Meet the candidates vying to be St. Cloud mayor

ST. CLOUD – On Nov. 5, voters here will decide who will replace St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, who has lead the central Minnesota city for two decades.

But first, a primary on Aug. 13 will narrow the field from six mayoral candidates to two who will appear on the November ballot in the nonpartisan race.

Kleis, 60, is the city’s longest-serving mayor. First elected in 2005, he was re-elected while running unopposed in 2008, 2012 and 2016. In the last election, he defeated challenger Steven Schiller with more than 63% of the vote. In April, Kleis announced he wouldn’t seek re-election this fall after five terms.

Schiller filed to run for mayor again this election, along with three current St. Cloud City Council members — Jake Anderson, Mike Conway and Carol Lewis — and two other St. Cloud residents, Anne Buckvold and James Trantina III.

Anderson and Conway are midway through their terms representing different wards in the city. At-large Council member Lewis’ current term is coming to an end this year.

For more information ahead of the election, voters can view candidate interviews conducted by Kleis and posted on the city’s website. Kleis said he is not endorsing a candidate but is recommending voters look at the candidates’ track records of community involvement.

The Star Tribune asked each candidate the following questions in advance of the election to help voters decide. Answers may have been slightly edited for length and clarity. Candidates are listed alphabetically. Schiller did not respond to multiple requests from the Star Tribune to return the questionnaire.

Age: 44

Education background: Bachelor’s of science in information systems from St. Cloud State University

Occupation: IT manager for Stearns County

Family: Wife Rachel and dog Ruby

Experience: Currently serving first term St. Cloud City Council representing Ward 3, as well as the city’s park and recreation advisory board, the St. Cloud Area Planning Organization board and the Paramount Center for the Arts board. Formerly served on the city’s planning commission.

Why are you running?

Starting towards the beginning of May, several members of the community approached me about running for mayor. I had no intentions of running when they first came to me, but after meeting with different folks and hearing from others, I eventually decided to run. Public service is about delivering for the people of St. Cloud and working with all sorts of people to make St. Cloud a better place. I’m frugal, level-headed, pragmatic and a good listener who seeks data and solutions to the challenges we face.

What are the top two or three issues facing the city of St. Cloud?

While public safety and infrastructure always take precedence as core functions of the city, I think the future of our downtown and the improvement of the image of St. Cloud are equally important. We are at the precipice of a major renewal of downtown as shown by the work of the Downtown Task Force and Downtown Alliance, as well as the soon-to-be-open Great River Children’s Museum. The work going forward will require a strong public/private partnership that I am committed to. We also need to improve the image of St. Cloud, starting with major corridors. Our roundabouts should be well-kept, our boulevards should be maintained and we should do what we can to beautify our city to build more community pride.

What are your plans to address those issues?

It is imperative to develop plans and then execute them. For downtown, that means working collaboratively with stakeholders to flush out what specific projects or tasks need to be completed. It will be important to better integrate connections with St. Cloud State, the East St. Germain Street corridor and St. Cloud Hospital. Plans for those specific projects will need to be better defined and then likely presented to the state Legislature for funding sources. As for beautification efforts, the specifics will need to be determined regarding the level of effort and cost, and then prioritized or phased in over time. It will be a marathon and not a sprint — and we must be wise with the people’s money.

Age: 48

Education background: Undergraduate degree from Social Pedagogical College in Denmark, master’s of social work from the University of Maine

Occupation: Licensed independent clinical social worker

Family: Four children ages 11-17

Experience: Formerly served on the St. Joseph City Council and park board, as well as advisory councils for St. Cloud Metro Bus and Stearns County Human Services. Also worked as a community organizer with GRIP/ISAIAH and organized a campaign to bring the North Star Rail to St. Cloud.

Why are you running? I’m running for mayor of St. Cloud because I see a lot of opportunity. We’re part of the third-largest metropolitan area in the state. We’re growing and set to grow. I want that growth to be by design, not default. We need better transportation, more housing and a revitalized downtown that, over time and with increased investment and revenue, would create a stronger local economy and further economic development. Additionally, I think this region needs a leader with a comprehensive vision, committed to collaboration and the work required to leverage state and federal investments that set us up for greater regional success. I want to be this leader.

What are the top two or three issues facing the city of St. Cloud?

Transportation is the leading issue because it creates access. When people can’t get where they need to go (work, housing, health care, education, etc.), it becomes difficult to lead meaningful lives. I heard this in my work as an organizer and therapist; I also hear about it while door-knocking. Public safety is also a big issue, and it contains far more than just the work of our police department and pedestrian safety. Public safety is also about our fire response, our water, cybersecurity and housing, among other things. We need greater safety in all these areas. My third issue is the revitalization of downtown. We need a more robust local economy.

What are your plans to address those issues?

