NEWS RELEASE

2004 Board Chair and Vice Chair Elected

At yesterday’s Annual Meeting of the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners, the board members elected Seventh District Commissioner Steve Raukar as Board Chair, and Fifth District Commissioner Peg Sweeney as Vice Chair.

Commissioner Raukar was sworn in as a St. Louis County Commissioner in 1989, and has been re-elected four times. He has served as Chair of the St. Louis County Board two previous times, and has been an advocate for more participatory government, teamwork between north and south Commissioners, and a greater relationship with state and federal legislators. "It is my hope to lead this Board down the path of being policy leaders who digest and analyze all points of view, from Jeffersonian to Hamiltonian, and make sound, lasting policy decisions in a thoughtful way, then step back, re-focus, and anticipate what lies on the horizon," said Chair Raukar. "I believe we all bring a valued perspective and experiences to the table and via due process we collectively have the wherewithal to make decisions that will best serve our mutual constituents. In keeping with our mission statement, working together to serve people will be key to our success." Chair Raukar also noted: "We as policymakers need to practice participatory management by working with organized labor, those who deliver the front line services, to find ways to improve efficiencies and better serve taxpayers. Truly we are only as good as the people who work with, and for, us." (Full text of Commissioner Raukar’s speech below.)

Commissioner Sweeney was sworn in as a St. Louis County Commissioner in 1997, and has been re-elected twice. She is Chair of the County’s Health and Social Services Committee and has been active in issues benefitting families and the aging, among many others.

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Commissioner Raukar’s comments on being elected Board Chair:

I want to first thank my colleagues for their vote of confidence, and it is my hope that I can live up to both yours and my expectations.

This past year has been one of historic anecdotes that have provided both levity and a historic prospective to the issues of the day and have made this past year historic in its own right, to the credit of Commissioner Fink. It has also been a year of being reactive, to the ever changing financial landscape in St. Paul, to the credit of this Board under Commissioner Fink’ s leadership working with Administration and Department Heads. Panic was kept to a minimum, but not without much anxiety. Notable events in 2003: Saw the departure of Administrator Twa, and County Auditor McFaul, and the inaugural year of Commissioner Nelson whose rookie status is now in the books.

In retrospect,

• A new Governor took office, bringing much needed credibility to the office, in the face of a $4.2 billion fiscal crisis, and the timely launching of the JOBZ initiative, requiring regional partnering (facilitated via the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission and St. Louis County) to respond to the opportunity, and a need to level the economic development playing field statewide.

• We saw this County Board systematically and methodically respond to a decrease of $11 million in State aid by limiting its levy increase to 3.6% gross, 1.25% actual, minus a correction resulting from an ‘02 Auditor error, with the net result a decrease in spending by $12 million (or 5%) and a reduction of Full Time Equivalents by 225 (or 10%). In the end, balancing the need to provide services expected by our constituents in a cost effective way, and minimizing the raising of taxes to cover State shortfalls.

• We saw SLC’s role in Economic Development clarified, thanks to the leadership of Commissioner Kron, the County Board and the Planning Department and now we have a single point of entry for potential partners and the development of demographic and statistical data tools to assist our partners. We invested in the Minnesota Community Capital Fund to leverage dollars and worked closely with ARDC in preparing the region’s successful JOBZ application.

• We have endured a time consumptive, contentious and litigious challenge of commissioner district boundaries, i.e. Re-districting; currently being appealed at the Appellate Court in St. Paul.

• On the Iron Range, we saw the closure and the reopening of a taconite plant, saving 370 jobs and the sale of another plant to USX, and it is likely the reconfiguration will continue as the mining and steel industry redefines itself to survive in a global economy.

• Lastly, to the Credit of Sheriff Litman and the Planning Department, St. Louis County received many thousands of new dollars in Homeland Security Grants.

Looking forward as we enter 2004, it is my hope, that WE as an elected policy making body, can pro-actively lead. As we focus and deliberate policy questions of a legislative nature, as well as those operational policy, issues that directly affect the delivery of services to our constituents. In keeping with the ideology that all politics is local ( i.e. regional), it will be our collective responsibility to track legislative proposals and decisions that could effect our capacity to deliver mandated and discretionary services, as the State once again adjusts to revenue shortfalls, estimated to be roughly $200 million. This short legislative session will require us to be diligent and on task, to avert crisis, and, with Commissioner Fink as President of AMC, we should have a leg up, as he will be poised to proactively influence changes before they happen. Congratulations once again to Commissioner Fink for his successful ascent to the Presidency of AMC.

Closer to home, I sense we need to restore confidence in and empower our administration and department heads to be risk takers, to be innovative, to walk in ours and their customers’ shoes. I believe our employees have the expertise to deliver a cost-effective return to taxpayers, one and all. We have much to do as the invisible layer of government that will impact and effect the lives of our citizens daily in many ways.

• At the top of the list is the completion of hiring a new Administrator, and I offer on the Board’s behalf a Big Thanks to Acting Administrator Ann Busche and staff for getting us through a lengthy and soul searching budget crisis this past year.
• Not far behind is the need for the Board to appoint a County Auditor to serve out the remaining 3 years of the term of Gordy McFaul, whose 10 years as Auditor and 35 years of tenure has served the citizens and this Board well, safeguarding St. Louis County’s fiscal future by maintaining healthy reserves and earning SLC an Al bond rating.

• The Board will once again engage in workshop planning sessions every 3rd Tuesday, to give needed attention to the policy questions and operational issues, that remain from ‘03 and those that emerge in ‘04, and we will likely revisit the CIP projects list to address both unavoidable capitol improvement and space needs that will better serve our constituents long into the future.

• Lastly, we will continue to define SLC’s role as a partner in economic development in the region, to assist with job growth , housing, and infrastructure development, and whatever other opportunities arise.

As I look into the crystal ball, it is my hope to lead this Board down the path of being policy leaders who digest and analyze all points of view, from Jeffersonian to Hamiltonian, and make sound, lasting policy decisions in a thoughtful way; then step back, re-focus, and anticipate what lies on the horizon. I believe we must support our staff and empower them to be all they can be, and avoid the temptation to micro-manage; in doing so, I believe our constituents will be served, and served well.

In the final analysis, collectively we must show respect to one another and the policy process, we must accept that which we cannot change, have the courage to change the things we can, and have the wisdom to know the difference. I believe we all bring a valued perspective and experiences to the table and via due process we collectively have the wherewithal to make decisions that will best serve our mutual constituents. In keeping with our mission statement, working together to serve people will be key to our success. Lastly, to insure success, we as policymakers and our managers need to practice participatory management by working with organized labor, those who deliver the front line services, to find ways to improve efficiencies and better serve taxpayers. Truly we are only as good as the people who work with, and for, us.

In closing, in the wake of the historic anecdotes, I propose we segue from historic anecdotes to words of wisdom and quotable quotes that will add levity, reflection, and insight to the complexities that are our past, present, and future. To fortify my belief that we are at our best when we are inclusive, I suggest that each week a different Commissioner bring forth a quote or phrase he or she feels appropriate. It is my hope that in doing so, we can all gain insight to who we are as individuals and how we view the world we live in.

I would humbly begin by offering two quotes:

• "To lead the people, walk behind them." - Lao Tzu, ancient Chinese philosopher
• "Wise men are not always silent, but know when to be." - Unknown

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(Photographs of Commissioners Raukar and Sweeney available upon request.)