The Rice County Commission oversees all of the county departments, including the sheriff, planning/zoning, and highway department. There are 5 commissioners, each representing part of Rice County and serve a term of 4 years.
Candidates:
- Erik Sahlin
- Jim Purfeerst (Incumbent)
Jim Purfeerst
Please list any current political offices you hold. (if any)
Rice County Commissioner District 1 – 2020-2024
Please list any previous political office you’ve held. (if any)
Rice County Soil & Water Board Supervisor, District 3 2012-2020
Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of. (if any)
Rice County Extension Committee, Northfield Transportation Advisory Board, Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) Advisory Board, Zumbro Watershed Board, Rice County Transportation & Ditch Committee, Chamber of Commerce Ag Business Committee, Rice County Fair Board, St. John’s United Church of Christ, Rice County Mental Health Advisory Board, Rice/Steele 911 Board, Cannon River Watershed Partnership, Rice County Historical Society, Rice County Farmers Union, Rice County Farm Bureau, MN Agriculture & Rural Leadership Alumni, Faribo SnoGo Club, Paradise Center for the Arts, Elks Club
What qualifies for the office you’re running for?
I believe my experience as a current Rice County Commissioner and past Soil & Water Board Supervisior, highlights my qualifications and leadership skills to serve effectively as Rice County District One Commissioner. I feel I bring a wide variety of life experience and personal strength to this position. I understand the value of hard work, dedication, compromise, and the importance of ag and economic development for Rice County. I am an active listener, an experienced ag business owner with strong financial management skills, and I have a common sense approach to get things done. I am knowledgeable of county governmental processes and have strong relationships with Rice County residents, Rice County staff, and elected officials. I am a lifelong resident of Rice County and have been actively involved in community volunteerism. I enjoy working together to find creative solutions, I care deeply about the future of Rice County, and I am committed to leading in a positive, effective manner.
What inspired you to run for office? If you are running for reelection why do you want to stay in office?
As a lifelong Rice County resident and 5th generation farmer, I am committed to a bright future for Rice County! Rice County has been a great place to raise my family – my wife and children all live and work in Rice County. Serving as a Commissioner allows me to gather constituent input and ideas to help ensure Rice County is a great place for future generations to live and thrive. I am committed to strong business and economic growth, a healthy sustainable environment, safe communities, and quality services which lead to future sucess for Rice County residents.
What is something that you would like to accomplish while in office?
I am committed to continued economic and ag development, strategically attracting businesses which offer livable wages and good benefits. This broadens our tax base and helps residents thrive. Having a range of affordable housing continues to be a concern in Rice County. I am committed to continuing to explore public/private partnerships which can support expanded housing opportunities, which will in turn attract businesses and a workforce that lives in Rice County. Governmental transparency is important, and something that I believe can be improved upon. I hear from constituents that some county systems are complicated and confusing. I hope to continue to serve as a liaison to lessen constituent confusion and help streamline processes. I’d also like to see more transparency and communication about county spending and budgets. There has been improvement in communications and expanded public comment opportunity over the last two years, however I believe this can be expanded. Transparency and open communication is important so taxpayers can understand how their investments benefit themselves and their community.
What does being a leader mean to you?
Leadership begins with listening and being accountable, honest and open to diverse opinions. Being able to compromise and bridge differences in order to gain greater understanding is critical, with the goal of finding optimal solutions for the betterment of Rice County.
What do you believe the biggest issue facing Rice County in the future is? Is the Board of Commissioners already or addressing it or would like to work on this issue more?
FInding ways to keep taxes affordable while providing essential services for county residents is an ongoing issue, which includes unfunded governmental mandates. The Board, along with county administrative staff continue to evaluate ways to work efficiently and minimize local tax burden, as well as advocate for change in mandated processes. Affordable housing and limited workforce numbers are also signficiant issues facing Rice County. It’s hard to attract businesses without a trained, competent workforce and adequate housing. We need people to live AND work in Rice County. These issues are being addressed by County government, however we need ongoing input, assessment and evaluation in order to find creative solutions and partnerships which are cost effective and sustainable.
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Erik Sahlin
Please list any current political offices you hold. (if any)
n/a
Please list any previous political office you’ve held. (if any)
n/a
Please list any civic, community, or professional organizations/clubs your a part of. (if any)
As a parent of two teens, I’m an active member of the parent community of Northfield Public Schools, supporting the learning environment there, as well as activities including bowling, band, track, cross country, swimming, orchestra, and choir. I’m a member of the Nerstrand Conservation Society, working to protect the values of the broader Nerstrand community, the Big Woods Corridor, and the Prairie Creek watershed. I’m a member of the Valley Grove Preservation community, supporting my parents as they have led efforts over decades to maintain and restore the Valley Grove Church stone and wooden church buildings, and to protect the surrounding lands. I’m an adult advisor for the YMCA Center for Youth Voice, Youth in Government program, supporting teens in the calling that “democracy must be learned by each generation.” And as part of my service on the Board of Commissioners, I will be building relationships with every community organization I can in District One, so that I’m in the best position to serve the entire community.
