Four residents will take aim for three spots on the Albertville City Council, including two incumbents. Rob Olson and Walter Hudson are each seeking another four-year term, while newcomers Rebecca Halling and Andrew John are new to the poltical arena.
Here’s a look at the four cancidates in the City of Albertville.
Rebecca Halling
How, specifically, would you like Albertville to grow into 2020, and what is the city’s role in promoting that growth?
In 2020, Albertville will likely still be undergoing a major infrastructure change in the I-94 project, and this construction has the potential to have a significant negative impact on our local businesses. City leadership must be proactive in their planning efforts and communication in order to minimize risk to Albertville’s economy.
This project, upon completion, has the potential to increase business traffic into Albertville, but there are additional changes we need to make as a city in order to facilitate that. Our local roads may require updates, and our tax system will need to be re-evaluated in order to better attract new commercial business owners. $56 million in highway updates will mean nothing unless we also complete these necessary changes.
I want to see Albertville grow into a well-maintained, desirable, efficiently run community, and I believe we certainly have the potential to make it there, as long as our city leadership is able to identify potential obstacles before they happen and take the necessary steps to work around them.
As a “locked in” community – surrounded by St. Michael and Otsego – Albertville’s borders are pretty much set. Does that present challenges for the city? Why or why not?
I do not believe so. Even though our community is only 4 square miles, we are operating well below our economic potential. Fortunately, our new residential development is progressing fairly well, but we still have entirely too many vacant retail and commercial sites. So lack of space certainly should not be the concern.
Residents are often concerned about keeping taxes low and the city’s budget flat. What’s the best way to do that while combating rising costs?
Filling our vacant properties and developing our undeveloped land would accomplish this goal and then some. Obviously, we cannot keep the budget flat in an economy of rising costs without sacrificing the quality of our essential services, but when we start using this unused land to generate additional income, that allows the city to spread that tax net more widely, thus decreasing individual homeowners’ overall tax burden.
How can the city play a larger role in supporting local business and growth?
We need to take a hard look at what, specifically, is causing new businesses to choose to open up in our neighboring communities instead of in Albertville. Whether it is a more preferable tax code, a larger customer base, or a more desirable location, these are all problems that an efficient city leadership could help to amend.
I believe we can also do a better job of marketing Albertville in our local area as a desirable community to live, and an ideal place to own a business. I believe that, with the right vision and the right execution, we can certainly make smart growth happen and make certain that our community remains economically competitive with our neighboring cities without losing our small town appeal.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I am so proud of our small town. I appreciate the opportunity I’ve already been given to serve our residents as a member of the Planning Commission, and I look forward to earning your vote on November 6th and becoming your next council person.
Walter Hudson
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How, specifically would you like Albertville to grow into 2020, and what is the city’s role in promoting that growth?
At the root of growth lays many decisions made by individuals to take actions which they believe will be profitable. We each get up day after day, setting ourselves to the business of earning and building, in order to provide for our families and protect our future. We look to government to ensure we can pursue those goals freely, with our rights preserved and our basic infrastructure maintained. As a city, that means wielding the tremendous power of ordinance, planning, and zoning in a thoughtful and deliberate manner. It means ensuring a use does not violate the right of a neighbor, while otherwise enabling development to follow a natural course.
Albertville has welcomed growth and development in recent years, further establishing ourselves as a vital waypoint for commerce and a vibrant place to live. Our progress has been no accident. Prior councils have set us up for success by building upon past plans, foreseeing future needs, and recognizing the right moments to effect thoughtful change.
I look forward to nurturing the long-planned development of the Mall of Entertainment adjacent to our landmark outlets. Coupled with reworked interchanges facilitating traffic from I-94, planned in concert with state and federal assistance, Albertville will enhance its “big city life.” At the same time, coming improvements to our central park and thoughtful changes to our capital improvement plans will preserve our “small town living.”
As a “locked in” community—surrounded by St. Michael and Otsego, Albertville’s borders are pretty much set. Does that present challenges for the city? Why or why not?
Much has been made of the fact that we’re four square miles constrained by the developing communities around us. It’s true. We do need to remain mindful of the limitations our geography place upon us and plan accordingly.
However, we should also recognize the opportunities our position presents. Rather than regard ourselves as “locked in,” we should consider that we’re bolstered by the bustling development around us. These communities work and live with us as close neighbors and friends. We enjoy productive relationships with Otsego, with whom we share fire service, and St. Michael, with whom we contract building inspection services, among other joint ventures. As our neighboring communities continue to grow, we will see commensurate development within the corridor set aside for that purpose up and down County Road 19.
Residents are often concerned about keeping taxes low and the city’s budget flat. What’s the best way to do that while combating rising costs?
As a first term council member and lifelong government watchdog, this may be my area of greatest passion. It has also proven to be most educational during the past four years.
The first time we considered a new budget and levy, I asked our staff to provide a scenario which would keep both at a zero percent increase. They dispassionately obliged, providing the precise dollar amount that would need to be cut from the proposed budget. Going down the line items, I soon realized that a “flat” levy and budget would require a cut in services. In other words, we would have to provide less next year than the current one. What’s more, in order to keep the levy and budget flat year after year, we would have to continue cutting services each year. That’s the reality of inflation and a developing community.
