MEET THE 2024 CANDIDATES 10/17/24

MONTROSE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL

 

 

MONTROSE MAYOR

 

Roy Henry

 

Name: Roy Henry

Position you are seeking: Mayor (City of Montrose)

1. Tell us about yourself:

I, Roy Henry, have been a life-long resident of Montrose. I grew up in Waverly and graduated from St. Mary’s High School of Waverly. I am 85 years young; retired. Married to my wife Sylvia for 64 years and counting; six children, eighteen grandchildren, ten great grandchildren. I live on Hwy. 12 (aka Nelson Blvd).

 

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people:

I worked side-by-side with my father in the excavating business for over 20 years. I have also worked on the landing gear for the space shuttle. Started National Night out event in Montrose, volunteered at Montrose Elementary School and helped with Montrose Senior Citizens group. I served as a Volunteer Firefighter in my younger years, in Waverly. I have also served on the Montrose City council in 2010. Served as a liaison for Fire Department, Park & Recreation committee, and Highway 12 redevelopment. Served on Planning & Zoning committee, where I was chair. My wife Sylvia and I received the Minneapolis Aquatennial Commodore Award in 2008 for work with our Senior Citizens Group of Montrose, National Night out and our volunteer service. I do like to assist others to the best of my abilities. In 2013, I finished out the term of the Mayor Elect who resigned.

 

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office:

I, Roy Henry, have a deep passion for people, the public and for the citizens of Montrose. All our citizens deserve equality and dignity. I want to be as transparent as possible to our citizens, listen to all your concerns. If no answers immediately, I will get answers and find a solution to the matter.

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the city now:

Sewer plant, Taxes and Business. Sewer plant, keep all citizens up to date with news on the plan. I know a plan is in process, but are all citizens updated, and not just by internet. I would like to see all citizens updated. Bringing more businesses into our community will expand the tax base. Make better choices for our citizens of Montrose.

 


Michelle Otto

 

Name: Michelle Otto

Position you are seeking: Mayor (City of Montrose)

1. Tell us about yourself:

My name is Michelle Otto, and I am running for Mayor of Montrose. I have lived in Montrose my whole life got married and have raised my family here (four Kids). I am a Culinary Director in a Senior Community in Maple grove and have been in this field for almost 20 years.

 

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people:

I have served in many leadership capacities in Montrose. I started with City Council in 2012, became Mayor in 2016, in 2022 I became a Commission member for Park and Rec, and in November of 2022 I was re-elected to the City Council.

My leadership skills brought me back to the City Council. I am the President of Celebrate Montrose where I work with a great group of individuals who share the same goal of building community.

 

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office:

I am choosing to run for Mayor because in the time that I had left office, the fiscal responsibility, as well as transparency, got lost, a park Board was disbanded, and overall communication to the people went away. 

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the city now:

A big issue that continues to face the city is infrastructure and business coming to town. We are working diligently to budget for the infrastructure and have made many improvements, we will continue to reach out to businesses and show them what Montrose has to offer with being on Hwy. 12, many homes are currently being built which helps and will make Montrose more inviting.

 


Sam Solarz

 

Name: Sam Solarz

Position you are seeking: Mayor (City of Montrose)

1. Tell us about yourself:

I’m a proud Montrose resident of eight years, living here with my wife, Robin, our daughter, Izabella, and our two huskies. I currently serve on the city council, where I’m involved in finance, planning and zoning, and the wastewater commission. Professionally, I work in IT for the City of Buffalo, focusing on cybersecurity and innovation. My commitment to Montrose drives my mayoral run, aiming to improve infrastructure, enhance community health services, and ensure transparent, efficient governance for our city.

 

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people:

As a member of the finance committee, the liaison to planning and zoning, personal committee, mayor pro tem, and a member of the wastewater commission formed with Waverly, I deeply understand Montrose’s needs. My role in IT for Buffalo gives me access to both Montrose and Buffalo city staff, allowing me to gather diverse insights. These experiences and my commitment to transparency and fiscal responsibility uniquely qualify me to lead Montrose into a future of growth and innovation.

 

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office:

I’ve chosen to run for mayor because Montrose is my home, and I want to ensure it thrives. With my experience on the city council, I’ve seen the challenges we face and our potential. I’m committed to improving our infrastructure, expanding health resources, and ensuring transparency in our government. I believe in a future where Montrose is stronger, healthier, and more connected, and I’m ready to lead us toward that vision.

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the city now:

The most important issue facing Montrose is our aging and failing infrastructure. To address this, I propose a comprehensive plan that prioritizes urgent repairs, seeks additional funding through state and federal grants, and invests in sustainable infrastructure for the future. By ensuring transparency in budgeting and focusing on immediate needs and long-term resilience, we can secure Montrose’s future and improve the quality of life for all residents. As mayor, I will make this a top priority.

 


MONTROSE CITY COUNCIL

 

Roger Fraumann

 

Name: Roger Fraumann

Position you are seeking: Montrose City Council

1. Tell us about yourself: 

After working in 35 countries and living in 20 locations, I finally retired to Montrose seven years ago to be closer to family. 

