How Redistricting Affects Ballot for Three Rivers Park District Commissioners

With the primary election in Minnesota approaching on Aug. 14, is reminding voters that commissioner districts have changed due to redistricting.

However, voters living in the city of Minnetonka will not see the park district on their primary ballot. Only two are running for the position in District 4:  (Minnetonka) and Leigh Harrod (Excelsior).

The seven-member Three Rivers Park District Board of Commissioners includes five commissioners elected by residents of suburban Hennepin County and two members appointed on an at-large basis by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners. The Board adopted the redistricting plan for Three Rivers Park District this spring.

State statute requires that the population of each district be as equal as possible. To achieve that population balance, four cities are split between two Commissioner districts. They are: Brooklyn Park (Districts 2 and 3), Hopkins (Districts 3 and 4), Orono (Districts 1 and 4) and Richfield (Districts 4 and 5).

As of this posting, primary elections will take place Aug. 14 for District 1 and District 2 to narrow the field of candidates to two.

District 1 Candidates:

• Penny Steele (Rogers)
• Sara Wyatt (Orono)
• James Holmbeck (Mound)
• Janice Meyer (Rogers)

District 2 Candidates:

• Jennifer DeJournett (Maple Grove)
• Rick Theisen (Maple Grove)
• Marilynn Corcoran (Dayton)

District 3 Candidates (no primary scheduled as of this posting):

• Daniel Freeman (Golden Valley)
• Matthew Laue (Robbinsdale)

District 4 Candidates (no primary scheduled as of this posting):

• John Gunyou (Minnetonka)
• Leigh Harrod (Excelsior)

District 5 Candidates (no primary scheduled as of this posting):

• John Gibbs (Bloomington)

A map available on the Board of Commissioners page on the Park District’s website shows the new districts approved by the Board. The new Commissioner districts are:

Commissioner District 1 (currently represented by Sara Wyatt)
Corcoran
Minnetonka Beach
Greenfield

Hanover
New Hope
Independence
Orono, Precincts 1, 3 and 4
Long Lake
Plymouth
Loretto
Rockford
Maple Plain
Rogers
Medicine Lake
Spring Park
Medina
St. Bonifacius
Minnetrista


Commissioner District 2 (currently represented by Marilynn Corcoran)
Brooklyn Park: All Precincts Except W1-O & W1-R
Champlin
Dayton
Maple Grove
Osseo

Commissioner District 3 (currently represented by Joan Peters)
Brooklyn Center
Brooklyn Park: Precincts W1-O & W1-R Only
Crystal
Golden Valley
Hopkins - Precinct 2
Robbinsdale
St. Anthony
St. Louis Park

Commissioner District 4 (currently represented by Dale Woodbeck)
Deephaven
Edina
Excelsior   
Greenwood
Hopkins: All Precincts Except 2
Minnetonka
Orono - Precinct 2
Richfield: All Precincts Except 6 & 9
Shorewood
Tonka Bay
Woodland

Commissioner District 5 (currently represented by John Gibbs)
Bloomington
Chanhassen
Eden Prairie  
Fort Snelling
Richfield: Precincts 6 & 9

Larry Blackstad currently serves as board chair and is appointed by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners. The second county board appointee slot is currently vacant.

Three Rivers Park District is a nature-based park system that manages park reserves, regional parks, regional trails and special-use facilities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Park District owns and operates more than 27,000 acres and serves more than 9 million visitors a year.