Two square off in Ramsey County Dist 3 Commissioner race

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Girard Goder lists jobs, safer communities, improved parks, revitalizing vacant and underutilized properties, and an end to chronic homelessness among his priorities. Janice Rettman ranks quality affordable housing for all, effective service delivery, environmental protection, and being creative in developing solutions, as priorities. [/caption]

Compiled by TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

Ramsey County District 3 residents have two options this year: re-elect incumbent Janice Rettman or vote for challenger Girard Goder.

District 3 includes Falcon Heights, and St. Paul neighborhoods North End, South Como, Como Park, Frogtown, Summit University and Hamline-Midway.

Girard Goder

http://www.goderforramsey.com

A lifelong Minnesota resident, Godor graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in geophysics and a B.S. in geology.  The economic recession cut short his career as a project geologist, and he found himself working two jobs, barely able to cover his expenses. He now oversees a team of environmental health professionals and works with local government. Godor is running for office in order to improve the quality of life for the people of Ramsey County.

Goder lists his top five priorities on his website:

1) Job growth and economic development: “Finding a job should not be more difficult than the job itself.  I will strive to enact policies and programs to draw new businesses into the area to create new jobs and new opportunities across a variety of industries.”

2) Create safer communities: “I will support programs and policies that reduce crime on our streets, reduce pollution in the water we drink and the air we breathe and reduce unnecessary governmental intrusion into our private lives.”

3) Revitalize vacant and underutilized properties: “There are over 1,000 vacant buildings in the City of Saint Paul alone. ... I will support projects that clean up and revitalize these vacant properties to attract new businesses and new residents to Ramsey County while creating livable wage jobs and improving the aesthetics of our neighborhoods.”

4) Improve parks and recreational areas: “When I was little, the house my family lived in bordered a 15 acre park.  When my brothers and I needed more space to roam, we ventured out into that park where we had a seemingly endless expanse to explore.  All these years later, I still enjoy the respite from daily life that parks can provide. ... I will seek to invest in these important resources so that future generations can enjoy this same sense of freedom that I did as a youngster and still do to this day.”

5) End chronic homelessness: “The economic burden to the community of ignoring chronic homelessness far exceeds the cost of implementing a solution.  Communities all across the nation are making a concerted effort to help those least able to help themselves.”

Janice Rettman

http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/cb/district3/index.htm

Rettman has been on the County Board since April 1997. Prior to that, she served over 11 years on the St. Paul City Council representing the North End, South Como and Como Park areas and part of the Eastside.

At the county, Rettman serves as Vice-Chair of the County Board, chair of the Ramsey County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and Chair of the county Health Services Committee. Other committee activities include a Law Library Trustee, the Ramsey/Washington County Resource Recovery Project Board, the State of Minnesota Community Health Board Services Advisory Committee, the Metropolitan Area Library Service Agency (MELSA), the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District and the National Association Of Counties Health Steering Committee.

While on the Saint Paul City Council, Rettman worked closely with community residents and other council members to create legislation to deal with problem properties and to make city neighborhoods cleaner and safer.

As a county commissioner and city councilmember she is proud of her work to create equal opportunities in hiring practices, for civil service testing that reflects the duties of the position, for requiring living wages for county contracts, for requiring real opportunities for disadvantaged businesses to access county contracts, for the re-institution of the Environmental Response Fund (ERF) to clean up polluted lands and create new jobs for area residents, and for the implementation of a fiscally responsible budget review process that focuses on completing identified goals and adopted priorities.

Rettman believes that government should be responsive to its citizens and provide opportunities for meaningful public input. She works toward improving the fiscal policies and management practices of the county to reflect that input.  

At the county, Rettman ranks quality affordable housing for all, effective service delivery, environmental protection, and being creative in developing solutions, as priorities.

Previously, Rettman served as director of the St. Paul Housing Information Office, chair and board member of the District 10 Community Council and a VISTA Program volunteer.

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