I would like to acknowledge Rodney Bounds for stepping forward to run for the District 4 Wadena Commissioner's seat this fall. As the current District 4 commissioner, I welcome the competition. I know Mr. Bounds will challenge me to be a better candidate and that his participation will enrich the dialogue we all need to have regarding the future of Wadena County. This is what the democratic process is all about.
The issues that Mr. Bounds brought forth when announcing his candidacy are very much to the forefront in all our minds. I agree with him that our current reliance on property tax to fund the state mandates of local government plus our local needs is an outrageous hardship and is unsustainable in the future. This reliance is not of county choosing. It is being forced on us by decisions made at the state level, and the problem is getting worse.
I get questions from time to time that show people don't always understand the bureaucratic forces that impact their lives. Not just because it's complicated, but because we, as leaders, probably haven't done as good a job as we might reaching out to inform and explain.
So I have decided to have a series of town meetings this summer. These are not meant as campaign rallies, but as dialogues -- a chance to discuss things, and a chance to hear what you think. How is federal and state money different from local money? How does that impact our property taxes? Why can't we cut what we want to? What are the things we can cut? How much would those cuts save us? What would we be giving up? Do we want to do that? Which things and how much? And by the way, just what do commissioners do, anyway?
I hope all of you, regardless of whom you choose to vote for, whether you live in District 4 or not, will come to one of these meetings. None of us can make good judgments unless we have good information. This is stuff you need to know, and I need to hear what you think about it.
ADVERTISEMENT
I am looking forward to a lot of good discussions this campaign season, with all of you and in debates with my opponent. Look for my newspaper announcement at the end of July announcing times and places of the town meetings. I sincerely hope to see you all there.
Mary Harrison
Wadena County Commissioner, District 4
