Mayor throws hat in the ring

by Dave DeMars

news@thenewsleaders.com

The Newsleader sat with Sauk Rapids Mayor Brad Gunderson in the family room of his home on June 26 and talked with him about the upcoming election in August, his record in office and what he foresees for the coming years.

“I’m prepared to answer whatever questions you have,” Gunderson said.

He said he has always been interested in helping and serving the city. He started small, serving first on an adult education committee and when a school board position came open, he applied for it. The school board chose another applicant, but his interest in public service had been whetted.

When two city council seats became available, and the incumbents indicated they did not want to run again, it seemed like a perfect opportunity.

“I was sitting at the computer, and my wife said to me, ‘What are you doing?’ And I said, “I think I’m going to run for city council,” Gunderson said.

His wife, a life-long resident of Sauk Rapids, could hardly believe it, but with a little encouragement from friends, Gunderson took the plunge. With six other applicants running, Gunderson was a little surprised at his win. He admits he didn’t really know what he had gotten himself into, but he wanted to try to make a difference in Sauk Rapids. That first try for office was some 10 years ago, and now he’s running for his second term as mayor.

Signs urging people to vote for him are few and infrequent as Gunderson is a shoe-leather campaigner.

“I’m not a big sign guy,” he said, “but I get my flyers and ideas out into people’s hands, telling them what I think and what I stand for. That’s much more beneficial.”

Personal problems

In 2013, Gunderson was arrested and found guilty of a driving-while-intoxicated charge. While some in the community called for his resignation, Gunderson held firm to his vow not to resign. It was a trying time for Gunderson, he said, but if it’s an issue in this race, that’s fine with Gunderson.

He admits he made a mistake, but he is equally proud of the fact he faced up to the problem and got help, despite losing his job as a bus driver.

“I was able to straighten it out,” he said. “I was lucky enough to go back to school, start a new career, and now I’m lucky enough to be out at the VA (as a nursing assistant) because of all that happening, and working with vets. I’d still be driving a bus if that hadn’t happened, and now I’m lucky enough to serve my country.”

He admits he has made mistakes in his life. Everyone has made some mistakes, he said, but the real fault is not in making the mistake but in refusing to take the necessary steps to correct it.

“It wasn’t the greatest thing that happened to me, but I was able to turn it around, and now I am thankful for the fact I was able to move on,” he said. “And it’s something I probably wouldn’t have done otherwise.”

Accomplishments

Having held office for 10 years, Gunderson is amazed at the changes that have taken place in Sauk Rapids. He lists several of the things he has personally had a hand in: completion of the bridge, renewal of the downtown area, parks and park buildings, and building a new government center.

He’s especially proud of the new government center. The city sold a property worth $180,000 for $4 million and built the new government center with a community room while not incurring any tax debt, he said. While some might take issue with that, Gunderson said the old government center was in rough shape and was really too small for a growing city.

Since Gunderson has been mayor, Sauk Rapids has been named as the most affordable city to live in Minnesota. That designation and others are at least in part due to actions taken to reduce city costs such as the single-hauler garbage pick-up, and the all-city streetlight fee, which spread the cost of street lights over all parcels rather than just the tax-paying residents. Gunderson also points to the Summit Avenue extension as part of his legacy. Four previous mayors had tried to do that, but he was able to get the project accomplished.

“I can walk up and down the street on Benton Drive, and I’m just shocked at the way it’s changed,” he said, “and I voted on that stuff. I got called a lot of names because of the way I voted, but I voted for it and now it really is something.”

Unfinished business

Gunderson said the reason he’s running again is because there are some things he wants to see through to the end, such as the “Up the Hill-Golden Spike Road Project.” He explained few people are aware this is a shared project with Benton County. The county is doing the construction along the route at a cost of some $12 million, but the city was responsible for buying up the 19 homes along the route. Had there been no cooperative agreement, the project would not have moved forward.

There are also some beautification projects he would like to see get done, especially with the new roundabouts being put in. There is also a lighting project that is on-going along Benton Drive and out near the old Perkins restaurant, he said.

Gunderson also hinted at some plans for further downtown development with several new businesses and a five-story apartment complex possibly going in downtown. Those are things he’d like to be around to see started and maybe completed.

New needs

One of the newer projects is a field house Gunderson refers to as the Storm House. He said he believes it’s a needed facility and would be a boon to Sauk Rapids, so he’s working hard trying to find ways to get the project built and running. Gunderson says he knows what it’s like for kids to have practices at 9 p.m. because there are not enough facilities.

“We have a half-cent sales tax, and I think the city must use the money wisely, and spend it on projects that are important. I think this is an important project for the good of the community,” Gunderson said.

The entire area would benefit in Gunderson’s eyes since the school district would run it, but the city would derive benefit from people coming into the city and spending money, and Sauk Rapids would receive tax money from the half-cent sales tax.

There are some things that are simply wish-list items, such as a large-box store or industrial company in the Industrial Park. Gunderson would also like to see a bigger media presence in the city. He talked of a television presence similar to that of Duluth in the area.

One of the non-development concerns revolves around the size of the police force. Some members on the council believe more police are needed. Gunderson said perhaps one or two might be needed with a police reserve officer or a community service officer.

Safety for our officers is a concern, but the hiring of too many officers will raise the tax rate. That’s something Gunderson said he would prefer to avoid if possible. He does not see crime as a big problem in the city except for outside influences that infiltrate from other areas.

“We have crime-free housing in Sauk Rapids,” Gunderson saidl “You can’t get an apartment in Sauk Rapids if you have a felony on your record.”

Why me?

With two other candidates vying for the mayoral spot, the question of what Gunderson felt he could contribute to the city’s political climate needed to be answered, and it boiled down to simply watching the pocket book.

“I think there are enough ties down in city hall,” he said. “I’m a blue-collar worker; I’ve always been a blue collar. We don’t need a banker or the CEO of a company as a mayor. They see things differently, and I don’t think they think with their pocketbooks like I do.”

He said he still sees $500 or $2,000 as a lot of money. His opponents are good people, he said, but he has experience gained during the last 10 years. All that makes him best qualified to be the mayor, Gunderson said.