Why are you running for office? 

I am running for City Council because I believe Lake City deserves a representative who is motivated by service rather than a personal or professional agenda. My candidacy is rooted in three core pillars: community encouragement, civic responsibility, and a balanced vision for our city’s future. 

Why I am Running: 

Civic Encouragement  

My decision to run was solidified after being approached by a member of the Chamber of Commerce. Their encouragement highlighted a need for voices that represent the broader community, and I am stepping up to meet that call. 

The "Ordinary Citizen" Perspective  

I am an ordinary resident of Lake City. I do not own a local business, nor do I have a hidden agenda. This allows me to make decisions based solely on what is best for our citizens, acting as a neutral and dedicated advocate for the public interest. 

Setting the Example  

As a father, I want to demonstrate to my children that you don’t just watch from the sidelines. By participating in local government, I am showing them that you can—and should—actively engage in your community to help shape the outcomes you wish to see. 

Preservation & Progress  

I love Lake City’s unique charm and natural beauty. My goal is to orchestrate a strategy that preserves this aesthetic provenance while simultaneously fostering an environment where local growth can thrive. We must protect what makes us special while ensuring our economic vector remains strong. 

What experiences have prepared you to serve effectively in this role?

My professional and personal history has been defined by a single objective: high-stakes advocacy for others. From the operating room to hospice care, I have developed the temperament and tactical skills required to navigate complex systems and deliver results under pressure. 

Clinical and Operational Discipline

My career has spanned the full spectrum of care—managing group homes, serving as a Surgical First Assistant at Mayo Clinic, and my current role as a Care Transition Coordinator with St. Croix Hospice. These roles have conditioned me to remain calm in high-pressure environments where precision is non-negotiable. 

Collaborative Intelligence  

I have learned to prioritize the voices of others above my own. Effective governance requires the ability to listen deeply, value diverse perspectives, and synthesize that input into a cohesive, actionable plan. Community Advocacy 

The Next Generation  

As a father of three, I am acutely aware of the modern challenges facing families. I believe the community has a collective responsibility to protect and provide for our children, ensuring Lake City remains a safe, nurturing environment. 

The Senior Perspective  

My work with the senior population has provided me with a unique lens into their daily challenges and, more importantly, their values. They are the keepers of our community’s legacy, and their needs must be integrated into our long-term strategic planning. 

I offer more than just administrative oversight; I bring a proven track-record of coordinating action plans that prioritize human dignity and community stability. I am prepared to apply this same level of "Extreme Accountability" to the Lake City Council. 

What are your top three priorities if elected? 

Balanced Growth and Community Stability

My platform focuses on maintaining the unique character of Lake City while addressing the logistical and economic realities of its residents. I am prioritizing sustainable development, intergenerational support, and fiscal responsibility.

Top 3 Priorities

Strategic Tourism & Economic Growth  

I intend to flex our tourism potential to increase municipal revenue without compromising the town's identity. The goal is to avoid turning Lake City into a "tourist trap" while ensuring we have the resources to support local infrastructure and manufacturing jobs.

Housing & Enrollment Stability  

We must address the declining school enrollment caused by high housing costs. I will advocate for strategies that make it feasible for young families to stay in Lake City, preventing the "retirement-only" bump and ensuring a vibrant, multi-generational community.

Advocacy for the Vulnerable  

Leveraging my background in hospice and senior care, I will ensure that the needs of our aging population—who often live on fixed incomes—are central to council decisions. This includes maintaining essential services like search and rescue and fire protection, which are non-negotiable for community safety.

I am not running to dismantle our systems, but to finesse them. By focusing on these three vectors, we can ensure Lake City remains a place where families can grow and seniors can retire with dignity.

How do plan to address your top priorities?

Growing Our Economy - Without Sacrificing Who We Are

Lake City should benefit from the visitors who come here. I support a 3% tax on short-term rentals like VRBOs and Airbnbs, shifting some of the financial burden from local property owners to outside visitors. This revenue can be invested directly into infrastructure and community improvements. I also support growing tourism responsibly—with guardrails that protect Lake City’s small-town character and prevent over-commercialization.

