My name is Mike Lee and I would like to thank the Albert Lea Tribune for this opportunity to speak with you, the voters of District 5 in these final days before the election.

Since I announced in July that I was running for the Freeborn County Commissioner District 5 seat, I have been busy out talking with the citizens and voters of District 5. You have welcomed me into your homes and we have talked at your doorsteps about the issues that you feel are important this election season. Safe roads and bridges and jobs are big issues to all of us. Many of you have told me that you would like to have more access to the county commissioners’ meetings, be it through TV (public-access channel), radio or on the Internet.

I have made this one of my main issues of my campaign. I am proud to tell you that at the Oct. 20 meeting of the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners that the commissioners voted 4-0 to start  televising their meetings on the public-access channel and also be available for viewing on the Freeborn County Web site. I feel that this is a victory for you as citizens, who will now have more tools to access the workings of the county board. My hope is that in the near future that one of our local radio stations will step up and start broadcasting the county commissioners meetings either live or on a tape delay so as all citizens in Freeborn County will have the tools they need to be able to access the workings of our county government. 

It is my belief that county commissioners need to work with our city and state officials, along with the Albert Lea Economic Development Association in helping businesses that are already here grow and to always be looking for opportunities to bring new businesses to the area. I believe that Job Opportunity Building Zone program needs to be extended out for a number of years. This will give more benefits to businesses that wish to come here and businesses that are here more opportunity to grow. We have a new 70-acre industrial park, two lots in the Habben Industrial Park, 80 acres near the Interstate 35 and Interstate 90 interchange. There is also 68.8 acres on Plaza Road near the Bath Road — which I feel would be a great place for economic growth in the future if an on-ramp was placed at Interstate 90. We also have the capabilities of our waste-treatment facility to handle more wet industries. I feel that we have many of the tools in place for businesses to come here and be successful.

Theses are hard times and county commissioners will have to make some tough decisions about our county budgets in the future. We are going to have to ask all departments heads to tighten their belts and cut all unnecessary spending. I feel that we also need to conserve — be it by turning off lights, turning down the heat when the county building are not in use in the winter and turning up the cooling when the building is not in use in the summer, using low energy light bulbs, turning off computers at the end of the day and on weekends. The Albert Lea School District has saved more than $1 million by doing theses cost-saving items, and I feel that it would not be too much to ask for the county to do the same.

I also pledge that as your county commissioner I will go to St. Paul to talk to our elected officials and members of the Legislature about issues that affect Freeborn County. One issue I feel that needs to be addressed is how the state calculates local government aid for counties; I feel that cost of living increases needs to be figured in. This way we would receive more funds from the state and then our county official would be able to take some of the burden off of having to raise property taxes on our citizens and business.

Also possibly in the future as budgets get tighter, the county commissioners may very well need to take a long, hard look at the possibility of the courthouse going to a four-day work week to save money and cut costs. If the governor is set on no-new-tax revenue for cities and county governments, then, as a county commissioner, I would feel the need to look at different possibilities at ways to save money for our citizens. This may be one avenue to explore.

I’ve taken my candidacy for the District 5 seat very seriously; that is why I have done everything I can to educate myself on the issues affect Freeborn County, such as attending:

County board meetings for more than a year.

Albert Lea City Council meetings.

Albert Lea Economic Development Agency meeting.

Shell Rock River Watershed District meetings.

Department of Human Services meetings.

Pickerel Lake Township meeting.

I’ve door knocked the entire 5th District once and am in the process of doing a second time before the election. I have done this to give you, the citizens of the district, the opportunity to visit with me one on one and for me to get your input on the issues. I’m the candidate who has proven that I will go the extra mile for you. You are deserving of that kind of representation.

 I am the only candidate who has pledged to hold town-hall meetings in the district so you will have more opportunities to give me your input on the issues of the day.

 I feel it would be an honor and a privilege to serve you as your next county commissioner of District 5, and I would like to ask for your vote on Nov. 4.

Mike Lee of Albert Lea is a candidate for Freeborn County Commissioner District 5.