Election 2012: City of Hudson Candidate Profiles

Hudson Patch asked all the local candidates on the ballot in the April 3 election to provide some information about themselves. The following is the information submitted by City of Hudson candidates with minor grammatical edits:

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ALAN BURCHILL

Current occupation: President and Owner of St. Croix Valley Insurance Service, Inc. an independent insurance agency in Hudson.

Experience:

• Vice President of US Bank Twin Cites.Vol. activities
• Hudson Mayor 2010- Present
• Hudson City Council District 6 2007-2010
• Hudson Hospital Health Foundation Board Member 1999-2003
• St. Croix Valley YMCA Organizing Cmte/Chair 1993-1996
• Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce member and board chair 1993-1996
• Hudson Industrial Development Board 1988-1992
• Hudson Booster and Hudson Basketball Assoc. Coach. 

Why do you want to be mayor?: Giving back to the community, which my family and I have worked to do, is a major reason why I want to continue to be mayor. This community has been a great place to raise a family and to own a business. I would like to continue to provide leadership to continue to move Hudson forward without creating a large tax burden on our citizens. We have saved the taxpayers $800,000 over the last four years by bidding our health insurance for our employees. We have established a plan to upgrade our streets both for general maintenance and street replacements. We have applied and received the designation as Tree City USA and have formed a tree board to protect our tree inventory for the city which has a value of $17 million dollars. We continue to attract new businesses to our city, which will add tax base and jobs to help fund our city services. We have operated an open city government so citizens can review our decisions and have input when they wish. In fact, citizens can view on our website every check the city issues. 

What is the most important issue facing the City of Hudson and where do you stand on that issue? Our most important issue facing the city of Hudson is how we fund our city services and deliver quality and timely services with limited sources of funding. We have a state imposed levy limit which in 2012 was a $69,000 increase in dollars and a reduction of $250,000 in state funding. We have also discovered a funding issue with our joint library funding requirement and has increased from 70% to 100% level from St. Croix County or a 43% tax increase.  Our city budget for 2012 was an actual decrease in funding by 1.70%. We had to make some tough decisions and must continue to be mindful of how your tax dollars are spent. There are ways to solve a lot of our funding issues and one way is to continue to bring new businesses into our industrial park. The Uline company will soon start construction on a $25 million dollar facility in our business park. It will add $85,000 in new taxes for the just the City of Hudson. It will create 150 new jobs for the area and hopefully the current employees of Uline will find Hudson a great place to work and move their families to Hudson to live. The role of the mayor is to make sure we have a balanced debate on the issues and how we spend your tax dollars. We must get the best “bang for our buck” while delivering the best police, fire, ems, water, sewer, streets, library, parks and all other city services. The City of Hudson is a great place to live, work, and raise a family and together we can work together to find solutions to our issues.  We have many more things we agree than disagree. Let's keep Hudson moving forward.

SCOT O'MALLEY

Current occupation: Manager of Midwest Radio and Partner in Hudson Ventures. Midwest Radio is a national sales organization, specializing in radio stations in the upper midwest. Hudson Ventures is a housing reclamation company that purchases abandoned homes in Hudson that are deemed to be a blight on their surrounding neighborhoods, renovates them and rents them at affordable prices to families that need homes. 

Experience: Forty-three years in the broadcasting business and four years in the home reclamation business. 

Why do you want to be Hudson's mayor?: For me, this isn't about wanting to have the position of Hudson's mayor. It's about getting the dialogue going about a vision for the future of our city, recognizing market pressures that we did not have previously, and agreeing on how we can create a better path to a brighter future. We also need to return to a more open and accountable city government. A city government that is accountable will also be more efficient and make our tax dollars go further. 

What is the most important issue facing the City of Hudson and where do you stand on that issue?: I believe the critical issue facing Hudson is recreating a better economic environment through improving our infrastructure while working hard to maintain a welcoming small-town atmosphere. We need to fill foreclosed homes once again with families that can help build a stronger community. There are new forces competing with us for those families: for instance, court action has dictated that Lake Elmo, previously closed to development, will now be looking to attract home buyers just like we are.   
Some time ago I wrote in this publication that Hudson needed to prepare for a regional upturn in housing sales, and to be aware of the neighboring towns that will now be competing with us. That upturn is now starting, and Cottage Grove and Woodbury are already seeing increases in home sales, but Hudson is lagging behind. The most important function the mayor has is setting the agenda for City Council meetings, and I believe we need a mayor who will encourage a "bigger picture" agenda, one that will help Hudson grow and still keep the small-town charm that attracted most of us here in the first place. 

Our city government should concentrate on the physical aspects of Hudson, improving them for our residents, both current and future. We are facing some important challenges, with a mandated change in our stormwater collection system, and a needed improvement to the Vine Street corridor. Progress in these areas should be made in full view of the taxpayers, with accountability for each decision step along the way. At the same time, we must upgrade many of our streets and sidewalks. 

Improving our infrastructure, maintaining our community identity and delivering fair and competent governance are high on my list of important tasks.

DENNIS O'CONNELL

Current occupation: I have worked for the US Postal Service since 1994. I worked for the Hudson Post Office as a clerk for one year, and then I carried mail in the area between Vine and North Hudson for 10 years. I then went into management as a supervisor in River Falls. In 2008 I accepted a Postmaster position in Caledonia, MN. Which is 30 miles west of La Crosse. We put our house on the market right as the market crashed and we were unable to sell. So one year later I transfered back to this area. My home office is Hager City. For the past 14 months I have been the acting Postmaster in Northfield, MN.

Experience: I have previous council experience from 2002 to 2008. I was on the Finance Committee the last three years. And I also was the Public Safety Committee Chairman for two years.