 

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people:

Drawing on my experience across three careers - the USAF, the IT Industry, and disaster management—I welcome the opportunity to contribute results-oriented leadership and team building for the community.

 

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office:

• Long-term vision and planning towards an attractive city for family living and businesses. 

• Strengthen government transparency and alignment of the city’s financial and resilience planning, particularly regarding infrastructure, to reassure everyone about the city’s future and ability to weather any storm.

• Build on our community engagement.

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the city now:

We must focus on improving our community’s quality of life while being more mindful of our budgetary constraints. On a sliding scale, decision-making factors must include wisdom, experience, knowledge, intuition, and, least importantly, opinions.

 


Toby Nelson

 

Montrose City Council candidate Toby Nelson did not submit a profile article by this week’s deadline.

 


Aaron Niska

 

Montrose City Council candidate Aaron Niska opted not to participate in the Journal-Press candidate survey.  

 


Joseph A. Von Thoma

 

Montrose City Council candidate Joseph A. Von Thoma did not submit a profile article by this week’s deadline. 

 


HANOVER MAYOR AND HANOVER CITY COUNCIL

 

 

HANOVER MAYOR

 

Cody Vojacek

 

Name: Cody Vojacek

Position you are seeking: Mayor (City of Hanover)

1. Tell us about yourself:

I am Cody Vojacek, and I have lived in Hanover with my wife, daughter, baby on the way, and our lab, Blake since May of 2022. I grew up in Rogers and graduated from Rogers High School. I have spent most of my life in the Rogers, St. Michael and Hanover area. I work as a Construction Manager with a national builder. Prior to a career change, I was in public safety, and my wife has been on the Hanover Fire Department for six-plus years.

 

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people:

Currently as a Construction Manager, I run a $7-to-8 million project, overseeing residential new construction homes. I work daily with the City, inspections, planners, trades, and homeowners to keep projects moving forward.

I have been the CEO/President of the NW Area Jaycees for the past five years. We are one of the state’s largest charitable gambling organizations, and I oversee approximately 50 employees, a significant budget, state required reporting and donations and maintain relationships with over 15 sites and cities where we operate business.

As a retired police officer, I had a great amount of experience with local government, including city council meetings, budgets, and city operations that have prepared me and fed my interest in local government.

 

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office:

I have always had a strong interest in local government and have immersed myself in that as much as I could through previous careers.

I believe the City of Hanover is in a period of growth and definition for what the city will be, and I would love to be a part of setting that identity and moving the City forward through those changes.

As a resident, I have noticed that some of the services provided to the City, or for the City, have severely lacked in quality and attention. I believe that it is important for the City to be treated the same as any other City, and not ignored due to our size. I would like to see the internal operations of the City reviewed to ensure that we are being fiscally responsible, and efficient to provide exceptional service to the residents of the City.

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the city now:

City Services:

• The City is growing larger than the capacity of those we contract with or those that work within the city. It is important to be ahead of the curve in growth, and the current services being provided to the city are lacking. It is detrimental to growth, development, and the residents of our city to not provide adequate services to receive timely review and communications.

Communication:

• In talking with members of the public throughout the last month, I have found a lot of misinformation, or lack of information about the on-goings of City activity. I would work to boost the transparency of council and City activity by making all City meetings more accessible by offering virtual attendance, and/or recorded meetings to allow residents to view or interact at their availability.

Fiscal Responsibilities:

• The levy for the city has grown significantly over the past 3 years. Services are contracted out at rates that would sufficiently cover bringing that work back in house, and incentivizing employees to receive more training and certifications. This would increase retention, in a city that lost 5 full time employees in 2 years, decrease cost, and accelerate services provided to the residents.

 


Greg Zgutowicz

 

Name: Greg Zgutowicz

Position you are seeking: Mayor (City of Hanover)

1. Tell us about yourself:

My name is Greg Zgutowicz. I am 40, have been married to my wife Robin for 14 years, and have two boys, soon to be 12 and 14. In 2010, we bought our home in the eastern part of Hanover, north of the Crow River in Wright County. I am a graduate of the University of Minnesota with study in Business and work in Field Operations Support. I have served on the Hanover City Council since January of 2023 and am proud to be the Wright County Republican Party recommended candidate for Hanover mayor. 

 

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people:

I have worked in various management roles for many years, most recently in a highly cross functional management role. My growth and development have made me a better listener, supporter, partner, and challenger to get to the right outcome. This experience has helped me as a member of the Hanover City Council to work with the community bringing projects/ideas/developments to life. The residents of Hanover have a wide range of viewpoints, and I believe in the goal of listening to the community, finding common ground, and moving forward.

 

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office:

I am running for mayor because I love Hanover as the “Little City on the Crow.”  Hanover residents have made it clear during my time on the council that keeping a smalltown feel is essential to maintaining our quality of life. Creating a balance that welcomes new neighbors and recognizes the smalltown asset we have works to preserve city history while also supporting community growth. As mayor, I will continue efforts to make sure Hanover remains the Little City on the Crow.

