Editor’s note: Four candidates will run for Prior Lake mayor on the Nov. 3 ballot. The candidates were mailed questionnaires and asked to respond and submit their photos. Below are the questions, followed by each candidate’s answers.

PRIOR LAKE MAYOR

1. Please describe your background, education, family and community service involvement.

5. What other issues do you feel are important to discuss? What would you like voters to know about your priorities as a candidate?

Francis Klinkner
1. Name: Francis Klinkner
Age: 34
Address: 16534 Franklin Trail, #5C
Occupation: Gaming
Years in the community: Five
Family status: Single
Education: Bachelor of science in political science, emphasis in institutions, process and behavior from Minnesota State University-Mankato
Community service: I serve on my condo association’s board of directors.

2. I am absolutely opposed to creating new revenue streams and I am generally opposed to increasing existing ones. I can easily identify a number of program cuts including mass transit, Club Prior and city-organized recreation. I am sure that after a short time as mayor I would be able to find more things that could be cut. In general I believe in a no-frills government. The city should be responsible for only roads, water and sewer, police and fire. Existing parks I pledge to maintain, but not expand. The problem is, the existing council has backed us into a corner with debt service from large projects and plans to keep us in that corner with a proposal to construct an overpass downtown. It will not be easy for us to get out of a $1 million hole and it may very well require a solution that is based, in part, on an increase in revenue. I also pledge that all large capital improvement projects will be approved via levy. This ensures that the project not only has citizen support, but also ensures that the tax associated with the project expires upon complete payment.

3. As a person without children, I cannot speak directly to this question. However, as stated in my previous answer, I believe a quality police force is one of the few core functions of government. All recommendations from the Community Safety Advisory Committee and all reports and requests directly from the police department will receive serious consideration from me.

4. Working with neighboring communities can have its benefits, but it can also hamper our ability to quickly adjust to changes in circumstance and reach our own goals. I definitely believe in the use of a purchasing pool for needed equipment and other materials. However, I will enter all other cooperation agreements with extreme caution. Prior Lake is a city with a unique identity. We are not a commercial and industrial powerhouse like some of our neighbors, and we do not have large highway systems running through our community. We should not position ourselves in a way that puts us at risk should neighboring communities over extend themselves or fail to properly plan for the future.

5. I believe that the best way to support families and business is by offering the most affordable government possible. Families and businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Any tax hike, no matter how small, could be the tipping point for any family to lose their home or any business to lay off one employee. On the other side of coin are tax cuts. If just one business starts hiring or decides to locate in Prior Lake because of low taxes, we will have begun to turn the corner on the economic decline. That is the path I hope to walk down as your mayor.

Steve Millar
1. Name: Steve Millar
Age: 59
Address: 4851 Rutledge St.
Years in the community: 22
Family status: Married with two children
Education: Bachelor of arts, University of Minnesota
Community service: Prior Lake Rotary; Vietnam veteran, Prior Lake VFW; Choir at Church of St. Michael; working with students at Prior Lake High School

2. The City Council and staff have worked hard to get a handle on the budget. We have made budget adjustments and cuts to the tune of $822,000 to address the budget shortfall for 2010. There are those calling for deeper line-item cuts. While there might be areas to still cut for 2010, I believe they are small. The kind of budget cuts being called upon by others, such as the contingency fund, is irresponsible. That fund is designed to address emergencies and potential opportunities. What company would operate without a contingency fund? We need to be careful where we cut as it will affect the city services in operating funds and staff morale. I believe in tightening the belt, but not at the expense of seriously harming city services.
I recognize we are in the middle of serious economic times, but we need to keep things in perspective. Prior Lake has the lowest city tax capacity rate in Scott County. This means that the same value house located in any other city in Scott County you will pay more and some cases much more in city taxes than in Prior Lake. Prior Lake also runs very lean regarding staff. We will continue to responsibly hold the line on city spending.

3. While underage drinking is always problem, Prior Lake is a leader in looking for ways to address this problem. It starts to reach out to kids in the elementary and middle schools with the DARE program. Recently the Prior Lake City Council was the first in Scott County to adopt a social host ordinance. It has now been adopted by most of the major cities in Scott County and also recently in St Paul. There is always more work to be done, and partnering with the school district has helped greatly.

4. It is extremely important to have a good working relationship with Scott County, the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District and the Shakopee Mdewakaton Sioux Community. I believe the city has done a good job working with all these entities over the past few years and we should continue to do so. We are becoming more and more interdependent. Prior Lake's involvement with the county in SCALE has become increasingly more important as we start look for ways to start sharing services, thus becoming more efficient. The same goes for the school district with discussions of growth within the community and how it affects the school district. Also, the city’s involvement with the DARE program and looking to share services with community education. The SMSC has proved to be a valuable partner in serving the community of Prior Lake. It has been generous in contributions to our park system, we are looking shared projects in our water lines and they have been good partners in road reconstruction and working with the watershed district.

