Who is Abe?

 Growth – Nearly every resident of Credit River lives in the city because of the space and lifestyle that is available. Growth needs to be calculated and logical while accounting for the history of the community. Growth for our children and grandchildren’s city should be thought through and discussed today to provide a good trajectory of growth for the future.

Budget – I will bring a fiscally conservative approach to our budget and ensure that the hard-earned money entrusted to the city by every resident is used wisely and efficiently.  My goal is to ensure that our property taxes continue to be lower than most of our neighboring communities.

Future Municipal Needs (Water & Sewer) – As we continue to grow, the needs and desires of the city will also grow. It is imperative that we have these future focused conversations around city municipal needs now in order to set guidance and ordinances and partnerships as needed so that when the needs are in the immediate future we are ready to act with a great solution rather than a rushed decision.  My goal is to dive into the details to understand ALL of the options that are available, rather than just stating there is one way to solve these future needs.

 We all love Credit River for the space and lifestyle that it provides, and we’d like to keep it that way. People continue to desire living in Credit River as evidenced by the steady growth and the higher-than-average property values. People are also lured to the city due to the hundreds of acres of open space contained in two regional parks within the city. We know that as the Twin Cities metro continues to expand, even encroaching so very close to our neighbors of Savage, Prior Lake and Lakeville, this expansion will spill into Credit River. I will work to ensure that our growth is planned and coordinated and always doing what is best for the residents of Credit River so that we can continue to be a “rural” city with space to spread out in. Being a member of the City Council and Planning Commission for the last 5+ years has been a great way to learn about the city’s expansion in the past, help in the present, and continue to steer where the future is going.

Let's face it, taxes are necessary to ensure our city staff can provide the services residents rely on.  At the same time, no one wants to pay more in taxes. 

I have seen taxes increase year after year, sometimes significantly, which is why I take city budgeting and spending very seriously.  My goal is to keep as much of each resident’s hard-earned money in their own pockets as possible.  While I cannot control federal, state, county, or school district taxes, I make it my mission to ensure our city taxes do not follow the same upward trajectory.

Today? NO.  Will we in the future? Most likely.  Today, most of our staff providing the services to our residents is done through contractors which helps keep our costs low.  Our city hall is modest and paid for and with minimal upgrades could most likely do what is needed for years to come.

However, there will come a day in which the economics of contractors vs staff doesn't make sense or there are no available, or enough, contractors to do the work needed, and the city will need to bring on additional staff, equipment, and tools.  When that day comes it will be essential to find a location in which this building could be put on and ensure that the building doesn't become an expensive government building that is more than our city needs.  I do think that looking for suitable land is a wise choice now as the available land within Credit River continues to shrink every year and when a building is needed we may be left with little options and options that are even more expensive.