On Tuesday Minnesota Voters went to the polls to vote in a primary election that would decide the final names on the ballot for the General Election in November.
Northfield voters were asked to cull five names from a seven-member field for the office of Northfield Mayor. In the end former Northfield School Board member Ruth Dahl emerged as the top vote getter with 38% of the vote. She was followed by former City Council member Erica Zweifel who garnered 33% of the vote. Incumbent Mayor Rhonda Pownell finished with 13% of the vote. Timothy Babinni received 7%, Adam Gebler finished with 4%, and City Councilor George Zuccolotto finished with 3%. Michael J. Kirschling rounded out the field with 23 votes.
Voters in City Council Ward 2 were also asked to trim the field for their next City Councilor. With incumbent Jami Reister choosing to not run in this election, three people, Emy Farley, Chad Beumer and Edward Malnar, threw their hats into the ring. Beumer lapped the competition yesterday with a whopping 58% of the vote. Farley finished with 28%, and Malnar received 13%.
The results mean that Dahl and Zweifel will face each other for Northfield Mayor in the General Election, and Beumer and Farley will do the same for Ward 2 City Councilor.
For more information on the election, including information on each candidate, visit the KYMN Election Guide.
Election Day is November 5th.
County sales tax would supplant use of property tax for Safety Center payment
When the General Election comes around in November, Northfielders will have another referendum upon which to decide, this one courtesy of the Rice County Board of Commissioners.
On Tuesday, Rice County issued a statement saying the County Board has approved a referendum on a .375% county-wide sales tax to pay for the new Public Safety Center set to open this fall. Proceeds from the tax would be used to repay debt from the project and would not be available for any other purpose.
The statement said an increase to the county sales tax would mean non-residents who shop in Rice County would contribute to payment for the Public Safety Center. As is the case with all sales tax in the State of Minnesota, the tax would not be assessed on what are defined as “essentials” by the state, including groceries, medication, baby products, clothing and motor vehicles.
Construction of the Safety Center, which will house the Rice County Sheriff’s Department and the Rice County Jail, began in fall 2022. The new facility became necessary following notification from the Minnesota Department of Corrections that due to a lack of space for recreation and programming, the Rice County Jail, which opened in 1975, was no longer an acceptable facility. The county was told to make changes, or the jail would be reclassified as a 90-Day Lockup. A reclassification would have been costly for the county, involving additional transportation and out-of-county housing costs, that were estimated at $1.5 million annually.
The County Board authorized the sale of nearly $49 million in bonds to finance construction of the 83,000-square foot Public Safety Center in 2021. The first debt repayment was made in 2023 using funds from the county’s property tax levy.
During the 2023 session, the state legislature authorized Rice County to put the proposed sales tax before voters. If approved the tax would take effect in 2025 and last a maximum of 30 years though it could end sooner if the bonds are repaid earlier than anticipated. If the tax is not approved, the Safety Center will continue to be financed via the county property tax levy.
Sheriff Jesse Thomas said he hopes the Safety Center will be up and running by the beginning of November.
Hardy approved, immediately seated on the School Board
On Monday night, the Northfield School Board approved Dr. Rob Hardy, a former two-term member of the school board, to fill the absence left when Noel Stratmoen submitted a temporary resignation from the board in June.
During their regular meeting on July 8th, the board accepted Stratmoen’s temporary resignation due to health concerns and discussed the process for appointing a temporary replacement. The board voted to direct Chair Claudia Gonzalez George to seek a former board member to serve during his absence because the term he is currently filling will expire at the end of the year, and there is only a short time available to bring a new board member up to speed on procedures and protocol. Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said the decision to approach former school board members was a pragmatic and practical one.
“The decision was made to canvas some former board members, those who had served as recently as 2020, to see if someone would be able to step in. They know the systems already. They know how to represent the community. They could get up to speed very quickly.”
Hillmann said had a former board member not been interested, applications from eligible district residents would have been considered.
Hardy is a familiar name and face to many Northfielders. He was elected to the School Board twice, first in 2012 and again in 2016. He has taught at Carleton College and was the Northfield Arts and Culture Commission’s first poet laureate. Currently, Dr. Hardy serves as the Rice County representative on the Southeast Minnesota Arts Council.
Hillmann said the board is very happy to have Hardy jump back in, and they are grateful for his willingness to do so.
“Doctor Rob Hardy is willing to step up to the plate and help us out for the next few months; I think it’s a total of about nine meetings. We’re grateful to have Rob back. He’s been a very thoughtful board member and a great representative of the community. So, we welcome Rob back for this temporary stint on the board.”
Dr. Hardy’s appointment was the first order of business on the agenda. He was approved unanimously and was immediately seated.
KYMN Daily News 8/14/24
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
