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Heated races on Maplewood ballot
Government transparency is big issue in mayor's race, while a candidate for council decries "slimy" tactics.
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Voters in Maplewood -- often a city with heated elections -- will choose a mayor and two City Council members Tuesday after a campaign laced with disagreements over leadership style and charges of homophobic scare tactics.
Mayor Diana Longrie, who has campaigned on a platform that city government should be open and accessible, faces Council Member Will Rossbach, who said Longrie's approach in practice means long, inefficient meetings with many residents making political statements.
"She doesn't cut them off," said Rossbach, who lost to Longrie, an attorney, in the last mayor's race. City Council meetings often run past midnight and sometimes as long as eight hours, said Rossbach, whose family owns a construction business.
"I would work toward running a meeting that is more like a business meeting where we stick to the topics at hand," he said. While he agrees with the principle of transparency in government, Rossbach said, he is tired of devoting meeting time to people who don't comment on city business but instead express their disdain or pleasure with the council's current makeup.
Longrie said that Rossbach has disparaged her efforts to promote transparent government and staff accountability, "insinuating that these efforts are the source of turbulence in our community and must be curtailed to bring 'civility' and 'pride' back to Maplewood."
Longrie said she stands for accountable spending and engaging residents from "all walks of life and ethnic groups" to help create public policy in Maplewood.
Meanwhile, the race for two City Council seats took an ugly turn recently when some Maplewood residents received fliers from an anonymous source, making claims about the sexual orientation and ethnic heritage of candidate James Llanas.
"Supporters of my opponents are using fear and hate to get votes," Llanas wrote on his website. "These slimy tactics make incorrect assumptions about Maplewood residents. They assume [they] are uninformed, comfortable with people who divide our community and tolerant of bigots."
Llanas is running against Dave Hafner, Rebecca Cave and incumbent Kathy Jeunemann.
East metro races
White Bear Lake will have a new mayor for the first time since 1994. Either Jo Emerson or Renee Tessier will succeed Paul Auger, who didn't file for reelection. Emerson, vice chair of the city's planning commission, is a retired banker. Tessier is a City Council member.
In the only City Council race, Kevin Edberg and Pam Johnson will square off in Ward 4.
In Mahtomedi, incumbents Kenneth Lohr and Lael Ramaley face challenger Tim Mitchell for two City Council seats.
In Lino Lakes, incumbent John Bergeson will face City Council member Jeff Reinert and charter commissioner Connie Sutherland for mayor. Jeffrey O'Donnell and challengers Rob Rafferty, Dave Roeser, Byron Roland and Kevin Stanton are running for two City Council seats.
In Circle Pines, Ed Zech will face incumbent David Batholomay for mayor.
In Falcon Heights, Keith Gosline and Melanie Leehy will challenge incumbent Pam Harris for two City Council seats.
In New Brighton, Dave Jacobsen and incumbent Steve Larson square off in the mayor's race. Paul Jacobsen, Char Samuelson, Graeme Allen, Ron Meyer, Walt Witzke, Christopher Stedman and incumbent Gina Bauman will compete for two City Council seats.
Newcomers Jeremy Carr, Mary Gaasch and Roxanne Grove will compete for two City Council seats in Lauderdale.
Kevin Giles • 612-673-4432
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