Victoria MN Newspaper

10) Which Victoria businesses do you support with any frequency? "We make an effort to keep our business in Victoria whenever possible. We have a beautiful firepit, thanks to Timberwall. We enjoy meals at the Victoria House, School of the Wise, and Vic's with some frequency as well as a growler of the latest craft brew from Enki. Victoria Floral has crafted several boutonnieres and corsages for our girls and their dates. Joel always does his best to make me look presentable, and Deep keeps us fueled up and fed. Fresh Seasons was not only a source of groceries, but also Lauren's first job. She also worked at the Deer Run Golf Club in the summer."

11) Which are your favorite Victoria events and why? "Volksfest is great because not only can you discover new businesses and meet new people, it also brings many people out to enjoy the summer night, entertainment, and socializing. Football games at Holy Family are good old-fashioned 'Friday night lights' fun. When the girls were younger, many very special hours were spent on the softball fields in Lions Park."

12) What are some activities that draw you away from Victoria? "Mostly my daughters' sporting events. Also, going to a movie or boating on Lake Minnetonka."

13) Do you believe the City of Victoria is moving in the right direction? Why or why not? "I like the direction we are headed as a community. Our downtown, with the notable (hopefully temporary) exception of Fresh Seasons, is a newer, fresher, more engaging place to spend time.

"Issues related to the efficient operation of the city are being addressed, and we can be proud to have done it on a financially sound footing. The general fund levy is 10% lower in real dollars than it was five years ago, and the levy rate is the lowest it has been in over ten years. We enjoy a great credit rating, have implemented the first-ever debt limit policy in Victoria's history, and overall debt is being reduced annually.

"As a city, we are more connected than ever with several significant additions and improvements to our trail system including the Arboretum connection. Developers are finding Victoria an attractive place to build again with four major new subdivisions started over the past two years.

"Yet, with all this activity, we remain Victoria, a small town with a strong community spirit and sense of independence."

14) What are a couple of your citizen interests/goals if you win election or re-election to the Victoria City Council? "The next few years will be exciting times in Victoria as we guide the development of our central business district as it expands into the 13.5 acre parcel west of the existing downtown. Objectively defining the highest and best use of that land for the long term will require careful study and patience.

"We will also need to address the challenge of keeping our, currently, all-volunteer fire department staffed and structuring it for long term needs of the community.

"Looking further ahead, the Orderly Annexation plan will result in Victoria being the largest city by geographic size in Carver County. Now would be a good time to begin investigating the feasibility and interest of the residents for a large community park complex with a mix of natural areas and amenities for families to enjoy ."

15) If money were no object, what is an amenity you’d like to see in Victoria? "The popular answer to this question is a community pool complex or possibly a sports dome. So many of our families with young children travel to neighboring cities to participate in recreational and sports events. Having these amenities in Victoria would simplify their lives and enable us all to spend more time enjoying the activities instead of driving around."