Outgoing Mayors Express Concern Over Partisan Politics

UNDATED (WJON News) -- The outgoing St. Cloud area mayors are expressing concern over how divisive politics have become over the past 10 years.

WJON News recently interviewed the mayors of St. Joseph, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, and St. Cloud and three of the four talked about the growing partisanship, especially at the state and federal level.

St. Joe Mayor Rick Schultz says he first saw it during the 2016 election and again during the 2020 election.

Quite honestly, there's going to be more turmoil after 2024. I don't care who wins or loses or what it looks like. My wife Tammy and I talked about what it's going to look like and I said I don't want to go through it again.

Sauk Rapids Mayor Kurt Hunstiger says what's happening in our country is frustrating.

I shouldn't take a shot at anybody but I'm going to. I'm just frustrated with how political everything has been. Not upset, nothing I can do about it. It's just the national scene and it has carried over to the state.

Hunstiger says that his city council they have two members who lean left, two members who lean right, and one in the middle and they are able to get work done without arguing or embarrassing anybody.

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St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis says there's no place for partisan politics at the local level.

Warn people you don't want that at the local level. I see that creeping in in some cases, I think that's just wrong. You want people to be able to work together and build a consensus.

Kleis was a Republican State Senator for 11 years but says he's been an independent since he was elected mayor 20 years ago.