5. While we have made a lot progress over these past few years, there is always more that needs to be accomplished. Some of our roads have been neglected for far too long and need serious immediate attention. I am committed to accelerate our road reconstruction. We need to look to seek more efficient and cost-effective ways to deliver necessary city services. We need to find more effective ways in partnering with the county, the SMSC and our neighboring cities to become more cost-effective and efficient.
It would be foolish to think that one person can do this alone. We need someone with leadership skills that recognizes that. A person that can call on intelligent citizens in our community to come together to help solve some of the complex problems we face. We did that in designing the 2030 vision. You stepped up and help design that plan. I know that with your help we can solve some of these problems. It is time to come together; it has never been about me, but always about you.

Mike Myser
1. Name: Mike Myser
Age: 48
Address: 3857 Island View Circle NW
Occupation: Businessman and entrepreneur (currently also caregiver for father suffering dementia)
Years in the community: In 2001, I decided it was time to put down roots. I chose Prior Lake and bought my home in 2003. In January, I will have lived here for seven years.
Family status: Single
Education: Master of business administration from University of Southern California; bachelor of science degree from University of Western Ontario; high school: St. Thomas Academy
Community service: Two brief examples highlighting my community service commitments:
A) My MBA school USC is in tough South Central Los Angeles. Believing in the phrase “give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime,” I became the program coordinator for the University Community Outreach. I ran classes for minorities starting or growing businesses, and organized a team of fellow MBA students to consult. We helped dozens of minority businesses grow.
B) After the devastating 6.7-magnitude Northridge, Calif. earthquake, I convinced the owner of a local moving company to let me use one of their trucks for the weekend, personally helping move a half dozen poor families out of harm’s way.

2. Having knocked on thousands of Prior Lake doors - to listen and learn - I have met residents who have been laid off, had salary cuts, seniors on fixed incomes, and working people concerned about job security. On their behalf, I say this is not the time to raise taxes.
I met with the city’s finance director. In an hour and a half, I found three items of “fat” that can be cut, eliminating the need for a tax increase, without impacting services.
I propose eliminating:
A. All duplicate publications, e.g., Wavelength, which costs us close to $8,000.
B. The $169,000 contingency, which only adds to a $5.5 million cash surplus (unreserved general fund).
C. Most of the city’s roughly $80,000 in travel expenses (e.g., instead replace car allowances with expense reports and reimburse mileage): business employees don’t go to conferences during difficult times, and neither should city employees.
If I can find these spending reductions in 1½ hours, imagine what I can do as your mayor. Put me to work and any additional “fat” that can be identified and cut will either be given back to you or invested in further improving our services.

3. In order to respond to this question, I spoke with a number of residents to get their feedback. I also spoke with a number of people on the committee to make sure I understood their goals and their decision-making process regarding measures and actions taken to date. Everything I heard seemed to be well-thought-out, fully considered, and in line with the goals of Prior Lake residents.
Because I believe one needs to be held personally responsible for his/her actions, I support both the social host ordinance and alcohol compliance checks. It is my understanding that the social host ordinance makes someone accountable for underage drinking on their property – only if they know about it. It does not hold someone accountable if they are unaware of the activity. Additionally, we should thank the Rotarians for purchasing the “Intoxiclock,” which helps educate people as to the effects of alcohol.
Accordingly, I commend the city’s Community Safety Advisory Committee and the police for their actions to reduce underage drinking and community drug use.

4. As the head of business development and government relations at SAGE Electrochromics, I helped transitioned a small technology company from a lab at Rutgers University to full-scale manufacturing in Faribault, Minn. To successfully transition this company, we needed to develop a number of government and business relationships. I forged cooperative working relationships with the U.S. Department of Energy, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, and the U.S. Army’s Tank and Automotive Command - securing multi-year, multi-million-dollar development relationships for the company. I also put together product development, technology and market development agreements with numerous businesses, including Honeywell, Apogee Enterprises and Volkswagen.
I have a long and successful track record of working with government and businesses to the benefit of all parties. Key to this success has been my ability and willingness to truly listen to the other side and understand and respect their wants, needs and goals. Once you truly understand the other party, you are better able to develop a lasting relationship that mutually benefits both parties. As your mayor, I fully expect to continue my track record of success in developing cooperative relationships with other entities, to benefit them, and to benefit Prior Lake residents overall.

