Apathy to be neglected

Star Tribune Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:57:46 GMT
Counties bracing for big turnout in the fall

Anoka County is ordering extra ballots for the November presidential election, and inquiries by new voters are coming in at an eye-opening rate. ... The percentage of eligible metro-area voters who will cast ballots in November's presidential election will be the highest in half a century, predicts a former state elections director -- so high that Anoka County has doubled its request for ballots. "That would be wise," said Joe Mansky, Ramsey County elections manager and former state elections director. "Statewide, we expect 80 percent of our eligible voters to vote. You'd have to go back to the 1950s to find a percentage higher than what we'll see in November."

[[keywords: Elections;Ramsey;Metro;]]

Representing everyone

Star Tribune Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:44:09 GMT
Shorewood to disband its ward system by fall

Residents turned out in force to a hearing, saying the change to a single district will provide more accountability. Shorewood will disband its ward system and return to at-large elections this fall, a switch that will require all four council members and the mayor to face election again in November. After residents packed a public hearing in support of the change, the City Council voted unanimously Monday night to again make the city a single voting district in time for the 2008 elections. The action ends a lackluster six-year experience with wards during which voter participation declined and residents said they lost the ability to hold the council accountable.

[[keywords: Elections;Metro;]]

Maybe Sheriff should be hereditary

Pioneer Press Sat, 12 Jan 2008 19:58:39 -0700
Ramsey County / County could end sheriff elections

He's one of the most important armed dudes around. So the people should decide who the Ramsey County sheriff is in an election, as they do now. But because he (or she) is one of the most important armed dudes around, there's no way we should leave it to the whims of voters and the machinery of big-ego politicians - the sheriff should be appointed. Whaddya think? The otherwise-quiet Ramsey County Charter Commission - which is considering putting the question on the November ballot - wants to know. Tuesday evening will be the first of a series of public hearings on the issue, which encompasses the philosophical musings of democracy and the provincial turf battles of local politics. It's hardly new to Ramsey County.

[[keywords: Officials;Elections;Ramsey;]]

Who cares about local elections?

Star Tribune Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:16:58 GMT
Counties must decide how (and if) to divvy up new transit tax

The metro counties will begin talks on how to spend proceeds from a quarter-cent sales tax -- but some may not levy the voluntary tax, part of the transportation bill. At a historic meeting in St. Paul on Wednesday morning, metro-area counties will open discussions on how they will wield a new quarter-cent sales tax to create an area-wide transit system for the Twin Cities. A state transportation bill passed last week by legislators over the veto of Gov. Tim Pawlenty allows the seven metro counties to levy a quarter-cent sales tax for transit. If all of the counties impose the tax, it would raise $100 million a year for new rail lines and busways across the metro area. Many questions now wait to be addressed about how the new tax will work -- chief among them, whether all seven metro counties will levy the optional sales tax. And if all the counties do opt in, how will they decide where to spend the $100 million a year?

[[keywords: LandUse;PublicWorks;Officials;Elections;PropertyTax;Ramsey;Metro;]]

Oops

Star Tribune Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:14:17 GMT
Shorewood may revert to at-large council seats

The city adopted its ward boundaries six years ago, but a hearing on Monday could lead to at-large voting this fall. Shorewood is rethinking its six-year-old ward system and may decide that residents of the small bedroom community had a greater voice in city government when all its voters could elect all its council members at-large. After a public hearing next Monday, the City Council could vote to dismantle the wards before the election of three of four city council members and the mayor this fall. Wards are created to guarantee representation to residents of all parts of a city. That was the council's goal in 2002 when it carved up long, skinny Shorewood into four wards. But ward opponents say that in a town of 7,400 people, roughly half of them of voting age, holding at-large elections every two years would keep residents interested in city government and give them more power to hold the City Council accountable.

[[keywords: Elections;Metro;]]

Property tax managers skipping town

Star Tribune Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:56:04 CST
Ramsey County department makes move across the river

The Property Records and Revenue Department should be up and running Monday at its new site. The consolidation should please residents: Parking will be free. It's about to get a lot easier to look up a property record or get an absentee ballot in Ramsey County -- depending on whether you live and work downtown or are coming from elsewhere. The Property Records and Revenue Department, which also contains the elections office, is moving this weekend from its space along downtown St. Paul's river bluff to an open building on the West Side. Parking will be free. ... The space left behind will likely be filled by county employees currently working in the "F Building," the easternmost part of the West complex. County commissioners voted 6 to 1 in October to raze the F building and old county jail, which sits vacant, as part of county efforts to shed its prime riverfront real estate. The county is negotiating with two developers, Minnesota-based Opus Northwest and Belgium-based WingField, which each want the land to build a mix of housing, hotel, office and shop space. The County Board is expected to choose one of the purchase agreements on Dec. 18.

