Running for mayor in Brooklyn Park

The election season is in full swing in Brooklyn Park, with 12 candidates vying for the mayoral post after the death of Mayor Steve Lampi in February.

In brief interviews, several candidates mentioned that they would like to continue Lampi's legacy, especially in the area of civic engagement across the city's diverse population.

The April 30 special election will go on without a primary. With such a large field, a candidate conceivably could win with a little more than 8.5 percent of the vote. Even if all of the city's 38,894 registered voters participate, a candidate could win with as few as 3,307 votes if the totals split virtually evenly. Note that special elections normally get much smaller turnout than a general elections, so every vote really does count.

The city has created a video with mini-profiles of all the candidates. Watch it at www.startribune.com/a282. Here are the candidates:

Billy Bishop, 48, resident for 12 years

Relevant experience: Work with the Neighborhood Action Program around crime issues, sales rep for Elite Transportation. Handed out 8,500 U.S. flags to residents since 2002.

Top issues: Crime, high taxes and transparent government. "Ninety-eight percent of the things brought before the council pass. I don't see how that's possible if you're debating everything in the open."

Relevant experience: Work experience in various industries, and diverse volunteer experience.

Top issues: "There are a lot of people who need work. They're losing their houses, and they don't have enough to get by. How do we pull together as a community? How can we better address the issue of unemployed people losing their homes and losing hope?"

Website: www. lauriehilgersformayor.com

Jim Krautkremer, 76, resident for 45 years

Relevant experience: Mayor of Brooklyn Park 18 years from 1972-1990, two years on City Council, three years on Planning Commission, two years on Metropolitan Council. Retired, IT director for Midland Cooperatives.

Website: www.home.comcast.net/~jim-krautkremer/site

Jeffrey Lunde, 43, resident for 13 years

Relevant experience: Four years on City Council, four years on the Planning Commission, three years on the Hennepin Count Library Board. Works in technical sales for Microsoft, Inc.

Top issues: Business, civic engagement, public safety. "Brooklyn Park's reputation is defined by a perceived crime problem. Until we get that changed, Brooklyn Park will always have a problem attracting new businesses and new residents."

Mark Mata, 40, resident for 26 years

Top issues: Public safety, reducing taxes, increasing business opportunities and expanding the tax base. "As the market's going down the city should be going down so finding creative ways to do more with less."

Website: www.mataformayor.com

Jeanette Meyer, 57, resident for 34 years

Relevant experience: City Council since 1998; vice president, Brooklyn Park Economic Development Authority; vice president, Brooklyn Park Development Corporation; chair, Brooklyn Park City Council Audit Committee; member, Brooklyn Park Crime Prevention Association. Business Consultant.

Top issues: Citizen engagement, foreclosure recovery, crime reduction, jump-starting development, "a continuation of the progress that the City Council has made."

Relevant experience: Two years as vice chairman, Brooklyn Park Human Rights Commission, and member, League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions; Policy Chairman, city of Detroit; independent sales associate.

Top issues: Economic viability, safety, equal opportunity and representation for all. "I have a passion and commitment for uniting the community."

Website: www.onelovecampaign.us

Morson was voted off the League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions in 2008 after he attempted to register himself as the league's president, change its mailing address to his business address and to put himself in charge of the organization's bank account, according to several current and former board members. Morson said last week that he was frustrated by the slow pace of action by the league, and by the finding that it was not properly registered with the state. "As human rights commissioners, we're supposed to preserve and protect people's rights," he said. "When you can't do things appropriately or within the law within your own company, how can you go out and protect the rights of someone else?"

Tony Pistilli, 51, resident for 25 years

Top issues: Transparency, foreclosure, development, public safety, youth involvement, civic engagement, continuity.

"Right now, the city needs an individual that can immediately assume the role of mayor and continue to lead the city in the right direction."

Wynfred Russell, 38, resident for eight years

Relevant experience: Current member of Brooklyn Park Planning Commission, former member of the Brooklyn Park Human Rights Commission, active with Stable Neighborhoods Action Plan (SNAP) for the Village Creek development. Infectious disease researcher at the University of Minnesota.

Top issues: Collaboration, a focus on youth, community engagement, to carry on Lampi's legacy. "I've been so moved and so touched by his leadership and encouragement ... to get involved, and to encourage people in our community to get involved."

Scott Scheid, 44, resident for 40 years

Relevant experience: Little League, football coach, volunteer tutor at Northview Junior High School, independent contractor for USA Today

Top issues: Public safety, the completion of Hwy. 610, nurturing business, parks. "I am a common-sense person. I also want businesses to be able to exist without too much regulation or red tape."

Website: www.sds4bp.com

Scheid pleaded guilty to an aggravated forgery charge in 2002, after a pay dispute with a former employer. "I learned a valuable lesson, and a damaged reputation is an awfully difficult thing to remedy," he said last week. "I feel that I have done that over the past 10 years. I've been true to myself and true to others."

Relevant experience: "Experience through life." Works as a U.S. mail carrier, comedy talent booker.

Top issues: "I don't like ... these strip malls that are vacant. There's got to be a way to create an incentive for business owners to get businesses in there, then hopefully get local people jobs and save homes from being vacant."

Website: www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-Tanner-for-Brooklyn-Park-Mayor/189396357763363

Tait Turnquist, 39, resident for 37 years

Relevant experience: The Tater Daze parade chairman; volunteer for the Youth Ambassador program, Boy Scouts, St. Paul Vulcans. Distribution Center Manager for the Scooter Store.