Seats reserved for candidates were left empty during both the Faribault mayor and city council forums Thursday evening at Faribault City Hall.
American Association of University Women hosted the final two forums scheduled this election cycle, and moderator Cheryl Freund had to bring out a number of her own questions to fill time for the first one. Candidates vying for a seat on the Faribault City Council were notably cordial during the forum that followed, according to the moderator and outgoing Mayor Kevin Voracek.
While City Councilor Tom Spooner was the only one in attendance for the first half of the evening, his opponent, Jonathan Wood, submitted a statement to be read in his absence.
“Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend,” Wood wrote in an email to the AAUW. “With the end of the busy season for construction in full swing and a few out-of-town projects we are trying to wrap up, I do not have the time. I was hoping to attend and greatly appreciate all your hard work. Please send everyone my apologies and well-wishes. Thanks again.”
Wood is a former city councilor who stepped down last year due to time constraints, and to focus on his business and family. His spot was filled by City Councilor Chuck Thiele, who is looking to be elected for the first time after being appointed to fill the vacancy.
Spooner had a few questions from the audience before Freund pulled out many of her own. Spooner said the biggest challenge the mayor and council would face over the next five years is the budget and inflation.
Freund asked for Spooner’s response to the notion that “Faribault is just a blue-collar town existing between Northfield and Owatonna.” He didn’t take long to answer.
“What’s wrong with that?” he began. “It’s good. We have a lot of good people in this town that work hard. You look at the tax base we have in this community. It stretches all the way down from being the county seat, to a great hospital, to the agriculture sector that we support, everything involved in this town, the education system, South Central College, Shattuck-St. Mary’s, our own public schools, law enforcement we have here, regarding our prison. I think we should take pride in the fact that we’re a blue-collar town and we work hard.”
Freund asked if being an employee of the city of Northfield would be a conflict of interest, which he denied.
“Every time I ran for city council, even when I ran for mayor, I have it approved by administration that I could run,” he said. “I’m also just a supervisor at the ice arena. I’m not cracking the security codes for the city of Northfield. I simply run an ice arena and an outdoor pool. I don’t think I’m involved in our economic development or anything of a high-level potential.”
Spooner was then asked about whether he would support a new community center being built, which he said is still years down the road.
“I don’t think we have all the facts yet,” he said. “We have a problem in our community center, that our pool inside that building has failed. It was built in the ‘70s, and to rebuild that pool, you’d have to actually tear it out down to the piping. It’s reached its lifespan. So the cost of remodeling a 50-year-old building versus building a new one, I think, we’re going to take a long, hard look at. I would hope that building a new one would be the better option.”
He said he believes Faribault’s greatest asset is its people, and encouraged folks to get to know people that don’t look like them. He was then asked what’s his greatest strength compared to his opponent.
“I think my proven leadership,” he said. “I think the years that I’ve been around here, and think I know all the city staff very well. I understand the ins and outs of everything from a variance to the budget. I’m very proud of my resume and what I have here. That’s my strength.”
Council candidates
Mike Reeves wasn’t in attendance of the second forum, and didn’t submit a statement. Tom Moline, an active voter who often volunteers for Republican organizations in Rice County, said he believes all the candidates in attendance would suit the council well.
“I think what we need to do is add two seats to the council, and let everybody up there tonight join,” he said.
Thiele and Royal Ross are both running to keep their spots on the council, and there would still be one other seat remaining on the council. Of the six total candidates, three will be elected in November.
All the candidates gave some opening statements, then were asked what makes them fit for Faribault City Council.
Mandy Barnes said she was born and raised in Faribault, and she’s resilient. Given the only female councilor is stepping down after this term, Barnes noted that she’s the only way to keep at least one woman on the council.
“I was pleasantly surprised at what downtown offered the community, and how there’s diversity here,” she said. “I feel this is such a gem of a city, so I really cherish that, and I’m invested in it … We have a community with so many demographics — we need a woman.”
David Blais is a former business owner that worked in 40 states. He’s now retired and wants to give back to the local community.
“When I was on the council, I would encourage people to call me with questions about what’s going on,” he said. “Even now, if I’m out in the public, people say things about what the city is doing. … I will research and do some problem solving. I’ve got the time to do that.”
Ross has served on the council for the last eight years.
“I’ve got a broad and extensive knowledge of finance,” he said. “I’ve been putting together business budgets for over 30 years now, and it’s something that I really enjoy. So I take a very keen interest in working with the staff on the budget yearly. The second one is, and it kind of relates to it, I’m very analytical. I like to collect information before I make decisions. I like to find out exactly what and why and how we can make things happen.”
John Rowan works with Rice County Emergency Management and works with computers at his downtown business, Geek Central.
“I like to think that I’m accessible, have exceptional problem-solving skills, working in the computer field, in the engineering field, working with the emergency management. Possibly accountability. But I would say accessibility and problem-solving skills are my biggest assets.”
Thiele has been on the council since last year, after being appointed to fill Wood’s vacant seat. He used to own a business downtown.
“Don’t ask my wife, but I think I’m a really good listener,” he said. “I’ve been doing a really good job with that my first two years here on the council. I’m listening and I’m learning. I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Then I don’t know if this is an asset or not, but my love for downtown. I really love our downtown, and I want to make it a great place to go.”
Few questions led to any disagreement between the candidates, and they often complimented and built upon those who answered before them. They mostly agreed on downtown parking, homelessness, the budget, taxpayers funding the maintenance of downtown buildings and more.
All but Blais said inflation and balancing the budget would be the biggest issue to face the city in the next few years. Blais said the biggest would be homeownership, and finding ways to give people the option to own a home.
The entire forum will be available to watch on the YouTube channel, Faribault Community Television.
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