[[keywords: LandUse;PropertyTax;Ramsey;]]

First amendment zones a tad ambitious

Star Tribune Wed, 07 May 2008 05:49:42 GMT
Bloomington delays measure to deal with protesters

A letter from the state ACLU prompted Bloomington's City Council to postpone a vote to consider all the ramifications.

[[keywords: Living;Elections;Metro;]]

Elections have many outcomes

Pioneer Press Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:08:34 -0700
Hudson, Wis., names 3 police chief finalists

Three finalists have been named in the search for Hudson's next police chief - the fourth in less than two years. A new chief is expected to be hired by mid-February. The three remaining candidates interviewing for the job Feb. 12 are: Hudson police Sgt. Marty Jensen, Kohler Police Chief William Rutten and Glencoe, Minn., Police Chief Jeff Cummins.

[[keywords: PublicSafety;Staff;Metro;]]

Now is the Winter of our Discontent

Star Tribune Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:29:21 GMT
Poll: 81 percent think U.S. on wrong track

More than 80 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, the highest such number since the early 1990s, according to a new survey.

[[keywords: Officials;Living;Elections;Metro;]]

The last one now will later be first

Pioneer Press Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:32:40 -0600
Instant runoff election idea goes to St. Paul Charter Commission

For the first time since 1991, St. Paul residents could be asked this November to vote on whether to change the city charter. The vote could lead to a fundamental switch in the way the city's mayor and council are elected, by ditching primaries and instead asking voters to rank their choices on a single ballot. Several cities, including Minneapolis, have adopted so-called instant runoff voting, and supporters say it revs up interest in politics by holding only a single vote, with all comers competing down to the wire. "It gets more candidates in front of voters when more voters are at the polls," said Ellen Brown, a campaign coordinator for the St. Paul Better Ballot Campaign. But detractors, including those behind a Minnesota lawsuit challenging instant runoff voting, argue the system has problems on several fronts, including violating the U.S. Constitution. They concede that it looks fair at first glance, but say problems lie in the details. "It's the hanging-chad problem times 1,000," said Andy Cilek, executive director of the Minnesota Voters Alliance, the group that brought the suit against Minneapolis and who predicts the case will go to the U.S. Supreme Court. Instant runoff voting works by having voters rank their preferred candidates. If no candidate gets a majority on the first ballot, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and his or her supporters' second-choice votes are redistributed throughout the remaining field of candidates. The process is repeated until someone gets a majority.

[[keywords: Elections;Metro;]]

Democracy

Star Tribune Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:44:57 GMT
Editorial: Suburban school case is a cautionary tale

Lind's actions bode ill for Prior Lake-Savage district. ... His election also raises the question: What made more than 3,000 voters support someone who had been fired for improper interaction with students? ...

[[keywords: Legal;Schools;Officials;Elections;Metro;]]

Get in line

Star Tribune Thu, 22 May 2008 16:42:58 GMT
Minn. voting chief aims for 80 percent turnout in '08

ST. PAUL - Minnesota's top election official is planning for a voter turnout in November that would break state records, both as a percentage of people voting and in the number of ballots cast. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said Thursday he is waging a campaign to push turnout of eligible voters above 80 percent, a threshold Minnesota hasn't surpassed since 83 percent went to the polls in 1956. That would mean more than 3 million ballots are cast. In 2004, the last presidential election year, a tick above 77 percent of eligible voters took part â€" some 2.8 million votes overall.

[[keywords: Officials;Elections;Metro;]]

Another victory for the Taxpayers League

Pioneer Press Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:51:25 -0700
Legislation alters levy language on ballots

It's not easy to ask taxpayers to maintain or increase local funding for schools. And school district officials say it's even more difficult when the wording on the ballot doesn't accurately describe what you're asking for. Anytime a district holds a referendum on a levy â€" even if it just renews current funding â€" it is required to put this language on the ballot: "By voting 'yes' on this ballot question, you may be voting for a property tax increase." Some Minnesota lawmakers are trying to change that. A bill making its way through the Legislature would allow school districts asking for a levy renewal to use this phrase: "By voting 'yes' on this ballot question, you are renewing an existing property tax referendum. You are not changing your operating referendum from its level in the previous year."

[[keywords: Schools;Elections;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Imagine the campaign in Lake Elmo if this were to happen

Star Tribune Sun, 09 Mar 2008 02:52:23 GMT
Clamor builds for Met Council change

Cities are pushing the Legislature to make Metropolitan Council members less tied to the governor and more responsive to residents. ... The issue has made the formally adopted list of "legislative priorities" in several cities. And Metro Cities, which lobbies for its 86 member cities in the seven-county metro area, supports a third-party study of the Met Council as a whole -- with one focus being how the council is structured. "At a minimum, the council should go to staggered, fixed terms," said Louis Jambois, director of Metro Cities. A pair of House and Senate bills would create staggered four-year terms. They would remove language from existing law that has Met Council members' terms ending "with the term of the governor" and members serving "at the pleasure of the governor." "A long-term planning organization like the Met Council shouldn't turn every four years on political philosophy," Jambois said. Met Council Chairman Peter Bell said it is likely such a bill will pass this year. Less likely -- and more controversial -- is the idea that the council be elected.

