Goodhue County District 3 in Tuesday’s primary

Goodhue County’s focus will be turned to District 3 come Tuesday as three people vie for a spot in the November elections.

District 3 is the only one requiring a primary election this year.

Running for the county commissioner position are new candidates Rick Murphy and Byron “Barney” Nesseth, as well as incumbent Dan Rechtzigel.

The polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday Aug. 14 and close at 8 p.m.

Here’s a closer look at the candidates:

Rick Murphy

Age: 62

City of residence: Pine Island

Occupation: Semi-retired small business owner

Civic involvement: Treasurer for Pine Island Lions Club; volunteer for Pine Island Area Home Services; member of 2012 Goodhue County Sheriff’s Citizen Academy.

What do you see as the biggest issue facing Goodhue County today?

The biggest single issue right now is the frac sand mining.

The constant issue is property Tax fairness and conservative management of county spending.

What do you think differentiates you from your opponents?

Our current commissioner has worked in the public sector most of his life. My experience is in the private sector. I am not a career politician.

What do you hope to achieve if elected to the County Board?

If elected I will bring an educated, dedicated and fresh outlook to all areas of board responsibilities. I will seek the ideas and concerns of the citizens of District 3 more than has been done in the past.

In the case of the current board, sometimes continuity breeds complacency.

Barney Nesseth

Age: 47

City of residence: Rural Wanamingo

Occupation: Farmer, small business owner and chip designer for a semiconductor company

Civic involvement: Board member for Kenyon Sunset Home; member of Holden Lutheran Church; former member of Kenyon-Wanamingo School Board; Cub master of Boy Scouts Troop 76 in Wanamingo; active participant with many local non-profits.

What do you see as the biggest issue facing Goodhue County today?

The biggest issue facing Goodhue County is the local economy. When I go through the towns in District 3 I see a lot of vibrant businesses, but I also see a lot of empty storefronts and buildings. We need a strong local economy that provides good jobs for its residents.

The county needs to create an environment that attracts new businesses and promotes business and farm expansion. This will broaden the tax base, reducing all our property taxes.

This starts by holding the line on the county budget. These so called “modest” increases the current voting majority on the board support are over $1 million more every year. That is real money in my opinion, not just “modest.”

I support zero percent growth in the county budget in the next four years. Everyone these days is making due with less; the county government should do the same as its residents.

What do you think differentiates you from your opponents?

As a small business owner and farmer I have a different perspective on how government should operate.

Every day in my business decisions are made on spending that balance need and value. Since I have to make payroll every week for my employees, the need exists to be responsible with my spending to ensure that my employees have a steady and reliable paycheck.

As your commissioner I would spend the taxpayer money with the same thought process. The county taxpayer is not a never-ending source of money to “modestly” take more of every year.

Let’s say “no more status quo” on the county spending. Every county department needs to be closely looked at for efficiency and value of the service to the county residents.

What do you hope to achieve if elected to the County Board?

I would consider myself successful if Goodhue County had new businesses locating in the county, creating new jobs and increasing the tax base, therefore lowering everyone’s taxes.

When people have more money in their pockets they may start their own business, or maybe spend it in another business, creating more growth. It is a vicious circle that is good.

The county currently has a vicious circle, more taxes and spending every year. It is clearly economic growth versus government growth. I will choose economic growth every time.

Dan Rechtzigel

Age: 37

City of residence: Kenyon

Occupation: High school social studies teacher

Civic involvement: Goodhue County commissioner since 2005; Board of Directors for Riverview Services in Wanamingo; member of the Kenyon-Wanamingo Chemical Health Initiative Council; member of the Highway 52 Partnership Board; member of Goodhue County Extension Committee; member of Goodhue County Economic Development Authority; member of Goodhue County Planning Advisory Commission; member of the Kenyon Sportsmen’s Club; former member of Goodhue County Historical Society Board of Directors; former member of Kenyon-Wanamingo Community Education Advisory Council; former Cherry Grove Township clerk.

What do you see as the biggest issue facing Goodhue County today?

Keeping up with the demand for services and keeping current with infrastructure needs during these tough economic times.

Simply put, we have to do more with less.

I have, and always will, push Goodhue County toward embracing reform and change. We are now working with several townships to have them maintain county gravel roads during summer, freeing up our public works staff during the busy construction season.

We consolidated Public Health and Social Services to maximize efficiency. We partnered with Dodge County to hire a surveyor to service both counties. We continue working with neighboring counties toward creating a regional 911 dispatch center and future partnerships on human services programs.

By embracing collaboration and reform, we have been able to tackle several big and expensive projects (such as the 800 MHZ emergency communications system and Highway 52 interchanges) without having to resort to big levy increases.

Since 2005 our county tax levy increases have averaged 1.75 percent per year, far lower than the rate of inflation in Minnesota during that time. We have also been able to preserve funding for important programs such as our Road and Bridge program, 4-H and Sentence to Serve.

What do you think differentiates you from your opponents?

I have the experience and knowledge necessary for guiding our county forward through these challenging times. I have been working for the past eight years to establish working relationships with other counties, cities and townships.

I have a solid track record of standing up for rural Goodhue County, whether it is to fight to preserve snowplowing coverage or law enforcement protection or working to find ways to preserve funding for 4-H and our local libraries.

I have a long track record of public service that includes listening to others, considering other points of view and working toward reaching consensus on issues.

What do you hope to achieve if elected to the County Board?

First and foremost, I want to continue to ensure that Goodhue County remains one of the best managed counties in the state.

Over the past eight years Goodhue County has fallen from having the 14th highest tax levy per capita out of 87 counties to being 32nd on that list today. I want this trend to continue.

I want to continue to change the way we carry out services by working with other partners.

I want to continue toward transforming Highway 52 into a safe, limited-access freeway. I want to continue working with city economic development authorities to provide a welcoming atmosphere for businesses.

I want Goodhue County to continue to be a leader in agriculture, and I will continue to promote efforts that help us maintain our strong agricultural economy.

I want to continue our efforts of combining Public Health and Social Services into one department. I want to continue to challenge all of our departments to change the way we do business.

I want to continue to make Goodhue County a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Tags: goodhue county, county board, news, politics, elections