Photo provided by Spencer Goetzman
Photo provided by Spencer Goetzman
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Official Bio:

My background is in civil service and business. I was born and raised in Rochester. My roots in Minnesota and passion for community run deep. In northern Minnesota my maternal grandfather (despite a fourth grade education) sat on the school board, ran for public office, and put five children through college. My father's side has been stewards of the land on the family farm in Winona for over 100 years. I come from a long line of teachers, tradespeople, farmers and military. I believe in hard work that works for everyone. My father is a carpenter and I grew up helping him fix homes here. At one of my first real jobs, at age 15, I was named counselor-of-the-year working at a camp for the local Boy Scout council. I then worked my way up in the service industry, and by 19, I was offered my own restaurant (Bruegger's Bagels). By 22, I had opened my first business as a carpenter. Not long after, I enlisted in the US Army (2002-2005) and served with the 82nd Airborne (infantry) in Afghanistan and Iraq. My citations included:
Two campaign medals (OEF, OIF)
Two Army Commendation Medals
Army Achievement Medal
Combat Infantryman's Badge
Expert Infantryman's Badge
Airborne Enlisted Honor Graduate
Driver/Mechanic's Badge
US Airborne and Foreign Jump Wings

After the military, I went to school for, and became a Firefighter/EMT with the City of Rochester. In 2008, the recession impacted my family significantly, and the decision was made to move. I gained valuable experience living/working as a foreigner in one of the largest metro areas in North America (Toronto). While there, I split my time between being an at-home parent, running a remodeling business, and assisting with the management of a small professional corporation. I moved back to Rochester in 2015, and currently own and operate a residential remodeling business. I am not a politician. I am an informed, engaged, working-class person with valuable on-the-ground experience. I want to put that to work for the people of Rochester.

Your key platforms 

My platform revolves around cooperation: aligning the great resources we have here to create sustainable tactics for growth. Instead of just rhetoric, I will put forth solutions to address the needs of Rochester's citizens.

Public Transit:
If implemented properly, public transit can improve quality-of-life and reduce the financial burden for those who spend the most on housing and transportation. I believe we can work more with existing infrastructure and create public/private partnerships that will help streamline services and reduce costs.

The Housing Crunch:
Cost-of-living continues to rise and is impacting more of us every day. Additionally, our county's affordable housing services were nearly decimated when Federal funding was in jeopardy recently. These issues need attention now. I have a proposal to add viability to our programs in the face of funding issues. I also want to collaborate with city departments in hopes of addressing high rent for substandard rentals.

Fiscal Responsibility:
I intend to address the current fiscal practices that are slowly jeopardizing our future. Current strategies of investment are too short-sighted and will severely impact essential services, property taxes, education, and infrastructure. I will work to ensure projects are funded appropriately to benefit all of us. Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars could be saved and re-allocated by applying more productive investment strategies

Why should Rochester vote for you as our mayor? 

I want the voices of all people from all backgrounds to be heard. I want the real needs of all demographics to be represented in our city’s decisions. I was born and raised here, and I believe in this city and her people. I want to work for the people of Rochester and advocate for them every day at City Hall. My broad background in business and civil service has given me valuable insight to draw upon. Whether it’s understanding tradespeople, entrepreneurs, at-home parents, immigrants, veterans, faith communities, environmentalists, unions, the service industry, renters, owners or the working poor: I am and have been all of these things. Local government needs to be representative of the people.

I am running for mayor because I want to be an instrument of positive change. I am running because I have proposals, and not just rhetoric, to address the concerns and inequity that we see around us. We all have needs, we all have something to offer, and, at the end of the day, we should all want to be here at the end of the day.

What do you envision for the future of Rochester?

Rochester has a long history as being a great place to live. I envision a future that builds on that history. We have great natural resources, an amazing workforce, and a bustling economy. We have strong faith, community, and civic organizations. We can align all these things toward positive change. This is a great place to build a life or a business. With cooperation, rather than competition, we can move towards a future that benefits us all.

What are your connections to The Mayo Clinic? How do you plan to work with The Mayo Clinic?

Being born and raised here, I have connections and experiences with the Mayo Clinic that span 40 years. From numerous friends and family working countless years for Mayo Clinic at every level, to associates who knew the Mayo family personally. Mayo is a bedrock institution here, and I plan to work with them to ensure they are able to meet all their goals. Through collaboration, we can continue to nurture our mutually beneficial relationship. This includes being able to attract more great people to an already amazing workforce. It means growing together.

What are your connections to the DMC? How do you plan to work with the DMC?

No response provided yet.

How would you address the concerns of citizens about the loss of some of the city's older and potentially historic buildings to new development?

I have great appreciation for historic buildings and preservation. I love architecture and craftsmanship and have been helping to fix and restore houses here in Rochester since I was a child and continue to this day. I believe in adaptive re-use. Specifically, I believe there is a sustainable operational model that would allow the Chateau Theater to be revitalized in an effective, affordable, and beneficial way.

Favorite Rochester Moment?

I have many great memories here. One in particular sticks out as both a moment of hard-truth and a moment of triumph. In the end, it reaffirmed my faith in people and government.

One of my close friends is Inuit (Native Alaskan). He is also homeless. I met him in the late '90's when he lived in and around Rochester. While living here, he was brutally attacked by a white supremacist gang. After recovering, his attempts at long-term employment were being thwarted by collection agencies trying to collect for the medical bills. In researching and through the help of understanding city and county staff, we were able to find resources that, ultimately, alleviated the issue entirely. People helping people.

What’s one thing you want the Rochester community to know about you?

Some fun facts: I have four brothers (though I'm the only one still here) I graduated from Mayo HS (class of '96). I can play the trumpet, guitar and banjo (though not at the same time).

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