North Mankato City Council

1. Why should voters elect you to serve the position you seek?

I am running for my 8th consecutive 4 year term. I think that I know and understand the City, The Council and the job.

2. What would say are the key issues facing the city/district/county/state you seek to represent and how would you impact them from this elected position?

Right now , we are in the Budget Process for the coming year. That is the most important thing we are considering now, Administration and Staff are working in conjuction with the Council, and we’ll come up with a proposed plan for the comong year.

3. In your view, what is the role of the body / office you seek in supporting business vitality and economic development?

As a Councilman, I am always looking to support incoming businesses, current businesses and future, planned development in our community.

4. The effective and efficient use of public dollars is a key component to serving in public office. What experience do you have dealing with complex budgets? When presented with a budget that will often be several hundred pages in length, what will be your process to determine if it is a good budget? What improvements would you recommend to improve the fiscal responsibility for the body/office you would represent if elected?

We, as Council members, have always worked in conjunction with Staff and Administration when dealing with fiscal matters. It is a cooperative effort, where we discuss the ideas at hand, and work to deal with them going forward.

5. Compromise and consensus are crucial part of bringing conflicting views / positions together to get decisions made in a democracy. How will you go about working with other elected officials of varied political backgrounds to build the consensus necessary to govern for the benefit of citizens?

Working together with the other officials is a natural and necessary part of the job. I always work for a consensus among my colleagues.

FROM THE MANKATO FREE PRESS TUESDAY OCTOBER 25, 2016
There’s perhaps no one as experienced when it comes to the city’s economics as Whitlock, who created The Business on Belgrade Association 14 years ago and serves as it’s executive director. The association has become a vital partner with city staff on public celebrations and long term planning. Whitlock is the owner of Brick House Graphics on Belgrade Ave. He created the Business on Belgrade Association in 2024 to revitalize the city’s central business district in lower North Mankato. This city, the downtown area was Rats and Weeds, Whitlock said, “We had 40% vacancy rate on the storefronts, Jack and Jill Grocery Store closed, Happy Dan’s Convenience Store & Gas Station closed. Now you walk down Belgrade Ave and you see it’s alive, we’re open for business.”

1. Why should voters elect you to serve the position you seek?
Thanks for the opportunity for allowing me to share some of my thoughts and maybe some opinions.

There are (5) questions that I have been asked to answer, and there are (5) that HAVE to be answered before I would have the right to ask you for your vote on Tuesday November 5, 2024. As a 44 year and resident of North Mankato as well as a North Mankato Business owner, I have used my time to give to the community. Everyone has different opportunities to serve their community, some vote, some serve and some engage & create. I have been fortunate to be able to engage and create and then serve. A few years ago our country and city had experienced a lot with the COVID-19 and state social unrest tensions. I believe with almost eight (8) years of City Council experience and an additional (16) years of experience as Executive Director of the Business on Belgrade Association, I an in the best position as any candidate to navigate these through the lens of a property owner, community promoter and City Councilperson.

One of the reasons is that I am a business owner and I understand the impact of economic slow down on the bottom line of a small business. During 2006 and the collapse of the housing market and the downturn of the economy, then 2021 and the COVID-19 virus and the same similar action happened, the economy slowed, housing prices doubled, incomes were down and the markets reacted. I as a small business owner had to buckle down, watch margins and hard decisions as to customers, who to keep and who to let go! That’s the hard part of business, tough decisions sometimes need to be made. As a City Councilperson I did support the 3% reduction in the tax rate in North Mankato during my time on the council. It is also why I believe so strongly in developing quality of life events that bring visitors to our area. I developed the Blues on Belgrade, Bier on Belgrade, Bookin’ on Belgrade, Bumpers on Belgrade and Bells on Belgrade events and ushered in the Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Classic (Larry Wild, Chair) to attract people to our area and to provide great events for residents and visitors. This has a direct impact on our community through sales tax and lodging tax collection, and keeps talent in our community because people are always looking for entertainment/community events.

A second reason I believe voters should support me in the November 2024 election is that I listen and I follow through. It doesn’t matter if it is a complaint on snow plowing on Coventry Court or speeding on North Ridge Drive, or a tree that’s falling down in a park, if a resident contacts me I make sure there is a follow through. I hold city staff accountable, I understand not everyone has the time to serve, but everyone deserves a City Council member to follow through on their questions and concerns while they are trying to run their own business. As a semi-retired individual I have the time to put in the time, to pay attention to resident and business owner’s needs. The time on the council has allowed me the opportunity to lobby on the city’s behalf and represent our interests to local legislature’s in St. Paul, MN.

Another reason to support me as a candidate is I am a true advocate for North Mankato, it’s residents, it’s businesses, and it’s role in the region and surrounding area. Look, North Mankato houses Minnesota’s world class softball sports complex (Caswell Sports Complex). We recently opened the best swim facility in the region. Our industrial park is attracting businesses and offering jobs to residents as well as building our local economy, this includes Economic Development, and Affordable Housing a very delicate balance. I am a member of the North Mankato’s Port Authority and have supported the recruitment of business to the North Port Industrial Park. The bottom line is this-North Mankato is leading in a lot of areas in this region and I am helping lead the charge for North Mankato’s future.

