St. Joseph Council Race Sees Three Going for Two Seats
ST. JOSEPH -- It's a three horse race in St. Joseph for two city council seats this fall, as a long time incumbent takes on two newcomers.
Two new names are on the ballot this year; Anne Buckvold -- who's currently on the council in an interim role -- and Brian Theisen. The final candidate is Dale Wick, who's been a longtime member of the city council.
Wick has been on the city council for 16 years and a resident of St. Joseph for 24. He's a graduate of North Dakota State University and Phoenix University. Wick says his experience on the council is his best asset for the community.
"I feel like I have the ability to ask the right questions, work with others and get things done. We also have a number of projects that are still in the works, and I want to continue with those as well."
He says he's got a few top priorities, namely the community center, and a safe crossing on County Road 75.
Theisen is currently a deputy sheriff and has been in law enforcement for 18 years. He's also a member of the St. Joseph Fire Department. Theisen has lived in St. Joseph for 15 years. He says he's running because he thinks St. Joseph has some good opportunities for growth, and he doesn't like how things are currently going.
"I think the city has some more opportunities [going forward] and I just don't like what I'm seeing currently. So I'm trying to see what I can do to make a change."
Theisen says if he's elected, his number one priority would be to work with law enforcement and others to create some crime-free housing projects in the city. To help maintain St. Joseph's reputation as a safe place to live.
Anne Buckvold is a mental health counselor at Madison Elementary School. She's lived in St. Joseph for 11 years. Buckvold ran for state house in 2016. She got involved in the political arena first by organizing public transportation in the area. Buckvold says she's running to make sure St. Joseph keeps growing.
"I feel strongly that we've got a lot of assets in St. Joseph. That both benefit our [St. Joseph] community and the broader St. Cloud community, and I want to continue to grow those."
She says greater connections between St. Joseph and the greater St. Cloud Metro are her number one priorities. Buckvold says increased interconnectedness will only help St. Joseph's economy and residents.
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