Creating Opportunities for Young Families

Our community needs more affordable, modern starter homes. I will advocate for single-family housing that gives young families a reason to stay, return, and build their futures here.

Protecting Those Who Built Our Community

Seniors living on fixed incomes should not bear the brunt of rising taxes. My guiding principle will be simple: when new revenue is needed, look first to outside sources rather than placing another burden on longtime residents.

Protecting Essential Services

I will stand firmly behind our fire department, search and rescue, and other services that keep Lake City safe. As a river community, these are necessities—not luxuries we can afford to cut.

Building a Community for Every Generation

I will work closely with our schools and senior-care community to ensure city decisions serve residents at every stage of life—from safe routes for our children to accessible services for our seniors.

Lake City can grow without losing its identity. We can invest in our future while respecting our past—and I’m committed to making that happen.

What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing the people you hope to represent? 

The most critical challenge facing Lake City is the demographic imbalance—specifically, the high concentration of elderly residents on fixed incomes relative to the dwindling number of young families. This creates a "stagnation loop" that threatens the town's long-term economic and social viability.

Lake City’s average age is roughly a decade older than the national average. While our senior population is a cornerstone of the community, a town that only attracts retirees eventually loses its labor force and tax base. 

High housing costs and a lack of "starter homes" are driving young families away. This has led to a noticeable decline in school enrollment, which threatens the quality and funding of our local education system.

There is a constant friction between the need for tourism revenue and the desire to maintain a "small-town feel." We have many manufacturing jobs, but if workers cannot afford to live here, they commute from elsewhere, taking their tax dollars and community engagement with them.

A significant portion of the population lives on fixed incomes, making them highly sensitive to property tax increases. This limits the city's ability to fund infrastructure and essential services through traditional means.

My goal is to break this loop by diversifying revenue (e.g., the STR tax) to take the burden off residents, and incentivizing entry-level housing to stabilize school enrollment. We must ensure Lake City remains a place where people can spend their entire lives—from starting a family to retiring with dignity—rather than just a destination for the latter.

Public service requires collaboration. How would you work with individuals who hold different viewpoints? 

1. On the council, I will:

Critique the work, not the person If a proposal (like cutting essential fire services) is flawed, I will challenge the data and the logic without making it a personal attack.

Actively Listen I’ve already begun this by reaching out to diverse voices—from school board members to community figures. I don't need to agree with everyone to understand their "why."

2. Believe there is always a vector for cooperation.

Shared Goals Most disagreements on the council aren't about whether to improve Lake City, but how. Whether someone is an "artsy" donor solicitor or a "finance person" focused on cuts, the common goal is usually the town's survival. My role is to find the middle ground where fiscal responsibility meets essential service preservation.

Intergenerational Advocacy I can bridge the gap between the retired population on fixed incomes and the young families we need to attract. By framing issues (like the STR tax) as a way to protect seniors while funding schools, I can create a "win-win" solution. 

3. Value autonomy and transparency. I will oppose lack of transparency in the council. I will push for clear, professional communication from the council so residents aren't "disillusioned" by the campaigning or decision-making process.

I am running because I care about the community where my wife and I work and our children are growing up. This lack of personal desperation allows me to be a more objective negotiator. I can be the "ladder" for the visionaries and the "anchor" for the skeptics.

How will you communicate with and remain accessible to your constituents?

I intend to utilize my City Council Facebook page, where the community can alert me to issues that need attention. 

I also intend to hold quarterly "coffee and chat" sessions to engage with the community face to face. 

My goal is to be accessible and a voice for the community. 

At the end of your term, what accomplishments would define success?

1. An increase in tourism-based tax revenue that has been reinvested in the city's infrastructure. 

2. Reversing the school enrollment decline. 

3. Adding community-based services for our elder-population. 

Tell voters something about yourself outside of politics. 

I am not a career politician; I am a coordinator by trade and a servant by choice. My life has been defined by high-stakes environments where clarity and accountability are the only options. 

Outside of this election and my professional career, I enjoy: 

* Spending time with my family 

* Golfing 

* Kayaking 

* Fishing 

* Camping