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Mayoral candidates:

Could you tell our citizens/taxpayers how you feel about Ellen Kehr’s SHIP coordinator paid county job and being a city councilwoman? Do you feel that there is a conflict of interest or not?

Even though the Tribune is a member of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, I was wanting more answers from the Tribune on this issue. Where is this money?

The SHIP grant is $190,000; if you go to www.healthyfreeborncounty.org, only $8,300 has been spelled out.

In the near future, another mayoral forum will be held, but the chamber decides what questions are worthy. Somehow, I don’t think it was wrong to ask at the last forum whether or not the executive director, Randy Kehr, and his wife’s numerous positions are conflicts of interest. Hopefully, the editor will allow the question here.

Is this right? What will you, if anything, do about it if elected as mayor? In Mr. Mike Murtaugh’s case, why wasn’t anything done?

Points to ponder for the citizens, taxpayers and mayoral candidates:

• The city statute statement that was used as a reason for Kehr to keep her position as a city councilwoman and/or SHIP coordinator for the county was written and hasn’t been amended since 1979. It mentions nothing about county jobs or county positions.

• Both Randy Kehr and Lois Ahern (who hired the unqualified Kehr being paid $22 per hour due to who she knows rather than interviewing anyone else for the position) are both on the Vitality Team, which can also apply for grants in which Ellen Kehr decides on.

• Ellen Kehr is the wife of the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Kehr is president of ALEDA and the Port Authority, which Dan Dorman proclaims that these two are not the same entity. There needs to be more transparency about these roles.

Tonya Lynch

Albert Lea

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I thought that the community deserves a response to some of the issues raised here.

The Chamber does sponsor various forums for political races as a service to the community just as we sponsor the 3rd of July Parade, the 4th of July Fireworks, the 3rd Grade Farm Tours and the Farm Family of the Year. Community members who attended or watched the recent forum for the Sheriff’s candidates saw that I was seated in the middle of the candidates and far removed from the moderator. Every question from the audience was given to the moderator. The moderator (and all moderators over the years) have had the right to combine similar questions. For the last 10 years, however, the moderators have been told that they do not have to ask questions of a personal nature nor one that they deem offensive.   I do not know if this particular question was asked since I never saw them but I do know that we ran out of time with many questions going unasked.

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I do serve on the Board of Directors of the National Vitality Center but neither Lois Ahern or Ellen are on that Board.

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As Lois leads Public Health in Freeborn County she often attends to offer her insight and Ellen attends as the SHIP representative. Neither of them have a vote. The Vitality Center posts a newsletter on its website and the community is encouraged to go there to see what’s happening with this important project. Just visit healthyfreeborncounty.org and click on the Vitality Center.

The organizations that Ellen and I belong to definitely share a common mission.(safe wording, I would call it "conflicts of interest")That mission is to work for a better quality of life for the citizens of Albert Lea and Freeborn County. I am proud to be part of trying to make this a better place to live and work.

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The mayor has the responsibility of representing not only the people who elected them, but all citizens. Mayors also serve as a resource to the residents of their district, making sure they receive quality services and helping them to solve problems.

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The statute that was written needs to be changed, it was last written/ammended in 1979. Who do you think does that? How can there be a conflict of interest if there is NOTHING written about county jobs and city council and/or city jobs and the county commissioner?

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Section 2.06. - Incompatible city offices.

An elected officer of the city may not (i) be appointed city manager; (ii) hold another city office or be employed by the city in any capacity for pay; or (iii) hold a city office or be employed by the city for a period of one year after expiration of the officer's term of office.

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Section 3.10. - Amendment and repeal of ordinances and resolutions.

An ordinance or resolution repealing (i) a prior ordinance or resolution, or (ii) a section, subdivision or separately identified clause thereof must state the number or, if no number has been assigned, the title of the ordinance or resolution to be repealed in whole or in part. An ordinance or resolution, or a section, subdivision or clause thereof, may not be amended by reference to the title only. The amending ordinance or resolution must set forth in full each section, subdivision or clause to be amended and indicate new matter by underscoring matter to be omitted by striking out or by other appropriate symbols.

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Section 3.08. - Signing and publication of ordinances and resolutions.

Ordinances and resolutions must be signed by the mayor or two council members, attested by the clerk and filed and preserved by the clerk. An ordinance must be published once in the official newspaper. A summary of an ordinance may be published in the manner provided by law. Resolutions must be signed by the mayor or two council members, attested by the clerk and filed and preserved by the clerk. Resolutions need not be published.

(bianca @ Aug. 12 2010,10:48 am)

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Who runs our city?

Robert Hoffman