Nerhaugen to campaign on community involvement

Stan Nerhaugen says as mayor of Red Wing he would look to keep the community at-large involved with the affairs of City Hall.

Nerhaugen, 66, is one of two candidates running for mayor in an upcoming special election. The Feb. 8 election will fill the vacated office of current Red Wing Mayor John Howe, who will become a state senator Jan. 4.

Nerhaugen, a former Red Wing High School administrator, said the mayor is a spokesperson for Red Wing and more. Nerhaugen sees the role as one of communicator, explaining what is going on at City Hall to the residents and seeking their participation in public affairs.

"The mayor's office is out in the community as much as it's in City Hall," Nerhaugen said. "It isn't 'government will solve our problems.' It's 'the people will solve our problems.'"

This is not Nerhaugen's first shot at the mayor's office. He also ran against Howe in 2008.

Two years later, Nerhaugen said his still feels passionate about becoming mayor.

"When I looked at why I wanted to serve this community two years ago - was that still there? Yes," Nerhaugen said, adding the community has many of the same challenges it did then.

In recent years, Red Wing, like many other Minnesota cities, has struggled with declining revenues as the state has reduced Local Government Aid. Nerhaugen said he would want to focus on more than budget cuts and place an emphasis on long-range planning.

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