Our view: Final four is clear in Duluth City Council At Large primary
Two of them are young with fresh ideas and an abundance of energy. And two are retired with a lifetime of wisdom and a willingness to serve and give back.
The four — Zack Filipovich, Barb Russ, Ray “Skip” Sandman and Ryan Stauber — deserve votes in the primary election on Sept. 10 for two open At Large seats on the Duluth City Council. They’re the best choices to move on to the Nov. 5 general election.
Filipovich, a native of Duluth’s Central Hillside, was active and involved in government and politics while at the University of Minnesota Duluth and is now an accountant for Eagle Accounting Services of Duluth. He interned with U.S. Sen. Al Franken, with the economic development firm APEX of Duluth, and, during last year’s election, with the DFL party. His priorities, he said, are improving roads and infrastructure, community safety (especially with regard to synthetic drugs), and ending poverty and homelessness.
“I’m the only financial professional in the ring. I can bring fresh perspective. And to be quite honest I know a lot. I know Duluth. I know what it takes to balance a budget and I know what it takes to get economic development here. We need jobs,” Filipovich said in an interview with the News Tribune editorial board. “Duluth is in a time of revival. We need someone who sees it and will guide it in the right direction. … Duluth needs a young voice on the council.”
Another young voice could come from Stauber, the son of current At Large City Councilor Jim Stauber, who, like fellow At Large Councilor Dan Hartman, isn’t seeking re-election. Ryan Stauber is a 911 dispatcher for the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department after working for a suicide hot line in California. This is his third attempt at public office after falling short in the races for Minnesota House District 7A in 2008 and for School Board At Large in 2011. His priorities include repairing streets and infrastructure and creating a “better, smarter government” in which all residents can feel included, he said.
“I know our city very well. I grew up here. I played hockey here. I’m growing my family here,” Stauber told the editorial board. “The biggest thing I can provide to the council is balance. … I’m an independent-thinking person. … Voters can be assured I am honest, forward-thinking and I wouldn’t let the administration run my decision-making.”
A concern for young people is what prompted Sandman to enter the race. He sees too much unemployment and not enough opportunities. He sees too many high school and college graduates leaving the area. He made the decision to run after a dream, he said.
“It shocked the heck out of my wife,” he said of the calling. “But I’m concerned: What are we going to leave our children in the city of Duluth?”
Sandman grew up on the Fond du Lac reservation in Brookston. He served two tours with the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and worked 25 years as a corrections officer for the Northeast Regional Corrections Center, retiring in 2001. He also worked 12 years for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
“I believe I bring a whole different perspective. I’ll bring diversity to the Duluth City Council, if elected,” he said. “I’m just common folk. I want to help people. That’s what I’m here for. … We need living-wage jobs in this town so we don’t lose our children.”
Duluth also needs more recreational opportunities for young people, Russ said when asked her priorities. There were more programs for youths when her children and foster children were young, she said. She also listed Duluth’s crumbling streets and the negative effects on neighborhoods from absentee landlords, blight and eyesore properties.
Russ retired in February after 33 years as an assistant St. Louis County attorney, including supervising its civil law division. Her legal career includes juvenile court, contracts, economic development, and federal grants and loans. Russ also has been actively involved in the community, with the League of Women Voters and serving on the boards of Community Action Duluth, the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault, the YWCA, Duluth Sister Cities International and Woodland Hills.
“I know what government can do. I know what government can’t do,” she said. “I do have the experience and knowledge to be able to see the big picture and I have an understanding of what the city does.”
Also running for City Council At Large is Ray Whitledge III, who is doing carpentry work after nearly 10 years in the Army. He’s a Libertarian who feels taxpayers should be able to dictate how government spends their money.
“As much as I love this town, there is a regulatory and restrictive burden here,” he said. “I honestly believe I’m the only one proposing any unique ideas. I’m offering a different option.”