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the city now:

Development Issues:  

• Should we build more homes? Create more businesses? Stop development altogether?  How do we grow and keep Hanover a small town? For the last two years I have listened closely to Hanover residents on these questions and as mayor will lead council efforts to grow appropriately and responsibly, without losing our hometown feel.

 

The Economy:  

• Hanover is not immune to the current economic state of high inflation. It impacts our costs and ultimately taxpaying residents who are also suffering from the same economic constraints. As a council member, each budget I have supported has included a lower tax rate on Hanover households. I will continue to ensure Hanover residents receive the services they need without raising tax rates.  

 


HANOVER CITY COUNCIL

 

Gretchen Barrett

 

Name: Gretchen Barrett

Position you are seeking: Hanover City Council

1. Tell us about yourself: 

My husband and I have lived in Hanover for 11 years along with our two kids and beloved English Springer. My ancestors were among the first settlers of Hanover so I’m grateful to be raising my own family in this community. I work for United Healthcare with a focus on strategic planning and spend my free time with kids in hockey, softball and volleyball and spending time with friends and neighbors in the community.  

 

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people:

I joined the Planning Commission in 2020 and have been dedicated to listening to residents and understanding the goals and plans for our town. 

 

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office:

It’s been incredibly rewarding to have been a part of the Planning Commission and help shape the future of Hanover and I look forward to continuing to serve the community to make Hanover a place we all love and cherish.

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the city now:

As our town continues to grow, I believe we can embrace this growth while preserving the unique charm and history that makes Hanover so special. My goal as a council member is to ensure that our growth is thoughtful and sustainable, while enhancing the character of our amazing community.

 


John Ganfield

 

Name: John Ganfield 

Position you are seeking: Hanover City Council

1. Tell us about yourself: 

I’m 41, married 18 years, three daughters (16, 14, and 12). Moved to Hanover 2014, Own and operate Triple Threat Marine. 

 

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people:

Currently, on the Hanover Planning Commission, which has helped me learn the ordinances and rules of Hanover. Previously, I spent 10 years serving my community as a paid-on-call/full-time firefighter which helped me learn another integral aspect of the city. 

 

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office:

Hanover has a lot of changes happening and with the three open positions on council, it feels like the right time to help Hanover down a positive path of growth. With my knowledge from the Planning Commission, it should make a smooth transition. 

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the city now:

Growth is always a hot topic with Hanover, some for it and some against. In my eyes, growth is always going to happen, but we need to make sure we’re doing the best we can to listen to the community to ensure positive growth in what makes sense for the community.

 


Paul Mayo

 

Name: Paul Mayo

Position you are seeking: Hanover City Council

1. Tell us about yourself: 

My name is Paul Mayo; I have lived in this beautiful city since May 2014. My wife and I have two kids, both of whom graduated from Buffalo High School. I am a software engineer by training with advanced degrees in this field. I have spent most of my career in IT, where I have worked for the past 24 years, with 18 years of that in the healthcare industry. I have also served as an adjunct college professor, teaching IT project management to graduate students. My current professional interest lies in the intersection of IT and healthcare. In addition, I am in my second year of another advanced degree, the Healthcare MBA program at the University of St. Thomas. When I am not engrossed in IT code or design or thinking about a healthcare issue and how IT can help, you might find me taking a leisurely walk with my wife.

 

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people:

I have extensive experience planning, budgeting, designing, and managing resources for IT projects. I have also worked collaboratively with people from different locations, nationally and internationally. For many years, I was a volunteer Sunday school teacher and leader in the children’s department at my church. I am confident that I can utilize my expertise in IT project management to improve the council’s operations, efficiency, and delivery of public services and further the city’s strategic goals.

 

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office:

While I have always aspired to contribute to the management of our beautiful city, the main appeal of the city council office is that it is a non-partisan office. I believe that now is the perfect time to get involved. Serving as a city council member will offer an excellent opportunity to collaborate with other community leaders, businesses, and residents. Together, we can promote growth, sustainability, and inclusivity in our city to prepare for the challenges of the 21st century. 

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the city now:

• My main concern is the environment. Since our city’s population is growing at an average of about 2% per year, we need to keep our city’s environment clean and encourage sustainable practices significantly. This means maintaining air quality and preserving green spaces. Fully addressing these issues will require a community-centered approach. 

• Budgeting is another issue I would like to examine. How can we increase income and maintain our budget and development without impacting our environment and building our way out of it? These are not easy questions to answer. Examining closely what I am facing would determine what direction to take.

• If I am elected, I intend to initiate a city-wide survey on me for what I call “The Voice of Hanover” to understand the pressing issues, concerns, future plans, and directions that the residents have for the city as we prepare for the future. I will collect the data and conduct the analysis.

 

Publication: 

The Drummer and The Wright County Journal Press

PO Box 159
108 Central Ave.
Buffalo MN 55313

www.thedrummer.com

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