Regarding transportation, I’d work with the Area Planning Organization to extend passenger rail to/through St. Cloud, expand bus service to employment areas, unclog core traffic areas — with a new 33rd Street bridge, expanded beltway projects and improvements along Highway 15 — and prioritize pedestrian safety. To increase public safety, our police department needs to maintain and attract quality officers, continue to innovate services and expand its community outreach. We need a new fire station to increase response time to meet national standards. We need to continue to make improvements to all areas related to public safety. As mayor, I’d advocate for state funding for infrastructure improvements downtown that encourage investment, as well as support and enhance the needs of business, creating a beautiful city center for people to enjoy.

Age: 58

Education background: Bachelor’s of science in biology and a teaching certificate from St. Cloud State University

Occupation: Senior solution consultant at Wolters Kluwer Financial Services

Family: Married with three adult children

Experience: Currently serving second term on St. Cloud City Council representing Ward 4, also serving on the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the Central Minnesota Emergency Services Board and the St. Cloud Area Planning Organization.

Why are you running?

I am a fiscally conservative and ethically convicted person. The first rule as mayor is to remember it is not my money. I will be a good steward of the resources entrusted to the city. There are three criteria to running the city. Must-dos include providing public safety, maintaining critical infrastructure, building and repairing roads and enhancing public spaces. Should-dos include partnering with businesses, developers, and organizations through private/public initiatives, and increasing opportunities for all. A city should never step outside the mandate of the city charter; there are state and county government resources to handle social service needs.

What are the top two or three issues facing the city of St. Cloud?

St. Cloud is moving into a new era. The usual challenges are always present: supporting and growing safe communities, maintaining infrastructure and encouraging business development. Another challenge is Stearns County’s decision to leave downtown, which will have a major and lasting impact. And there’s always the need to update and improve infrastructure to facilitate growth in the city. What does “St. Cloud Greater” look like in the next few years? That is the biggest challenge facing the city.

What are your plans to address those issues?

Addressing current issues affecting the city will require a partnership between the public, private businesses and the city. Nothing can change for the better without all parties being involved. There are some tough decisions that need to be made in the near future. Any individual saying they have a specific plan — without first having open and honest conversations with stakeholders — does not understand how the city works. Through conservative, common-sense leadership and the development of partnerships, we have an opportunity to write the next chapter for the city.

Age: 67

Education background: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from St. Cloud State University, juris doctorate from William Mitchell College of Law, now Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Occupation: Attorney

Family: Husband Richard and two adult sons

Experience: Currently serving third term as at-large member on St. Cloud City Council. Formerly served two terms on St. Cloud school board and as president of Kiwanis.

Why are you running?

I love this community. I have lived here all my life. Because of my experience in local government, I am well versed in what local government can and cannot do — experience that other candidates don’t have. I know the limits of local government. As a woman, I would like to break the glass ceiling. There has never been a female mayor of St. Cloud. By running, and hopefully winning, I hope to encourage more women to take the leap and run for elected office.

What are the top two or three issues facing the city of St. Cloud?

First, maintaining the fiscal health of the city. If the finances are not in order, then nothing good can happen. Second, keeping the community safe. That means maintaining our police and fire at the full complement of officers and fire personnel that we have currently. And third, bringing manufacturing jobs to the city so that people who have a high school diploma or less can find good-paying jobs and buy a home. That brings a community stability.

What are your plans to address those issues?

I would follow the footsteps of prior administrations to prioritize the fiscal health of the city and community safety. I would also like to work with the economic development team to focus on bringing manufacturing businesses to the city. We also have to make housing easier to obtain. That requires changing our zoning codes to accommodate different types of housing that we do not currently have, like quadplexes, so they are affordable possibilities in the future.

Age: 38

Education background: High school diploma

Occupation: Chief executive officer of Collins Brothers Towing

Family: Wife and four children

Experience: Nothing related to politics.

Why are you running?

To have change in St. Cloud, help take over from where Mayor Dave Kleis got it to with its substantial growth and culture change. I want to improve the city for families, try and keep it affordable, make it safer and a fun place — make it a city that people want to visit, where they want to live, work and play. I also want to work on upgrading our infrastructure, work on making downtown a place people want to visit, shop, eat and sleep and feel safe. It’s easy to sit back and say I’m going to do this, that and this, but you won’t know exactly what to do until you are in control and in the hot seat.

What are the top two or three issues facing the city of St. Cloud?

People not feeling safe, empty buildings and space that should be utilized for business, and infrastructure.

What are your plans to address those issues?

Dig in and see what and where needs change or fixed, how to fix it and get to work. Make sure we have the proper amount of law enforcement staff needed to do the job to protect our city and make sure we are taking action on all aspects of law. I want to help get businesses in town, help them be successful and look at incentives to help them. I also want to look at parking downtown and the rules to provide free parking to help businesses yet keep someone from parking in one spot long-term. I also want to see what part of our infrastructure needs help the most, get a plan together and act. I’ll be proactive and not reactive.

*****

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13. If you are in line before polls close you are still allowed to cast a ballot. Find your polling place here.