District 5 candidates answer questions

• Dan Olson

Dan Olson
• Carol Wenner

Carol Wenner

Talk about it

Now it’s time for the candidates in Douglas County Commissioner District 5 to answer a few questions.

To help readers reach a more informed decision on Election Day, the Echo Press sent questionnaires to all the candidates who are running for Douglas County commissioner.

The responses for the districts that held a primary on August 14, Districts 2, 3 and 4, have already been published. The District 1 race was highlighted Wednesday.

The District 5 candidates are incumbent Dan Olson and challenger Carol Wenner.

Candidates were limited to a 500-word response to five questions selected by the newspaper. Here are the responses from District 5:

DAN OLSON

1. Please provide background information (occupation, how long you’ve lived in the area, education, family, etc.).

Born and raised in Alexandria in Douglas County, I graduated from Jefferson High School.

I have been a lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church where I was baptized, confirmed and married. I served on many committees such as Board of Lay Ministry, chairman of the Board of Education, chaired the 100-year anniversary celebration and I sing in the choir and on the Praise Worship Team.

I attended Alexandria Technical College and graduated with a degree in sales and marketing.

I have been married to my wife, Dawn, for 40 years. We have two daughters, three grandsons and a step-granddaughter.

The majority of my professional life was spent in business with my parents and brother at Olson Decorating, both in retail and contracting.

2. Why did you decide to run for county commissioner?

I have always been genuinely interested in local government. Grassroots decision-making is where a person can most effectively serve and do what is best for our area. I thrive in the day-to-day challenges that we face locally and have always felt that I have the ability to work for all the people of District 5 and Douglas County!

I have the desire to serve our area as a county commissioner and have no political ambitions beyond that role.

3. How would you “grade” (A, B, C, D or F) the current county board and is there anything it could be doing better? Be specific.

I would award the current county board with a grade of “B.” As I have gone along in public service, I have discovered there is no way to meet everyone’s wishes. All I can do is listen carefully to my constituents and make a decision based on the majority. There are always board outcomes that could be better, but many things affect what we do and every issue involves some sort of compromise. I am not a one-issue candidate. To choose one area to improve on, in my opinion, is not being conscientious of all issues at hand.

4. What separates you from the other candidates? List any traits, qualifications or skills you have for the position.

The ability to listen to others and not make snap decisions is one of my best traits. I make sure that I remain accessible, representing not only the people of District 5, but the entire county.

I am very much a “people person” and do not micro-manage.

Currently, I am entrusted by my colleagues as chairperson of Pope Douglas Solid Waste, Rainbow Rider, treasurer of West Central Community Action and Lakeland Mental Health, past chairperson of the Hospital Board and County Board and I serve as chairperson of the Compliance, Security, and Oversight Committee for Prime West.

I have also worked on bringing five counties together to form Horizon Public Health, a start to bringing our counties together into greater fiscal responsibility.

5. If elected, what would be your number-one priority?

My number one priority as county commissioner is to continue to work for District 5 and Douglas County in the most responsible and effective way possible. I aim to keep continuity on the Board of Commissioners. I will continue to work on bringing our neighbor counties together as well as our cities within the county for better fiscal health and responsibilities.

CAROL WENNER

1. Please provide background information (occupation, how long you’ve lived in the area, education, family, etc.).

I am equipped to scrutinize budgets, having received a bachelor’s degree in business management, and while being employed at the Alexandria Chamber, I interacted and learned daily from every business sector in our community. Finally, at Knute Nelson I developed a better understanding of seniors’ needs and the increasing cost of providing care. This will lead to careful decisions on county policies that impact seniors.

My husband Bruce and I enjoy gardening, biking on the Central Lakes Trail, and hiking the Douglas County parks. We have three adult children, Amy Nicholas (Mike), Dr. Aaron Ley, Angie Renner (Andy); and two grandchildren, Mazzie and Rhys.

2. Why did you decide to run for county commissioner?

I am running for the District 5 seat because I care about my community. I am capable of making sound economic decisions for our community, encouraging citizen involvement, and protecting our lakes. I am confident that I have the skills and common sense to make sound decisions for our residents and the environment.

My diverse work experiences will give me the knowledge to promote balanced economic development that will result in good jobs while retaining the quality of life and clean environment that we enjoy in Douglas County.

3. How would you “grade” (A, B, C, D or F) the current county board and is there anything it could be doing better? Be specific.

Local governments are operating as best they can with scarce resources, and demands for services will continue to increase as our population ages and as we experience other changes. State-level cuts in health, human services and other programs are our reality and it has become critical for public, private and non-profit organizations to find creative ways of addressing the challenges posed by diminishing programs and services.

Recently, the state auditor suggested that local governments give more consideration to consolidation. For our area this could mean sharing resources such as computer equipment or networks. Sharing resources creates efficiencies and will allow us to concentrate more dollars toward providing optimal public services.

I give the board a “B” and will advocate streamlining service delivery to improve program outcomes.

4. What separates you from the other candidates? List any traits, qualifications or skills you have for the position.

My education, life experiences, and career experience relating to many of the same issues addressed by commissioners qualifies me for this position. And because so many county issues involve public health, I have a unique perspective on dealing with these important issues having been a mother.

As a county commissioner I will listen to residents’ concerns and draw our community into the decision-making process. My community involvement will bring new networks and perspectives to the board, broadening our awareness of common links in the community. Anytime we can build bridges and create connections between people in communities, everyone wins. Communities thrive when decisions are made together.

5. If elected, what would be your number-one priority?

My top priority as commissioner is to make wise economic decisions that lead to taxpayer savings. To accomplish this, I will closely scrutinize budgets for wasteful spending. The League of Minnesota Counties has developed a tool that helps with this. It is called “MAGIC,” an acronym for Minnesota Accountable Government Innovation and Collaboration Act. It is a project designed to offer counties greater flexibility for finding more efficient and effective methods for delivering services.

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