I am the best candidate as I bring fresh ideas and strong leadership to the city of Anoka council. I am a person with strong values and integrity, and truth matters to me. I am currently the vice chair of the economic development commission (edc), and function as liaison for both Anoka Chamber of Commerce and the Parking advisory commission for the EDC. I am a volunteer at the Anoka Community MIssion and serve on the board of directors for the Montessori Renaissance Academy in Anoka. My roots run deep within the city of Anoka. I grew up and graduated with honors from Anoka Senior High School. My motto, "It's All About Anoka!" details my intent. It is not about ME, it is about WE!
Of, For and By the People.
My focus: accessible city government, responsible spending, safe neighborhoods. Not buzzwords — concrete commitments I'll be accountable to. I'm not here to build a political career. I'm here to serve this community, earn your trust, and make your neighborhood a place people are proud to call home. I also am extremely concerned about our taxes. We seem to start the tax talk with double digit numbers to only reduce to a single digit increase. I want to take a hard look at our budgeting process.
Including all citizens is why I am running for this office. At this time, our current council has self interests in mind. When subjects/ideas/suggestions are brought forward to the council, if it doesn't meet with the council critieria, the citizens voice is not heard. This concern is shared with so many anoka residents. My work in various volunteer positions has opened my eyes to the diversity of people in anoka. Their future is held in part by the city staff, police dpt. and city council.
It is easy to spend “other people’s money.” I have no desire to see this trend continue. I will work to ensure taxes are reduced. Also, honoring our public by not wasting the citizen dollars on feasibility studies that were proven to cost the citizen more, or selling property below the best price offered as council doesn’t like a person or look of a sample build. The list goes on and on. It is time to correct the course before more Anokans are driven out ot town. Please vote for Joelle Alvord!
Anoka is home. My wife and I built our life here over 29 years: an apartment, then a house, then raising four kids. We have a direct stake in where this city goes next.
Professionally, I'm a senior business analyst with a background in data, process improvement, and finance, and I hold a BA in Economics and an MBA from Hamline University. I also serve on the Anoka Economic Development Commission, where I've gained practical experience in city finances and land-use decisions.
What I'd bring beyond that isn't a list of answers. It's practical leadership: careful spending, honest communication, and a habit of listening before claiming to have things figured out.
Property taxes: the city can't control the broader economy, but it does control its own costs. I want council leadership that gives staff clear direction to find more cost-effective ways to deliver services, with savings going toward tax relief.
Housing: think carefully and creatively about city-owned property to add housing supply for the next generation.
Civic engagement: make sure residents who show up feel heard, not dismissed.
Anoka isn't one audience. Renters and homeowners, longtime residents and new neighbors all deserve a real hearing. Too often, residents who take the time to speak up at City Hall are met with dismissiveness or, worse, talked over and shouted down, instead of being heard. I want to flip that script: make City Hall a place where raising a concern feels welcome, not risky, and where disagreement is treated as useful information, not an inconvenience to get through.
Two commitments. First: if I'm asking residents to reconsider a decision they already made, I owe them a real reason, not a repeat of the old one. Repeating a close vote until you get the answer you want is attrition, not persuasion.
Second: before landing on a fix, define the problem and test my own assumptions against the strongest objection. Hearing from the people it affects only counts if it can actually change the decision, not just get a hearing.
I'm the best candidate because this council needs what I do professionally: lead people through hard change and turn disagreement into real decisions. With a Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies, change management certification, and state mediator qualification, I know naming a problem is easy. Deciding what to do, and delivering it - with everyone at the table - is the heart of my work.
Every neighborhood deserves someone who's heard them. I'm the only candidate, sitting council members included, who lives north of the railroad, in a city with no wards.
I've built a conflict resolution business here. I serve on Anoka's HRA and a mediation and housing board, ready to unite people and deliver results, every dollar working hard.
Affordability: rising costs cannot mean higher taxes. I will help grow revenue, make city enterprises more profitable, and get vacant city lots developed so they build our tax base instead of sitting idle.
Responsible development: a downtown and riverfront that draw people in without losing what makes our historic town special.
Transparent government: open budgets, accessible meetings, and decisions residents can actually follow. Good process builds trust, and trust makes hard choices possible.
A huge part of representation includes electing council members from across the city. All current members and other candidates live within a concentrated area near downtown, while I live on the northern side and see neighborhood-specific concerns.
Representation isn't just geographic, it's homeowners, renters, seniors, young families, all heard. My career training taught me to weigh quieter voices equally. Also, I'll share clear meeting summaries that residents can follow.
Understandable budgets and meeting summaries, posted early, with status updates that people can follow will help drive transparency. So will searchable online expenditure dashboards, conflict-of-interest disclosures on the record before a vote, and full audit findings published with corrective actions tracked to completion.
Accountability means owning decisions, following through, and answering for results - even for those that don’t work out.
As a current council member, I’ve shown I can deliver results, not just promises. I helped launch the municipal cannabis dispensary, legalized sidewalk chalk for families, and supported selling nearly $4 million in city-owned land, bringing new development and tax base to Anoka. I pushed for the new 4th Avenue trail crossing, opening later this year. Now I’m fighting to bring organized waste collection to a successful vote this November to save residents money, with rates from $10.15 to $14.40/month, saving many residents money. My background as an Army combat veteran, credit analyst, and property owner gives me a practical, numbers-first lens on city decisions. I ask for your vote to keep finishing what we started.
First, affordability. I’ll keep fighting to keep city costs reasonable for residents, including the proposed organized waste rates, ranging from $10.15 to $14.40/month. Second, maintaining and enhancing our parks, playgrounds, and trails, including projects like the 4th Avenue crossing. Third, smart development that prepares Anoka for the future, like the new hotel and event center project downtown, while protecting our historic river city and Halloween Capital charm.
I show up; at community events, business openings, and council meetings…and I listen. As a veteran and current foster parent, I’ve seen firsthand how different backgrounds and circumstances shape people’s needs. I support accessible public input and partnerships with local organizations like Alexandra House and the ACBC Food Shelf to reach residents who might not otherwise engage with city hall.
I believe in open communication and being reachable, and not just at meetings, but directly, so residents can ask questions and get real answers. I support open meetings, clear budgets, and holding city projects accountable to their timelines and costs.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