[[keywords: Elections;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Was he always late with his homework in gradeschool?

Star Tribune Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:18:54 GMT
Candidate for mayor in Hudson, Wis., is now backing his opponent

Obama vs. Clinton, they are not. Two political opponents running for mayor in Hudson, Wis., have become allies, with one candidate publicly backing the other one. Todd Erskine remains on the ballot for the April 1 election, although he says no longer wants the job. The ballots have already been printed, city officials say, making it too late for him to officially withdraw. He filed papers to become a candidate in January, but decided to bow out after he got to know his competition better. Dean Knudson shares his vision for the city and has more time for the job, Erskine said.

[[keywords: Elections;Metro;]]

Washington County transit tax vote

Star Tribune Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:20:45 GMT
Washington County hoping new transit tax can drive it forward

The board's 3-2 vote has deep implications for the county's transportation future, and maybe for upcoming elections. John McPherson's position on a quarter-cent sales tax in Washington County was typical of many residents who spoke against it at a county board hearing recently. "No more taxes, commissioners. Let's wait for another time and see what we can do," said McPherson, who's served on the West Lakeland Township board for 40 years. But Karen Fitzpatrick of Mahtomedi had a much different view. "We need to see ourselves as part of the metro area," she said. "Our transportation infrastructure here, as you all know, is pathetic." Polar opinions were on display at the April 1 bare-knuckle public hearing, followed by pointed comments by each of the five commissioners. The tax passed on a 3-2 vote. With that decision, Washington County became the fifth metro-area county -- joining Dakota, Ramsey, Anoka and Hennepin -- to join a coalition to raise money for mass transit and decide where it will be spent.

[[keywords: LandUse;PublicWorks;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Roseville vacancy

Pioneer Press Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:23:05 -0600
Roseville looks to fill seat after councilman's death

The Roseville City Council is now looking to fill the open seat Tom Kough left behind.

[[keywords: Officials;Elections;Metro;]]

Only sure of what they don't want

Star Tribune Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:41:35 GMT
Filling Mayor Bill's shoes will be big job in North St. Paul

The eastside city will elect its first new mayor in 30 years, and 10 candidates are in the running. ... Customers aren't wearing T-shirts or buttons for the 10 candidates who have filed, Trollen said. There's few, if any, candidate lawn signs or advertising outside, even though the July 1 election is less than five weeks away. "There's been some discussion around the bar,'' Trollen said. "There are some people who want to stay with the old style [of running the city] and some people who want to be more progressive." "It will be interesting to see what happens,'' Trollen added. Predicting what happens is anyone's guess in North St. Paul, which has landed in a leadership void with the death of Sandberg. He had been the city's chief booster and longtime civic leader, showing up everywhere from high school hockey games to Chamber of Commerce events long before many residents were born. The 10 candidates include two North St. Paul City Council members and a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. Their first -- and most likely only -- candidate forum has just been scheduled for 7:30 a.m. June 24 at the North St. Paul Community Center. ... North St. Paul residents clearly don't want the kind of acrimonious leadership that often characterizes its neighbor, Maplewood. But at issue in this election is whether to stay the steady, conciliatory course set by Sandberg or to chart a new path. Whoever the next mayor is, his or her influence will be tempered by the fact that North St. Paul is a "Plan B'' type of government, which means the city manager has greater authority for the city's day-to-day operations than the mayor. "We need someone who will let city staff do their jobs,'' said City Council Member Paul Anderson.

[[keywords: Officials;Elections;Ramsey;Metro;]]

Anonymous mail may not be.

Star Tribune Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:11:00 GMT
Opponent to ballpark is charged with writing threatening letters

A Golden Valley man faces four harassment counts for letters to Hennepin County commissioners. Fingerprints on mail match those found in his home, a complaint says. A Golden Valley man who allegedly sent several anonymous threatening letters to four Hennepin County commissioners who voted for a publicly financed Minnesota Twins ballpark has been charged with four counts of harassment.

[[keywords: Legal;Elections;Metro;]]

Stacking the deck

Star Tribune Tue, 27 May 2008 03:29:11 GMT
Greenfield charter in question after changes in makeup of commission

Greenfield residents now have a mostly new commission debating whether to adopt a city charter. The group in charge of creating -- or killing -- Greenfield's controversial charter looks very different than it did just a few weeks ago. And so may the charter's chances. The former charter commission's chairman had promised that a charter would prevent the past City Council's actions from happening again. Now, in a surprise turn, a member of that past council is in charge of the panel. Eight of 10 new members of the group convened on May 19 and elected former Mayor Larry Plack as the commission's new chairman. Five remaining members of the original commission did not attend the meeting. Some residents worry that the group as it is now comprised will dismantle the charter process.

[[keywords: Officials;Elections;Metro;]]