self funded
Campaign Phone Number
7014900203
My top priority has always been cutting costs, being fiscally responsible.
I would also like to see our communities grow.
I would also like to see fairness to everyone in the community.
Keeping Taxes down. This would involve cutting budgets. A necessity, but a difficult task.
Right now, the commission has approved $15,000 for any new houses built in the county. We were hoping more houses would equal more families and more growth.
The 3% tax will affect the county. Right now it has a little affect. But if we ever have an emergency, we would have to scramble to find the funds.
I would like to see the money spread around the county. I would also like to see the worst roads being fixed first. The County has been very good at putting in new culverts.
My platform is centered on promoting enhanced transparency within our County government, improving employee retention and the work environment for County staff and exploring the feasibility of transitioning Barnes County to a Home Rule Charter county.
The biggest challenge our County faces is the outmigration of people in the past few years for better jobs. This leaves an erosion of the Tax base, a shrinking workforce, and government agencies stuggling to recruit and retain employees when private-sector elsewhere are more attractive. This all leads to a shrinking revenue stream and services that will have to be cut or greatly reduced. This county has loss nearly 400 people since 2020. We need jobs that pay competitively.
I’m happy that the current policy makers have made efforts to addressed these issues, and I will continue to support these needed programs along with searching for others that may be beneficial to our county. With the Single-family homebuyers assistant program. 10k for homes in Valley City, and 15K in rural Barnes County. The Barnes County Housing Authority providing Section 8 Choice vouchers and Public Housing for those in need.
Yes, since I’m a Department Head in a county, I see the impact first hand. The increase in wages, fuel, healthcare cost, services, and the necessary supplies used in day to day operations have all exceeded the 3% increase. We will have workforce challenges, decreases in our county reserves to make ends meet, delays in services, projects and repairs and will have to make difficult decisions on equipment and projects. Working around this will be difficult going forward.
The roadways in the county should be our main focal point when it comes to maintence projects. I would work hard searching for, and applying for funding thru the state such as; Operation Prairie Dog, Flex Fund, and ND Legacy Fund provide grants for projects. We all need roads, they’re the one thing in the county that every person needs to live. In in my current job, I have established a working relationship with many state departments and personnel. They are use to me asking for money.
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