Why are you running for city council? I've often said it's a genetic defect. My grandparents served for a long time on various farm organizations and church boards, same for my parents. My brother Rick is currently a Union Grove Township supervisor. I just hope that my kids and grand kids can overcome it and lead otherwise productive lives. Honestly, I guess I'd rather be involved in decision making rather than find out about it later and have no reason to complain.

What new ideas do you think you can bring to the city council? Accountants and bookkeepers are not known for their creativity, except the ones serving time. And after serving so long on the council already, I probably don't have a lot of new ideas left. However, I have developed a large network to tune into and am not afraid to "borrow" ideas that have worked and bring them into the discussion. I do have a few creative bones in my body and often throw out off-the-wall and out-of-the-box ideas just to stimulate discussion. These may be difficult times in local government, but it's probably time to try some of those out-of-the-box solutions.

With decreases in Local Government Aid from the state expected to continue, likely causing ongoing city budget crunches, what do you see as core city services? Core city services will always continue. The question becomes who can best provide them. Sewer and water are probably the only true core city service. Police protection can be contracted out, fire districts are becoming more popular, streets can be maintained by other units of government, libraries are generally regional, parks can be county or regionally maintained, and recreation can be school district operated.

The question becomes more who the taxpayers or residents want providing them. This city is large enough, and in good enough position, to continue to provide every service it has been with two caveats: some services may have to temporarily be reduced or suspended and some sacrifices (time and/or money) may have to be made.

The city has nearly $1.3 million in general fund reserves. What do you think is a healthy fund balance for the city? The council has established that somewhere between 50 and 60 percent of the city's general fund expenditures is a healthy reserve balance. That doesn't mean that the city will (and can) always have $600,000 or $700,000 in the bank, just as our personal balances go up and down right after and before paydays. The city's revenues come in at various times as well.

Right now the city has structural problems with the roof at city hall. We're hoping that insurance will cover most of the costs, but if not then 60 percent may not be enough. We have been very fortunate in regard to any time of "catastrophic" event, but one snowstorm, 10-inch rain, or tornado can wipe out undesignated reserves in a flash.

A healthy reserve fund has also allowed us to enhance the community with a new airport, ambulance garage, and other amenities. Other projects are in the works that, with a "healthy" fund balance, may be obtainable. It has been my experience that the city does not build any fund balance merely for the sake of piling up funds.

In each of these budget categories, explain your view on making budget cuts as needed.
•Amenities: (lifeguards, Fourth of July fireworks, Summer Recreation, contributions to community organizations such as the Paynesville Area Center and the historical society, etc.) Quality of life has been the buzz phrase for many years. It has been my hope that, regardless of economic times elsewhere, the city and community would be poised to be in a position when recovery is truly here and others are still recovering that we're ahead of the curve and emerge as a true quality community. However there are things beyond the city's control (school district and county levies and tax rates for example) that may hinder that. Amenities may be one of the first things the city needs to cut to save its own skin.

•City Infrastructure: (streets, water, sewer, etc.) City infrastructure must be maintained, no question. We are in a pretty good position financially, thanks to the infrastructure improvement plan we established when I first got on the council. Most of the city's streets and sewer and water lines have recently been upgraded. Maintenance, as opposed to replacement, is a lot less costly, so we should be able to hold our own for some time.

•City Staff: As we've worked through the budget for next year, and looking into 2012, city staff is probably the most logical place for any further cuts. We do have competent and experienced staff on hand capable of picking up the slack. It will take understanding from the public though, when waiting in line to get your license renewed or for the water leak to get fixed, that staff has been reduced as a cost-savings measure.

•Parks, Trails, Recreation: It's quite ironic that higher level government funding for enhancements like parks and trails has been quite abundant while assistance (i.e. Local Government Aid) for other, more basic services is drying up. Outside money is great; however, there quite often are strings attached, like local matching funds, that may be hard to deal with for a while. The Lake Koronis Recreational Trail has progressed too far (and outside enhancement funds continue to be available) and a certain amount of recreation is necessary to maintain a quality community. The city must look to and work with other entities (e.g. school district, county, etc.) to maintain an acceptable level of recreational and other such amenities.

