Politics & Government

Minnetonka City Council Candidate: Brad Wiersum

Patch Voters' Guide: Who will you vote for on Election Day?

Editor's note: This week we feature candidates running for the Minnetonka City Council. You can meet and grill all the candidates at our Speed Dating For Your Vote event at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the Gold Nugget Tavern.

BRAD WIERSUM, incumbent and running unopposed in Ward 3

Minnetonka Patch: What qualifications do you have that will make you an effective Minnetonka City Council member?

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Brad Wiersum:

A. A strong belief that Minnetonka is a great place to live and raise a family, and a commitment to continue the strong tradition of quality services at a reasonable cost to residents.

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B. Executive level experience that has provided the opportunity to work in diverse businesses and to make challenging decisions along the way.

C. Experience with the Minnetonka City Council. I know how the city works and I know how to work collaboratively with the staff, while also asking challenging questions. My goal is to work with the staff to arrive t the best conclusion for residents.

Minnetonka Patch: What is the biggest issue for the city of Minnetonka? Why?

Wiersum: I think that the biggest issue is to be creative in finding ways to maintain high quality city services while constantly working to be more efficient. Like virtually all businesses in the 21st century, the city will continue to be challenged to do more with less. Minnetonka has a strong track record in this regard, but both the challenge and the need will continue to increase.

Given the challenging economy, everyone is being forced to rethink how they spend and save money. Resources for government services will be scarce.  Local governments will need to be creative and fiscally prudent to deal with future challenges.

Minnetonka Patch: What is current Minnetonka leadership doing well? What could be better?

Wiersum: Minnetonka is well run. It provides a high level of service to its residents efficiently. The city is very fiscally sound, with a AAA bond rating. The city has a strong identity and a vision for the future.

I think that the list of what needs improvement is fairly short. The city needs to continue to manage the needs of both an aging population and an aging infrastructure, while continuing to be a strongly family friendly city. The city is doing this reasonably well, but there is always more to be done. Meeting changing needs at a time of fiscal challenge at all levels of government will require diligence and strong leadership.  

Minnetonka Patch: How will you get input from your constituents?

Wiersum: I work to engage constituents in whatever way is convenient for them. I take many calls and e-mails, and that seems to be the most frequent way of interacting. I also meet with residents one on one, when they want to show me something or explain an issue in greater detail. When I first became a council member, I had regular office hours at city hall. After receiving one visitor in two months, I determined that people would prefer to call me or e-mail me with their concerns.

Minnetonka Patch: Give us a brief background of yourself.

Wiersum: I grew up in Wisconsin and moved to Minnesota to attend graduate school in 1978. Except for a six-year hiatus, I have been here ever since and have lived in Minnetonka for 20 years. My wife, Karen and I, have been married for 28 years. We have four children, all who attended Minnetonka schools. Our daughters, Jennifer and Amy, are 25 years old. They have Down’s Syndrome, and they live in our home. Our eldest son Matt is a 2010 graduate of Hope College, and he is currently living in Liuzhou, China where he is working as a middle school English teacher. Our youngest son, Andy, is a junior at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.

I have been involved in various civic activities. Among them are coaching baseball and hockey. I served on the coard of directors of Twin Cities Urban Young Life. In addition to my city council duties, I serve on the Minnetonka Economic Development Authority, the Minnetonka Police Advisory Committee and on the Metropolitan Cites Board of Directors. I was formerly the city council representative and a member of the Bennett Family Park Board of Directors.     


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