Incumbents face challenges for Anoka County Board

Four years ago, when Robyn West ran for Anoka County commissioner, she was a virtual unknown who knocked on nearly 18,000 doors. When Jim Kordiak campaigned, little introduction was needed. A Kordiak had been on the board for more than a half century.

Now, West and Kordiak are running for reelection. Taking on the new role of incumbent, West, a fiscal conservative, is being challenged by Blaine City Council Member Mike Bourke, who has the blessing of the county's political progressives.

Kordiak, a county commissioner since 1986 and son of former board chairman Al Kordiak, has run unopposed in some past elections. Not this time. His challenger is political newcomer Gregory Sloat, who is running against an established political power because, he said, "somebody should."

District 3: Robyn West vs. Mike Bourke

Bourke, a small businessman, has been a Blaine council member for six years and would like to bring some of the Blaine model to the county.

He worked on the city's 2010 and 2020 long-range comprehensive plans and was the city's liaison to the county. He said he's also worked on watershed issues.

"I feel like I've got plenty of practical experience," Bourke said. "We've balanced budgets. Our bond rating is equal to the county's," he said of Blaine.

"In the city of Blaine, my tax statement went down last year, while in the county, they went up. There's something wrong with that picture, and I'm hoping I can help balance things."

Bourke said he would like to better connect county and city issues and needs. He said he senses a distance between the two branches of government. A smoother transition could easily be attained, he said.

He also hopes to blur the perception that Anoka County politics -- supposedly nonpartisan -- has become divided to the point that candidates have been labeled conservative or liberal and are being recruited by controlling groups within and outside the government center.

"These are really non-party politics," he said. "Let's keep it that way. I love my community. I want to represent the people of Anoka County" and not a special-interest group, he said.

West wants to continue representing the same community, and continues to knock on doors.

"My favorite part of campaigning is meeting the voters," she said. "My biggest concern is the economy. When I knock on people's doors, I have developed a very short message -- and they agree with me."

Without a political background, West didn't exactly burst upon the scene four years ago. She said she didn't do a single mailing and did not generate much funding.

But her message resonated with voters. And it hasn't changed, she said.

"When times are tough, people aren't spending money like they once did," she said. "Eighty percent of what the county does is mandated. But we can carefully look at how we manage the rest."

Not only is the county board about to change drastically -- with at least three and possibly as many as five new commissioners on the seven-member board -- several key Anoka County officials have retired or are about to retire.

"How we use technology and how we take advantage of the silver tsunami [of aging residents] may be the key to moving forward," West said. "We need to revisit organizational structures, to see what really works and what really isn't needed. We need to explore new ways of thinking."

District 4: Jim Kordiak vs. Gregory Sloat

Sloat is the wild-card in the county board's season of change, the ultimate non-politician who is running just for the sake of running.

"Nobody runs against the Kordiaks," said Sloat, who works in the purchasing department of Medtox Scientific Inc. Jim Kordiak has been on the board 24 years and his father, Albert, was commissioner for 32 years before that.

"One family controlling a seat for 56 years?" said Sloat. "I don't care how good you are, after that amount of time, you're bound to get stale."

Sloat said he is bringing a "solid constitutional perspective" to this election.

"The government that we were taught, that's how I want to see it run," Sloat said.

He doesn't have many lawn signs. He said that, as of last week, he had yet to distribute campaign literature.

His message: "Look at your household budget. When times get tough, you have to cut back. The county has to take a hard look at needs vs. wants.

"I'm not Jim Kordiak. I'm going to make him work for this."

Kordiak said he welcomes the challenge. And he said he will welcome it again in 2012, when, assuming redistricting necessitates an election in two years, he runs for the county board again.

"I still find the business of county government interesting, challenging, changing and fun," he said.

"I've been door-knocking since the tulips began coming up. I was out last night. I'll be knocking on doors again tomorrow."

He said he's never heard constituents express so much frustration over the economy or federal government.

Kordiak says the citizen "demands" make sense and there's "nothing we can't address."

But he's assessing today's needs with an eye to the future.

Kordiak has championed implementing high-speed broadband links to city government and says that local businesses are "hungry for high-speed fiber." He's sensitive to the demands of an aging population and supports transportation improvements that include Northstar's Phase II, the plan to extend to St. Cloud the commuter rail line that already runs from Minneapolis to Big Lake.

Kordiak's greatest political strength could be that, after all these years, he doesn't fit any mold.

"I have no political agenda," he said. "My politics, I guess, are more about me than any group."

Paul Levy • 612-673-4419