•Public Safety: police, fire, etc. There are options out there for providing those services. The city once owned and operated the hospital, but when the city realized it was becoming more than it could handle it created the hospital district. As I said above, fire districts are becoming more popular. Many cities are dissolving their police departments and combining services or contracting with counties. Emergency services are being downsized, unless the city has recently been through a flood, tornado, or other catastrophe. As I already said, we are able enough, and the long-term future is bright enough to continue to provide those core services. The question becomes whether or not the public has the patience to support them.

•Other: Putting all optimism aside, all options are on the table. The time for any "aha" revelation on the city's revenue side is passing. Cuts look to have become the only way.

What sort of tax increases (if any) would you support as a council member? In the past we've tied tax and levy increases to growth in tax base and capacity. With the economic slowdown, and yet increasing costs of providing services, that has become increasingly difficult. Increases by other local taxing entities, and adjustments and cuts at the state level, all beyond our control, make keeping tax levels bearable at this level difficult if not impossible. Considering that the city's tax rate has been steadily declining over the past several years I could, at this time, support an increase in the city's tax rate of three to six percent.

What sort of tax increases (if any) would you support as a council member? In the past we've tied tax and levy increases to growth in tax base and capacity. With the economic slowdown, and yet increasing costs of providing services, that has become increasingly difficult. Increases by other local taxing entities, and adjustments and cuts at the state level, all beyond our control, make keeping tax levels bearable at this level difficult if not impossible. Considering that the city's tax rate has been steadily declining over the past several years I could, at this time, support an increase in the city's tax rate of three to six percent.

Is annexation an appropriate revenue tool for the city? If so, how is it possible in light of the Orderly Annexation Agree-ment with the township? The city has very few tools for increasing revenue, and annexation is one of them. However, annexation in reality is not a short-term fix on the revenue side. I look at annexation as a matter of who can best, or in some cases locally, who has been providing services. Our agreement with Paynesville Township allows for taxes, at a declining rate, to continue to go to the township. Though annexation is a tool, there is enough potential for growth within the city proper (e.g. old airport land, Wilglo, Ampe and Dombrovski additions) to make that a priority.

What should be the city's relationship with Paynesville Township? And what, specifically, would you do to foster such a relationship? To borrow from an old military phrase, city first, community always. Neither entity, city or township, would be the same without the other. Don't forget the school and hospital districts. Without any of those entities, this community would be very different.

Much as siblings are different in their own ways, they still make up a family. I have long supported all entities working together when possible, yet have always understood that each is uniquely different, is governed differently, and has different missions. As an example, I was involved when the city and township first began working on the hockey arena. I was also involved when the city tried to work with the township on the new airport. When realization sank in that continued cooperation by both entities in both ventures was not going to work we went our separate ways. On the other hand, realizing that completion of the Lake Koronis Recreational Trail depended on working together led us to work together to this day.

What does the city need to do to make Paynesville attractive from the new Highway 23? We've been working with MnDOT for over a decade on the Highway 23 project on such things as getting several accesses off the new highway, adequate signage, and pleasing esthetics on bridges, intersections, and interchanges. We've also put in place a sign ordinance to control the number and placement of signage along the route.

Now we're working on such things as zoning type issues of what types of businesses go where (e.g. the old airport property by the Veterans Drive interchange and the Ferche property along Lake Avenue North), possible realignment of Lake Avenue North as it comes into the city from the north, and what happens with the old Highway 23 when the state turns it over. My knowledge of what's been done, thought of, possible, and "ain't gonna happen" should be valuable as we close out this project over the next two years.

What can the city do to to bring the visions of the Minnesota Design Team to life in Paynesville? I was involved in both the Governor's Design Team visit of several years ago and the recent and similar Minnesota Design Team visit. As I earlier admitted, I am not an overly creative person. However, the ideas presented by both, and what I see and observe in my networking and travels, will continue to play a large role in my role as mayor over the next two years.

What will you do, as a councilor, to make Paynesville a better place to live? As a true local, born and raised here, I love this community. In all that I have done or will do, whether involvement with the League of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Mayors Association, Minnesota Association of Small Cities, Jaycees, Lions, world travels with the military, visiting family, just vacationing or whatever, I'm always looking for ideas or success stories to bring back here. Not all will work, or may be even applicable, but you can't hurt for trying new things.

Along those same lines, I will continue to be a listening and facilitating mayor. Though I've been around so to speak, so have many others, and have much to share.