MEET THE 2024 CANDIDATES 10/24/24

COUNTY COMMISSIONER - DISTRICT 2

 

Derek Vetsch

 

Name: Derek Vetsch

Position you are seeking: Wright County Commissioner District 2

1. Tell us about yourself:

I am a lifelong resident of Wright County, residing in Monticello with my wife, Karen, and our children. I have a lengthy history of community involvement, having served with organizations such as the Monticello IEDC, the CMRP River Crossing Work Group, Big Lake EDA and as a past member of the Monticello Chamber of Commerce Board, to name a few.

 

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

My past experiences as a business owner and having held various other city and county positions have given me great perspective and knowledge as a county commissioner. In addition, having served as county board chair for three of the past eight years has given me great leadership experience.

 

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

As commissioner, my primary goals have been to create and maintain a high quality of life while ensuring fiscal responsibility. I take pride in my achievements, which include financial modeling, protecting county tax dollars at the State Capitol, and educating the community on county operations.

 

What do you consider to be the most important issues facing Wright County now? 

Wright County faces a couple of challenges in the years ahead. One of the challenges is the high demand for development. The board in the years to come will need to navigate through the ever-growing demand for development against those who would like to maintain the rural community feed and landscape it has held for decades. 

A second challenge is the increased demand for services in Health and Human Services, combined with high cost of labor. The boards of the future will need to find ways to meet these demands without large impacts to taxpayers.

 


COUNTY COMMISSIONER - DISTRICT 5

 

Kirby Moynagh

 

Name: Kirby Moynagh

Position you are seeking: Wright County Commissioner District 5

1. Tell us about yourself: 

My name is Kirby Moynagh, I’m 32-years-old and I live in Montrose, where I have lived since I was three-years-old. I am a father of three boys, with ages ranging from 1 – 14 years old, as well as two dogs. I have been married to my wife since 2020. In my free time, I play amateur baseball for the Montrose-Waverly Stingers and coach my oldest son’s sports teams. I graduated from Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School class of 2011. I have an associate’s degree in management from APUS and am currently four classes away from completing my bachelor’s in criminal justice. I have worked in a residential group home since 2013, and for the last two-and-a-half years I have been a program manager in charge of resident and staff management. For the past four years it has been my honor and privilege to be Mayor of my hometown, Montrose. Prior to being Mayor, I was a city council member for two years.

 

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

Since 2019, I have served the residents of Montrose as a member of their City Council. In 2020 I was given the honor of being elected Mayor. Since joining the Montrose City Council I joined the League of Minnesota Cities “Developing Local Economies” policy committee where we have worked to create legislation and legislative agendas to benefit Minnesota cities. 

I have worked with Representative McDonald, State Senator Anderson, Congressman Emmer, and US Senator Amy Klobuchar to acquire funding for Montrose from the state and federal government. In the spring of 2024 Montrose Wastewater treatment plant funding was passed in the US house of Representatives and as of 9/4/2024, it is still waiting for approval in the US Senate.

As mentioned in my introductory paragraph I also hold a degree in management, am completing a degree in criminal justice, and have worked with youth in residential care for the past 11 years. I believe with my professional and personal background it has given me a unique set of tools that I can use to serve the residents of District 5.

 

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

I’m running for County Commissioner because I believe in the future of what Wright County can be. Wright County has been my home for nearly my entire life, and I want Wright County to be a place that my kids are proud to call home and to be a place where they want to live and raise their families someday. I believe that Wright County is the best county in the state to live in and call home, and I want to continue building on our county’s strong legacy.

I want to work with the farming community to bring the least restrictive policies possible to help give our farmers the best opportunity to thrive. Farmers are the backbone of our county and the backbone of our nation, and we need to do more to support them.

 

4. What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the Wright County now? 

Wright County is at a pivotal moment. We face numerous challenges, from maintaining and updating our infrastructure, to managing growth sustainably, to ensuring our public services meet the needs of all residents. I believe that with proactive leadership, we can turn these challenges into opportunities for improvement and innovation. We need to budget and spend responsibly to protect our residents from inflation and reckless state spending. By working with county staff and the other commissioners, I believe we can build a budget and new policies that can benefit the entirety of Wright County and not just a small, populated corner of the county. I am committed to ensuring that Wright County continues to thrive.

As your commissioner I will fight for District 5 to ensure that our voice is heard. For far too long District 5 has been ignored. Whether it was Charlie Borrell or Mike Kaczmarek fighting for fiscal responsibility, we have been ignored. If I am given the privilege of being the next District 5 Commissioner, I will make sure that our voice is heard. From Stockholm and French Lake townships to the city of Delano, I will work to give you a strong voice at the county.

 


Bill Nibbe

 

Name: Bill Nibbe

Position you are seeking: Wright County Commissioner District 5

1. Tell us about yourself: 

My wife, Vickie, and I were married in 1983, and began our married life in Brooklyn Park. In 1996, we found and purchased a small parcel of land in Marysville township. In the spring of 1997, we sold our city home, set up a campsite, and spent the summer building our new home. We home-educated our five children, and encouraged them to be active in their communities and churches. I am currently a Semi-conductor production engineer, working in Plymouth.

 

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

From Article VII, Sec. 6 of MN State Constitution, I meet the eligibility requirements to be elected. I know that there is a standard for truth. A standard for determining right from wrong. And that standard is the Holy Bible. As Jesus Christ once said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you…..”  Matthew 7:12.

 

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

This spring, while reviewing what our founding fathers went through to establish our Constitutional Republic, I was convicted that I too should be willing to stand up and speak out for our God-given rights. When a friend encouraged me to run for the Wright County Commissioner, I knew that it was time to stand up. 

 

What do you consider to be the most important issues facing the Wright County now?

Citizens don’t know and understand their rights as stated in the US and MN Constitutions. Constantly encourage people to read and study them as I will refer to them often. Citizens don’t trust the results of our elections. Go back to in-person, one-day voting. [MN Constitution Article VII, Section 7] Citizens need to be more involved in the county decision making process. Move the Commissioner meetings from mornings to evenings.

 

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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