by MaryAnne Block
Former city-council member Jon Hazen, who is now a candidate for the position of the mayor of St. Joseph, said he knows the city through and through.
Hazen said he enjoyed growing up here, and now he and his wife, Tina, are raising their four children right here in St. Joseph.
As a youngster, Hazen would sometimes attend city council meetings with his mother, Stephanie Hazen, who was the first woman elected to the St. Joseph City Council in 1990. He met his wife, Tina, while attending St. Cloud State University. They moved back to St. Joseph in 2016. He has served on the St. Joseph Community Center Board, was appointed to the city council from August 2021 to December 2022, and he is currently on the city’s planning commission and joint planning board.
Hazen said he has a great joy in serving others in a variety of ways. He is a diving coach (St. John’s University/College of St. Benedict), serves on the Jaycees, helps organize the St. Cloud Chamber Golf Open each year and serves at his church and job.
Hazen admits he likes to “talk.” Yet he balances that with a willingness to listen – not listening while thinking of a response, but listening to “hear and understand the purpose” of what the other person is saying.
“I not only want to bring fresh ideas and solutions to address city challenges,” he said, “but I also want and need the citizens to speak up with their needs and wants and suggestions. Every voice is important and needs to be heard and valued.”
He has taken many leadership courses through his years of varied work performance. He likes that the position of mayor is not tied to any political party. He said he believes the mayor is there to serve the public in any way possible. If elected, issues he said he wants to address are downtown parking, housing, supporting current and new businesses, and developing roadways for future growth of the city. Supporting the police and fire departments is also a high priority for him.
“St. Joseph is a great place to live and work and raise a family,” he said. “I want to see continued growth and goodwill among businesses and residents. We have a strong, healthy community.”
Hazen wants to hear from the public. Anyone can reach him by email at JonHazenForMayor@gmail.com or on Facebook at JonHazenForMayor. His website is ElectJohnHazen.com.
This is Jon Hazen’s official photo for his mayoral candidacy.
