Non-profit manager challenges incumbent for St. Louis County Commissioner

by Lisa Mattson

What do County Commissioners do?

Some of the commissioners' duties include:

  • Review, adjust and adopt annual county budget
  • Review and evaluate county programs
  • Determine max number of county employees, negotiate and approve their labor agreements
  • Authorize property tax levy and collection of county-wide property taxes
  • Make decisions regarding county participation in optional federal and state programs
  • Monitor overall fiscal health of the county

St. Louis County Commissioner District 1 race

Dennis Fink

(incumbent)

"Government is complicated. More than anything else, it is learning how to work the existing system and then doing it."

  • More conservative
  • Served on the board 14 years (first elected 1996)
  • Navy veteran, graduate of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
  • Active in National Association of Counties (stresses private land ownership and opposes state/federal land management restrictions)
  • Worked as marketing and management strategic planner for Alcan Aluminum, St. Joe Minerals, Minnesota Power, and the University of Minnesota Duluth's Center for Economic Development
  • Concerned with keeping property taxes low
  • Believes in cutting spending instead of raising taxes for residents

Information and picture found on Dennis Fink's webpage http://thinkfinkagain.com/

Information also taken from an interview with The Hillsider at http://the-hillsider.blogspot.com/2010/08/dennis-fink-incumbent-1st-district.html

Frank Jewell

"Working as a non-profit manager has taught me how to pinch pennies and still get things done."

  • More liberal
  • Served on Duluth City Council from 1987 to 1991
  • Graduate of St. Scholastica
  • Executive director of Men as Peacemakers (formed in 2000 to counter domestic violence in the community)
  • Worked as violence prevention specialist for St. Louis County and has worked with adolescents, the mentally ill, and the elderly
  • Concerned with maintaining unspoiled lands and keeping public lands public
  • Believes there needs to be changes on the County Board so that county business can be done effectively
  • Wants to find creative new ways to provide services without raising taxes

This information found at http://frankjewell.com/

Picture and information also taken from an interview with The Hillsider at http://the-hillsider.blogspot.com/2010/08/frank-jewell-1st-district-county.html

Things to think about

The Duluth News Tribune did an article on this race, which discusses the candidates and some of their concerns in more detail at  http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/182077/

We Are Watching is a local political watchdog group that focuses on the County Board and St. Louis County's seven commissioners. Read more about what they think at  http://www.northernmnnews.com/

Fox 21 has a story available on their website about Commissioner Fink's absence at the debate conducted by the League of Woman Voters and his reasons for missing it at  http://www.fox21online.com/news/update-slc-commissioners-silence-raises-questions

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