by Dennis Dalman
Now that his children are older, Jeffery Kolb decided he would have time to help his new city, Sartell – perhaps even as a city council member.
Kolb (pronounced Coal-b) was the fourth person to file for one of two open council seats before the June 5 filing deadline. The others who filed are Brady Andel, Barika Davis and Tim Elness.
Kolb is a licensed mortgage professional with Homeowners Financial Group, based in Waite Park.
Kolb said he strongly believes taxes for homeowners could be lower in Sartell than they are now as long as the city aggressively does an outreach marketing campaign to attract more industries and businesses.
“There are opportunities here,” he said. “We just have to market them more.”
Not that Kolb is critical of the current council.
“I think the mayor and council have done many good things – the community center, plans for a new police and fire department and other things. They have been excellent.”
However, Kolb does think there must be more balance in the city tax-wise to lessen the burden on the average homeowner.
“We need more balance so Sartell is less of a bedroom community,” he said.
Kolb has long believed in civic engagement, of everyone pitching in, using whatever talents they have to help their cities. His own parents were very active in that way, as is Kolb himself.
He moved to Sartell about a year ago to be closer to his work, but Kolb has known the central Minnesota area for many years. Raised in Melrose as a boy, his parents moved fairly often, mainly in the central Minnesota area. He graduated from Milaca High School, then attended the University of Minnesota in Duluth and Minneapolis, earning a degree in business management from Bethel College.
After college, he started his own trucking business, which he operated for 12 years before selling it, at which time he entered the world of real estate.
For 14 years he lived in the Cambridge-Isanti area where he served on the Isanti City council for four years. He was also a volunteer firefighter there for eight years. Kolb is a U.S. Navy Reserve veteran of six years, having served in California and Illinois.
He is a member of the Lions Club as its incoming vice president and a member of St. Francis Xavier Church in Sartell.
Kolb has two sons, one of them a financial analyst, the other just now about to enter high school. His daughter is studying medicine in Grand Forks.
Three other people have filed for Sartell council seats. The candidates are Brady Andel, Barika Davis and Timothy Elness.
Jeffery Kolb