Why do you want to be on the Common Council?: The main reason I am running again is because of the redistricting. There is no incumbent so I decided to put my name on the ballot.

What is the most important issue facing the City of Hudson and where do you stand on that issue?: I am disappointed in the cuts the Hudson Police Department has had to make. We also need to fund the library. I believe we really need to look at how we are spending our room tax money. I feel we are not getting our bang for the buck through the Chamber of Commerce. We are giving them a lot of money with no return and no records of how our money has been spent to promote Hudson.

KURT TEWINKEL

Current occupation: Broker/owner/auctioneer at Choice Realty & Auction, a small business that focuses primarily on small business brokerage and online auctions.

Experience: Many years of small business ownership have taught me to make common sense decisions along with the tough decisions, particularly when dealing with budgets.

Why do you want to be on the Common Council?: I was born and raised right here in the St. Croix Valley, and my family and I love Hudson and all that it has to offer. I'm seeking this elected position so that I can offer my time and energy to help steer Hudson in the right direction so that we maintain our vibrant community, remain the unique river community that we are and also keep the beauty of this "small town" alive for the next generation(s).

What is the most important issue facing the City of Hudson and where do you stand on that issue? With recent economic woes, nearly everyone has been impacted in one way or another, including Hudson. A very important issue I see is to attract continued growth to our community. This needs to be responsible growth that benefits Hudson all around, rather than one that causes a burden to any part of the system. From responsible growth comes a stronger tax base, additional jobs and more money that will stay right here in Hudson. I feel strongly about making Hudson an attractive home for businesses of all kinds. A diverse jobs environment offers opportunity for many, rather than a handful with specialized training. With an influx of jobs, Hudson's residential communities will experience growth, leading to benefits for the established businesses already located in Hudson.

MARY YACOUB

Current occupation: Homemaker

Experience: 

• Zoning Board of Appeals 2008-2010
• Police and Fire Commission 2008-2010
• City Council 2010-Present

Why do you want to be on the Common Council?: I want to continue to be on the council because it is important to me to keep Hudson a safe and vibrant city that not only attracts businesses but also families. I believe I can find ways to raise revenue or reduce waste, and improve our city’s services without raising taxes. I am open-minded, allowing my priorities to change as the needs of the city change, while I look at each issue in detail and without pre-judgments. Finally, I have always been eager to listen and find solutions to the concerns of constituents regarding any issue.

What is the most important issue facing the City of Hudson and where do you stand on that issue?: There are many important issues facing the Hudson City Council. Our infrastructure is in need of an overhaul with new regulations from the State, arising from population increases. Keeping up with infrastructure needs is going to be a challenge, but one that we must work to achieve. The City Council must deal with the congestion issues on Carmichael Road to make traffic flow manageable. This problem will only grow as commercial development in the city expands. The re-zoning of the dog track is another important upcoming issue; however, it would not be appropriate to take a stand on this issue until all the information is presented. Finally, the financial status of the library has recently been discussed by the council. My thoughts on this are simple: the four municipalities should together go to the County Board and ask them to reduce the contribution back to 70 percent. Further, the Library Board should make significant efforts to fundraise. The citizens of Hudson are very generous as evident by contributions made to the Hudson Hockey Association, The Hudson Soccer Association, the YMCA and the Phipps. These organizations are privately funded and I am confident the library would have similar success. There are other things in our budget that more urgently require the city’s resources, such as the need for a detective and the Public Works Deptartment, which has been short-changed for years. 

LORI BERNARD

Current occupation: Real estate agent, Century 21 Premier Group

Previous experience: 

• Four years on St. Croix county board
• Four years on Hudson City Council
• Small business owner
• Seven years private sector experience in the chemical industry
• UW-River Falls-chemistry instructor

Why do you want to be on the Common Council?: It is a great opportunity to work on a wide range of issues that impact our community and its residents. I enjoy the challenge of resolving difficult budget matters and improving city services, while always keeping the taxpayer in mind. As a nearly 20-year resident of Hudson, I have witnessed many changes in the city and want to be part of wise planning for our city’s future. My goal has always been to leave the city in better shape than when I first joined council.

What is the most important issue facing the City of Hudson and where do you stand on that issue?: While I appreciate the question, the reality is there are always several important issues facing the city. The challenge comes in when you try to balance them. The need to provide quality services, while not taxing people out of their homes and businesses is a constant challenge that affects nearly every decision we make at the council level. This pertains to our public safety services: police, fire and EMS. It relates to the condition of our roads, sidewalks, storm water infrastructure, parks, water quality, city planning and our library. It comes into play as we try to attract businesses and residents to Hudson in order to maintain a vibrant city and at the same time increase tax revenue.

There is a constant need to collect the facts and figures, consider what we have done in the past that has worked or not, look at ideas from other communities, and then decide what makes the most sense for Hudson right now and lays a foundation for the future. At the same time, it is critical to be mindful of the tough economic situation that many of our residents are facing with job losses, home foreclosures and escalating gas prices. The last thing we should do is to place Hudson in a situation where our property taxes discourage people from moving here, or worse yet, encourage them to leave.

SUSAN GEHRTY

Current occupation: Attorney

Experience: I have held this position since 1996. I am currently the Municipal Court Liasion for the Tenth Judicial District.

Why do you want to be Municipal Judge?: I think the legal system is a very important part of society. I believe most people will experience that process at the municipal level. I am committed to making that experience one that demonstrates integrity, respect and fairness. 

What is the most important issue facing the City of Hudson's justice system and where do you stand on that issue?: I think the most important issue facing all justice systems is trust. I have worked with my staff for the last 16 years to establish trust with the Hudson community. We try very hard to be prompt, efficient and respectful of all individuals participating in the court process. I will continue to strive to serve the community with integrity in order to instill a level of trust in the Hudson Municipal Court.