2. What would you say are the key issues facing the city/district/county/state you seek to represent and how would you impact them from this elected position?We had just gone through the COVID-19 virus, Oh, and we know how to keep our eye on the budget. It’s your money and it’s been placed in our stewardship, I will make sure it’s spent wisely.

Public Safety: our police are under attack like never before. I support our officers and the finding of our recent report that documents they are providing top notch service to our community and county. Patio Homes for seniors: North Mankato does not have enough.

Vision: We need an indoor recreation facility at Caswell Sports Complex for year around tourist attraction and to fulfill our promise to voters who supported a sales tax extension in 2016. This will propel us into a 12 month operation at Caswell and spur economic growth of our community.

Industrial Development: We must continue to attract industrial businesses to the North Port Industrial Park that provides jobs for residents and tax relief for homeowners.
Community Beautification: Continue our efforts to make North Mankato a community of choice by investing in public art, music events, and reinvest in our infrastructure.

3. In your view, what is the role of the body/office you seek in supporting business vitality and economic development?
Port Authority: All members of the City Council serve on the Port Authority. The Port Authority is responsible for reviewing applications for land sales and tax incentives allowed by the state on Minnesota. As our President Duane Olenius says, we are in the business of cutting red tape and making sure businesses grow. As a Port Authority Commissioner I am an advocate for recruiting businesses that provide jobs and tax benefit to our community.

Promoter: As a mentioned above I am a huge advocate for North Mankato. Caswell Park is an international destination for tourism. We need to ensure this continues and grows. Secondly, I am the original creator of local events that have become regional attractions (Blues on Belgrade, Bier on Belgrade, Bells on Belgrade, Bookin’ on Belgrade and the Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Classic). These events attract visitors to our area who spend money at our businesses and occupy our hotels.

Tax Rate/Levy Amounts: The bottom line is that I am both a business and homeowner who receives a tax statement each year. I am intimately aware of the linkage between the tax levy and your pocket book.

4. The effective and efficient use of public tax dollars is a key component to serving in public office. What experience do you have dealing with complex budgets? When presented with a budget that will often be several hundred pages in length, what will be your process to determine if it is a good budget? What improvements would you recommend to improve the fiscal responsibility for the body/office you would represent if elected?
Rule number one – if is good for the citizens and the city as a whole I am for it. That’s what is called compromise. Here’s how that theory has worked: in the past three + years I have supported a 3% reduction in property tax rate. There is no other taxing jurisdiction in the Nine County Region that can boost the same statement. North Mankato for three years has held or reduced the Tax Levy for our city.

Reading 100’s of pages of documents is not necessarily my job , although I do make time to read the numerous reports I am given. Making sure staff responds to citizens requests and making sure the cost of living is not pricing people out of their homes and businesses is my job and I spend a lot of time on that.

This might be a good time to discuss The Anthony Ford Hockey Classic (AF99), and the prudent use of the peoples money and what it has meant to the City of North Mankato. The AFPHC was started by Larry “Hog” Wild (native of Lower North Mankato), & Brady Peters in 2008 after the death of Anthony Ford at the age of nine from Juvenile Leukemia. The primary intention is to raise money for childhood leukemia research and support local youth hockey. AF99 started out at Lake Washington. It moved to the Norman Rockwell-esk setting of Spring Lake Park in Beautiful Lower North Mankato in 2015 at the persisted request from Jim Whitlock to Lary Wild & Brady Peters. In 2017 the Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Classic Committee offered to the City of North Mankato from there fundraising efforts, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the creation of a new warming house and a new sheet of ice for regular and permanent play at Spring Lake Park. The Mankato Foundation then matched AF99’s contribution to North Mankato for total gift of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000). From that generous gift to the people of North Mankato that gesture prompted the construction of the warming house and that action led to the re-construction of the North Mankato’s new swim facility which opened in 2019. The warming house now has a duel roll of warming house in the winter for skaters and hockey players and a shelter from the brutal hot of the sun for swimmers and sunbathers in the summertime. I believe this is a great example of efficient use of public dollars. As stated prior, “Providing the best possible service at the least possible cost to the public.”

5. Compromise and consensus are a crucial part of bringing conflicting views/positions together to get decisions made in a democracy. How will you go about working with other elected officials of varied political backgrounds to build the consensus necessary to govern for the benefit of the citizens?
The North Mankato City Council is operating at a level of performance that I have not witnessed since I first started attending the city council meetings. We are on the same page for strategy, budget, quality of life, and the future of our community. Not one of us on the council comes with a predetermined agenda. I am excited at what this group of five can achieve if we are re-elected. Compromise and consensus is how we have done our job for the past 8 years. We haven’t always voted the same way, but each of us always loves and tries to protect the community in our decision making process. Our team has never been stronger. The analogy of the completeness of our Council Team is “WE ARE HITTING ON ALL 8 CYLINDERS’!

In the beginning of this Q and A I said there were 5 questions that I have been asked to answer and there are five questions that have to be answered before I have the right to ask you for your vote. I have answered the five to the best of my ability, as truthfully as I am able too. So now the BIG Q, I humbly ask for your vote for the City Council of North Mankato on Tuesday November 5, 2024. I hope you will support our track record by electing me for a third term.

Thank You, James Whitlock