No changes will be coming to the Albert Lea City Council from Tuesday’s election as voters re-elected four incumbents.

Voted to serve another term were:

• Albert Lea Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr., a physical therapist, who defeated former 5th Ward Councilor John Severtson.

• 2nd Ward Councilor Larry Baker, a construction worker, who defeated real estate broker and property manager Robert Hoffman.

• 4th Ward Councilor Reid Olson, a siding installer, who ran unopposed.

• 6th Ward Councilor Al “Minnow” Brooks, a business owner, who defeated credit union president Matt Maras.

“The elections have really shown that the city has confidence in their city council,” Rasmussen said. “I look forward to continuing to progress on this.”

 

Albert Lea mayor

Rasmussen received 4,417 votes, or 68 percent, while Severtson received 2,106 votes or 32 percent.

Rasmussen, 50, will be the first person in the city’s history to serve a four-year mayoral term. Prior terms have been two years.

He was first elected to the council in 2004 as as the 1st Ward councilor. He served in that capacity until 2010, when he was elected to his first two-year term as mayor. He was re-elected in 2012.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity the community has given me for another four years to continue to move our community forward,” Rasmussen said.

He said some of his priorities for the next term are how to make Albert Lea fiscally sound with its taxes, while also putting together a long-range plan of infrastructure needs across town and how the city will pay for them.

He also wants to rebuild the community outlook.

“We’ve had some challenges over the last several months and years,” he said. “As a community, we need to move ahead in a positive fashion.”

Severtson, 65, is retired from Enderes Tools and served as the 5th Ward councilor from 1985 to 1989 and from 2005 to 2009. He presently serves as the chairman of Albert Lea’s Beyond the Yellow Ribbon group and as commander of the American Legion Leo Carey Post 56.

This is his fourth time running for mayor.

He said he was pleased with the results and said he was never running against Rasmussen because he thought Rasmussen was a bad mayor. He simply had some opinions he wanted to see if the community agreed with.

 

2nd Ward

Baker, 57, said he looks forward to representing the 2nd Ward and the city of Albert Lea for his third term.

“I’m really grateful, really honored, that the people in Ward 2 trusted me for another four years,” Baker said. “The support I’ve gotten from people throughout the community, it’s humbling and sometimes overwhelming.”

He received 563 votes, or 63 percent of votes, while Hoffman received 335 votes, or 37 percent.

Some of his priorities looking ahead are the development of the Blazing Star Landing and resolving the flooding issues in the ward. He also wants to work with other entities interested in coming to Albert Lea.

“That’s been one of the goals set for the council,” Baker said. “I’m going to do everything and anything I can to help that cause.”

Hoffman, 37, congratulated Baker on the win.

“This City Council seat meant the world to Larry and I applaud him for that,” Hoffman said. “I look forward to his next four years on the council.”

Hoffman said he plans on running for public office again in the future, possibly even for mayor in four years.

He will also continue serving as the chairman of the Heritage Preservation Commission and as a member of the Minnesota Multi Housing Association and said he looks forward to watching his business grow in the future.

 

4th Ward

Olson, 40, was first elected to the council eight years ago.

He received 988 votes Tuesday night.

He said in a previous interview that he liked the direction the city was headed and because of that he wants to continue on the council and help move Albert Lea in a positive direction.

He has served as the council representative on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

He said in an earlier interview that he thinks one of the biggest issues facing the ward and the city are the possibility of adding a community recreation center and possibly a new fire station.

 

6th Ward

Brooks, 59, thanked the voters in his ward for their continued support in electing him to his fifth term in office.

“I’m just real happy with the way it turned out,” he said.

He received 452 votes or 53 percent of votes, while Maras, 54, received 400 votes or 47 percent.

Brooks said as he looks ahead to his next term, his main goal will be to improve the infrastructure in the ward, which will also address some flooding issues.

“Somehow we have to get it done,” he said. “My major goal is to not get these things — if at all possible — delayed any longer.”

He also wants to work on increasing tax base in the city.

Maras congratulated Brooks for the hard work he put into his campaign.

“It was a great experience for me,” he said. “I’d like to thank everyone who supported me in my ward and also outside of my ward.”

He said his goal in running was to give the residents of his ward a viable choice in the seat. He noted he is unsure if he will run for office again.