Beard elected to Scott County Board amid suburban shifts

On the morning of Nov. 5, Rep. Mike Beard looked at the new makeup of the Minnesota Legislature and wondered if he'd made a mistake.

The newly elected Scott County commissioner, long the lead Republican on the House Transportation Committee, realized the role he could've had if he'd stayed in the legislature.

"I thought, 'Holy cow, I could've been chair of the transportation committee or chair of the energy committee,'" he said. "This wave of regret swept over me, and I thought, 'No, you can't unring that bell.'"

The conservative Beard's 57 percent to 41 percent victory over moderate challenger Deb Barber comes at a time when County Board seats represent a tempting change of pace.

"There isn't the political gamesmanship that tends to infest the process in St. Paul," Beard said. "And so that appeals to me a great deal."

Still, the slower pace doesn't mean that Beard can expect a dull ride. His arrival comes amid dramatic change in Scott County. Since 2000, the county's population of color has grown 229 percent, according to recent census data.

At the same time, Scott County and its four fellow suburban counties have come together in an unprecedented push against the Metropolitan Council, the regional agency that makes long-term growth and development plans.

At an Oct. 23 candidate forum, both Beard and Ulrich expressed dismay at what they described as an imbalance of power between elected suburban officials and the appointed members of the Met Council.

"I think all the electeds are starting to see that we play second fiddle to the staff of the Met Council," Ulrich said.

It's something Beard said he's planning to focus on as soon as he steps into office. He said he'd like to draw attention back to a 2011 legislative auditor's report that recommended reorganizing the Met Council.

"I think the mission creep has ratcheted up to the point where just average citizens are starting to notice," Beard said. "If we can tear that apart, reorganize it and get it back to a useful tool for the cities and counties to grow with, that'll be great."

During her campaign, Barber spoke of maintaining civility with the Met Council in order to keep a good working relationship. She suggested smaller ways to make change — for one, getting a Scott County representative onto the council.

Barber could not be reached for comment after Election Day.

Beard will represent Shakopee, whose mayor, Brad Tabke, was a Barber ally.

Tabke said the city has had a good working relationship with the Scott County board, and he expects that'll continue.

Beard has been critical of some of the initiatives that Tabke has championed — tax incentives for businesses, for example, which Shakopee has used in recent years to draw in powerhouses like Shutterfly and Emerson Electric Co.

"I know Rep. Beard had said that he wouldn't do some of the things that have been done in the past," Tabke said, "so we'll have to work together to work through those things and figure out how that really great spirit of collaboration continues that we've been able to use to get things done."