5. We are facing tough economic times for the foreseeable future. We thus need a leader who has the business experience to help us get through these challenging times -- making necessary financial reductions with little or no impact on the number and quality of services. I believe my track record of successfully managing and working with others in challenging environments will allow me to help Prior Lake get through these tough times. We don’t have to settle for more tax increases. As a knowledgeable business leader, I can offer the financial experience to cut the fat and still find new ways to improve our services.
We also need a business leader who can help attract growing businesses, and thus position us for future growth. In the past, our decisions and regulations have cost us businesses -- with some of those instead locating in Savage or Shakopee. We need a mayor with the business experience and track record to review our regulations and help grow our business base. This is why I offer my experience, skill set, track record, and positive attitude to bring new business to Prior Lake.
When you vote, ask yourself who can best lead our city and position it for growth.

Troy Presler
1. Name: Troy S. Presler
Age: 39
Address: 15159 Jeffers Pass NW
Occupation: Market development and product management
Years in community: 6-plus
Family: Married to wife Tricia; two girls, Lakyn and Sterling
Education: Bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering, minor in mathematics, University of North Dakota; Master of business administration, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota; Mini-master of medical technology management, University of St. Thomas (in progress); Six Sigma, statistics background; Pragmatic Marketing, PPM
Community service/relevant experience: Prior Lake Economic Development Advisory Committee three-plus years; Member of Shepherd of the Lake Church; Local volunteer basketball coach; 15 years corporate market development and business management experience

2. In a down economy, businesses instinctively look at ways to reduce spending to become leaner. A colleague of mine in the corporate world coined the term “flight to efficiency” to describe this environment. This is a natural reaction and a good first step but should be addressed with more of a “controlled spending” approach rather than cost cutting across the board. Spending decisions should be made with a return on investment, strategic perspective where possible. But focusing on reduced spending only is a bit short-sighted. Increasing revenue for the city in the short and long term will help support the backdrop for exponential growth opportunities within our community. A few examples to be examined through a creative lens are:
* City-owned, wireless WiFi network
* A forgivable loan program to help build the housing community back up equating to more property tax revenues and a stabilization of home values
* New businesses equate to new tax revenue, permits and jobs. A few examples:
A. Multi-sport complex and training facility
B. Recreational resort on the lake
C. More professional services – attorneys, accountants, etc.
D. Restaurants on the lake, 42/21, downtown
E. High-tech medical facility or business park
F. Biomass/bioengineering R&D facilities

3. I think the police department is doing a good job of trying to reduce the use of alcohol by minors in following a “zero tolerance” policy. The city also partners with the Southwest Metro Drug Task Force, a cooperative group across multiple agencies, to enforce drug laws. But prevention starts with proactive education through programs like DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) where the police department, along with our schools and parents, has instilled a good program. With a 13-year old, I can attest to the consistent and deep messaging DARE has driven through the schools and the need for parents to be actively engaged.
For the city, the real challenge is to have enough feet on the street to drive proactive activity. Relative to the police per-capita ratio, Prior Lake has one officer per 1,000 residents, which is much lower than the Minnesota average (greater than 1.5) and the U.S. (greater than 2) and has 23 officers vs. 50 in Shakopee and 35 in Savage. Considering the amount of police coverage and the current economic environment, I believe the Prior Lake Police Department and the city are doing a good job balancing efforts relative to alcohol and drug control within our community.

4. We need to continue to build relationships with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), SCALE (Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency), and the Prior Lake-Savage School District.
Specifically with SCALE, I would take a leadership role to help construct plans for bringing more businesses and jobs to our community. In fact, one of their main goals is to increase the percentage of Prior Lake’s labor force who make residency here from 34 percent now to 50 percent by 2030. This includes ensuring the proper zoning and infrastructure is in place, land is inventoried, the building permit/coding processes are streamlined for quick approval, competitive TIF/funding is available and statewide partnerships are in place.
Equally important is the relationship that the Prior Lake City Council, the mayor and the residents have with the SMSC. I will work to establish a relationship built on honesty and integrity that would foster an understanding of the needs and history that support the background of the SMSC. Through this understanding, a continued collaboration between our communities can help build upon the water system, police and roadway partnerships and create new ones where the overall benefits will accommodate both the SMSC and also Prior Lake residents.

5. I want to prepare Prior Lake for future growth, expansion and job opportunities. We are in a holding pattern right now which will soon clear; now is the time we need to plan and prepare for this growth. This includes new businesses as well as proactive retention of our current businesses.
In addition, we need to focus on our youth in the community and their well-being through education and appropriate school infrastructure. I want to make this a community that families actively seek out residency for but also want to stay long-term.
Along with this quality of life aspect, I would emphasize the recreational, lake and natural resources throughout our city by continuing to focus on the preservation of our lakes, ponds and trail systems while building upon one of the biggest assets our community has: the lake.
Lastly, I will keep a long-term focus on the 2030 strategic vision as I truly believe that the mayor and the City Council are obligated not only to resolve short-term issues but also those that extend further beyond their two-, three- or four-year terms.