What qualifies for the office you’re running for?
I’ve always believed that service is about setting a high standard. And while I hadn’t planned to run for office until just this past May, I’m stepping up to the responsibility. I’m meeting with Rice County staff, observing Board of Commissioners meetings, talking with leaders in business, farming, and nonprofit work, reading county reports, and visiting with every voter I can reach. I’m grateful to be able to learn more and more about District One and how to best represent all of us who live here. Professionally, I draw on my extensive background in business operations and communications. That means I have the skills needed to evaluate financials, work plans, and cost-benefit issues. It also means that I’ll be able to help Rice County with a major weakness—communicating responsibly and effectively with the public.
District One is the one district in Rice County with a good balance between rural and town areas. For me, growing up just outside of Nerstrand, I was always one of the “rural kids” — especially when I was bussed all the way to Faribault for junior and high school. But at the same time, I went to church in Northfield and spent a lot of time at St. Olaf College where my mother taught the flute. After years away, I moved back to the county, and now I’m raising my kids in southern Northfield, close to Dundas. My life experience here in District One of Rice County means I am in an excellent position to work with neighbors across rural and town communities, and build connections between lifelong and newer residents.
What inspired you to run for office? If you are running for reelection why do you want to stay in office?
I was inspired by a large group of neighbors working to protect the Big Woods Corridor in our district from a pit mine operation. We set aside our personal lives for weeks to do essential work the county should have done—like evaluating the claims of the mining company, and researching groundwater sensitivity. And we had to press repeatedly for real public participation opportunities. I kept thinking that there must be better ways to conduct county business. So my involvement went from concern about health, safety, and environmental impacts, to disappointment with the response of elected county officials, to the motivation to run for office and be a better voice for everyone in District One. This is why my campaign slogan is “from the Big Woods to a better Rice County.”
What is something that you would like to accomplish while in office?
It’s time to fix Rice County’s broken process for public participation, and here’s why: We have so-called public hearings that don’t work for the public, regularly scheduled at times when working families cannot attend. Public notices follow the letter of the law—fine print and legal language at the back of the Faribault Daily News—but they clearly don’t give the public the information they need: At a recent public hearing, just *one* of Rice County’s 67,000 residents was present to speak on a major county issue. There are many other examples of this problem, unfortunately.
With our process for public participation broken, a risk is that Commissioners’ decisions can be more influenced by special interests than by the public. In addition, without effective communication to the public, District One neighbors are caught off guard by things like an unexpected asphalt plant, or the unprecedented $48 million county jail tax question on the Nov. 5 ballot. As a result of all this, our Commissioners miss the opportunity to understand public concerns, and our Rice County government falls out of touch with the people it serves.
As your Commissioner, I’ll be dedicated to fixing Rice County’s process so that public input and communication are taken seriously.
What does being a leader mean to you?
For me, being a leader has always started with the question, “How can I help?” …Followed quickly by, “What do I need to know?” and “Who needs to be involved?” My model for being a good County Commissioner is to be like a good neighbor—communicating in a straightforward way, treating others with kindness and respect, helping when needed, and staying out of things when not needed. In an elected office, I believe being a leader also means (1) responsibility to be upfront with the public about tough issues; (2) responsibility to use the office to help people in need; and (3) responsibility to act in a way that reflects well on the community.
What do you believe the biggest issue facing Rice County in the future is? Is the Board of Commissioners already or addressing it or would like to work on this issue more?
There’s no single issue facing Rice County that is separate from all the rest: economic development, social services, housing, transportation—they’re all related. That said, one clear theme stands out from talking with voters: we need to do better in how we care for our natural resources so we can all live well, so our county can thrive. Water we can’t drink coming out of our home wells? Air we can’t breathe downwind of landfill fires? Farmlands being fragmented? Our Big Woods area hit by poorly planned development? It doesn’t need to be this way. Rice County could be a leader in taking on these kinds of problems—making improvements in zoning and planning, strengthening our Comprehensive Plan, taking advantage of Minnesota state tools for better resource management, and advocating actively at the state level for necessary support and funding.
While this is all on the radar of our current Board of Commissioners, we’re not seeing the kind of commitment and coordinated action we need from Rice County.