That exercise revealed that fiscal responsibility must be found, not in politically attractive choices in a single year, but in thoughtful planning year after year. To keep the levy and budget as low as possible, we must ensure that each dollar spent gets maximum value in trade. That means capital improvement plans which ensure assets like fire trucks are replaced on an efficient schedule, not necessarily a politically convenient one.
This has been the toughest lesson for me to learn as a tax protest activist turned public servant, second to no other lesson.
How can the city play a larger role in supporting local business and growth?
I refer back to my previous answer regarding how growth occurs in the first place. In my view, it’s not a question of size, larger role or smaller. It’s a question of purpose. The city should play as large or small role as required to preserve the rights of its residents, businesses, and guests. I believe a local government committed to that purpose will facilitate growth as entrepreneurs and companies recognize that Albertville welcomes their ventures.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Four years ago, I ran a makeshift write-in campaign to win an open seat on the Albertville City Council. Your trust enabled me to contribute to our council’s many deliberations and has afforded me the opportunity to learn more about our community while guiding it toward a promising future. The journey has been unconventional, educational, edifying, and one of the greatest honors of my life. I thank you for the opportunity and thank you for considering my bid for another term.
Rob Olson
How, specifically would you like to see Albertville to grow into 2020, and what is the city’s role in promoting growth?
I would like to see Albertville’s growth remain steady and consistent with what we have been seeing in the past 6 years. While the neighboring cities are growing at a much faster pace, their growth will help support our existing businesses and spur new growth to meet the demands of the new residents. Going into 2020, we may even see a slight dip in growth and new building permits due to road construction. This upcoming construction season will involve major improvements to almost every road north of 57th Street, please be patient as the end result will be very rewarding!
As a “locked in” community-surrounded by St. Michael and Otsego, Albertville’s borders are pretty much set. Does that present challenges for the city? Why or why not?
Being a “locked in” community doesn’t create more challenges, rather it brings our City more opportunities. This is because we have the infrastructure in place to support our small town and when the final pieces grow, we will not need to add to our City government to handle the increased demands.
The opportunity of being small is that we are fortunate to be surrounded by two cities that are experiencing the huge residential growth and I feel like their growth and their challenges will benefit our community in developing more business opportunities and jobs within Albertville.
As the areas around Albertville continue to grow, I also hope the relationships with St. Michael and Otsego continue to grow as these partnerships of providing fire coverage to Otsego or receiving building inspections services from St. Michael are key opportunities to save money by combining efforts and not having redundant departments within our communities.
Residents are often concerned about keeping taxes low and the City’s budget flat. What’s the best way to do that while combating rising costs?
There is no good way to keep the City’s budget flat as doing this causes the City to go backward and not forward. In the past six years while on Council we have taken the approach of small gradual budget increases to keep up with rising costs while still putting away for future improvements. These small increases will potentially negate large budget increases down the road by planning for improvements.
How can the city play a larger role in supporting local business and growth?
The single most important role a City can play for local business and growth is to maintain a steady city budget and to work with businesses when the need arises. We have done this in the past by utilizing differed fees for certain City fees to help offset the upfront burden on business owners. We have also worked with businesses on revising City Codes that help them while not diminishing the quality of life seen by our residents.
Anything else you would like to add
My young family moved to Albertville 13 years ago. Over the past 13 years not only has my family grown, but so has our love for this town and community. As a family, we have been fortunate to be involved in activities with our children and have made many great friends. Personally, I have been able to serve on the planning commission for four years and then as your City Councilor for the past six years. I am grateful for all of the support I have received during this time and I have been honored to serve the residents of this great City. Please remember to vote on November 6th and thank you for your continued support.
Andrew John
How, specifically would you like Albertville to grow into 2020, and what is the city’s role in promoting that growth?
I would like to attract more business to the area to improve the city experience. Then I would like to work to lower property taxes per person, but keep the overall dollars received the same by increasing occupancy levels with residents and businesses.
As a “locked in” community—surrounded by St. Michael and Otsego, Albertville’s borders are pretty much set. Does that present challenges for the city? Why or why not?
It presents a challenge only in the fact we cannot grow past our borders. I feel it is important to have positive relationships with both St Michael and Otsego city council and mayors.
Residents are often concerned about keeping taxes low and the city’s budget flat. What’s the best way to do that while combating rising costs?
Increasing the number of residents and business in town to be able to have each person pay less, but keep budget flat. Looking at the budget line by line to cut out wasted items that add no value to the residents.
How can the city play a larger role in supporting local business and growth?
Getting them to know the operators and offering support to help with struggles with the labor market with lack of employee base that is available for them to hire from.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I am a true believer the government is here for a service to the residents, not the other way around. Residents pay taxes and should receive something of value from the taxes they pay. For me running for city council is a service that I want to do for my fellow residents and don’t look at this to be a long-term position. I encourage others to get involved and believe people should not be able to stay in elect roles for more than two terms. This would keep things growing with a new perceptive of what the bigger picture of the city should be. I am a leader in the business world working as the average guy that believes we need to work hard to get the job done.