ST. CLOUD -- Three people are running for St. Cloud city council in Ward 2, which means there is a primary election for that seat this summer. This week WJON news is talking to each of the candidates.

Liz Baklaich is running for political office for the first time. She moved to St. Cloud around 2000/2001. She is a CPR instructor right now and has also spent time selling insurance and real estate.

She says she decided to run for city council because she feels the residents are not being heard.

The Costco property was a big one, and I think it was an issue that affected a lot of people on both sides of the aisle.  Because frankly if you're going to be selling parkland it should be an open bidding process.  I'm not really comfortable with how that went down and I saw multiple things that just kind of made my hackles go up.

If she is elected one of the issues she'd like to address is the fluoride that is put into our water.

I want to start addressing that and I know city councils have been able to do that before.  I think basically it is a medication that they are putting in our water that is completely unnecessary.

Baklaich says she has been holding listening sessions throughout Ward 2 to get feedback from the residents.

Baklaich says there are a lot of great things about our community including the Munsinger-Clemens Gardens, the Mississippi River, the hydroelectric plant, and the friendly people.

Baklaich is challenging incumbent Steve Laraway and Ric Studer. The top two vote-getters in the August 14th primary election will move on to the general election in November.

St. Cloud's Ward 2 is primarily the east side of town.

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