Joe DrennanStaff Writer
A write-in campaign for Columbus Township resident Tom Hefty has brought an end to Pat Preinerís tenure as a town board member.
Hefty defeated Preiner with 403 write-in votes, while Preiner received 103 votes for seat B on the town board during the annual town election Tuesday, March 9.
ìThe people spoke and I want to thank everybody turning out to vote,î Hefty said. ìWhether this was for me or anybody else, it just shows the system works.î
Hefty was not officially on the ballot as he did not join the race until long after the Jan. 13 filing deadline to be on the ballot. After some encouragements from friends, neighbors, and other interested people, Hefty chose to run against Preiner as a write-in candidate.
As the election neared both Hefty and Preiner did what they could to campaign and get their stances on the issues out to the public.
Preinerís view
ìMy big thing is that I feel bad that it wasnít an open election,î Preiner said.
Preiner mentioned before, and still says now that she would have felt much better about the election had it been an open election and both candidates would have had an opportunity to debate the issues at hand.
With seat A and B up for election, Hefty says he chose to run for election to seat B because some people thought Preiner had a conflict of interest in the freeway district corridor.
ìThe fact that seat B was occupied by Preiner who lived in that district,î Hefty said. ìThe public was concerned that living in that district she had a lot more to gain than someone else.î
Before the election Preiner confronted this issue by stating that if her living in the freeway district corridor was a conflict of interest, then any residential issue in the rest of the township would mean all the other board members had a conflict of interest. Adding that she felt it was good that the business and property owners in the corridor had somebody on the board that could stand up and represent them.
Supervisor Melvin Mettler retained his position in the election for Seat A. Mettler was unopposed on the ballot and received 351 votes. William Krubs received 109 write-in votes.
Heftyís Plans
Now that he is on the town board, Hefty wants to get the public involved and informed.
ìThe public here in Columbus Township wants to know whatís going on and they want us to step up to the plate and do something,î Hefty said
In regards to the freeway district corridor, Hefty hopes to examine every opportunity there is for developing it. He says there is more than one option and itís time the town board looks at those other options.
ìI have looked at Wyoming, North Branch, and White Bear and they all have some neat commercial districts,î Hefty said.
ìI think itís time for Columbus Township to develop a comprehensive plan to develop the entire community. There are lots of developments than can go into that corridor that can bring us three times the revenue the horse track and card room could bring to Anoka County/Columbus Township and I will do my best to bring the best development in to benefit the people. Thatís what people want me to do.î
Hefty doesnít just want to be making all the decisions with the other townboard members, he wants members of the community to come out to the meetings and be active members of the community. He wants their opinions as to how things should unfold in the development of the township.
ìThis is a big endeavor,î Hefty said. ìThis is a bedroom community and we donít really have any commercial here. Some people want us to stay a rural farm land, but with that commercial district, thatís not going to happen so we need to make sure things are done right.î
ìWeíve got a lot of things to do here and we have to roll up our seleeves to get them done,î Hefty said.
Preinerís future
Preiner does not plan to sit back and just let things go as they may. She plans to be an active community member who attends meetings and provides her input on the issues.
ìI intend to take an active roll since I am one of the land owners in the freeway district corridor,î Preiner said. ìAnd hopefully finish some of the items I wasnít able to complete as a board member.î
Her 12 years spent on the town board was time well spent Preiner said adding that it was only made better by the good people she represented.
ìI would just like to thank everyone who has supported me the last 12 years,î Preiner said. ìEverybody likes the way Columbus Township is and I had a part of making it what it is.î
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