Elections

Chisholm 2024 Election Guide

KAXE

Published October 8, 2024 at 12:18 PM CDT

Audry M. Bailey, Brandan Fiedler, Marty Halverson, Cheyenne Mikkola-Rahja, Travis Vake and James Varda are running for Chisholm City Council.

KAXE contacted every candidate twice using contact information submitted to the Secretary of State's Office to invite them to participate in our Election Guide.

Candidate responses have not been edited and are published as submitted.

As necessary, our news team added contextual information clearly marked with an "editor's note" and in italics, though responses have not been uniformly fact-checked. With our small team of three, we are unable to proactively fact check every statement made by candidates. But we will make every effort to make note of inaccuracies if they come to our attention.

Please contact our news team at news@kaxe.org with questions or comments or to report any errors.

KAXE's Election Guide only includes candidates in contested races. Visit our full list of who's running for office in Northern Minnesota to see who else is on the ballot.

Election Guide Homepage

City Council (Elect Three)

Audry M. Bailey

Audry Bailey is running for Chisholm City Council in the 2024 election.

Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 44

Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
St. Louis County Financial Worker

Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I was involved in student government in High School and College. I enjoyed serving as Student Senate Secretary and then President at HCC. I have lived in Chisholm for more than half my life and raised a Chisholm Graduate. I have been a proud Union member and a Union Steward. I love this town and want to help in giving a voice to the everyday citizen.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Attending City Council meetings where we listen to issues and help come up with solutions for our citizens.

Why are you running for office?
A lot of people complain online and out in public about issues but don’t try to help fix the issues within their community. I want to have a say in solutions and continue making our town the best, because I feel it is. I am proud to live in Chisholm and would be honored to serve as a city councilwoman.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
Help find solutions to our infrastructure, whether it be grant proposals or meeting with other government bodies for funding. I would like to help with getting more programs in town to help with senior meals/the food shelf because I feel this is an issue that will continue to worsen and needs to be addressed. I would like to have more community events and activities for the youth in our town because they are our future.

What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?
I would like to see recycling back in our community. However that can be handled in the most effective cost minded approach that we can.

High taxation is a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. Please share any specific opinions you hold related to taxation, and how you plan to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
Taxes are high for everyone. Being a good steward of tax dollars should be the most important rule for anyone in government. Looking for efficient and cost effective measure to make every dollar count.

How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?
Open and honest communication.

Brandan Fiedler

Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 49

Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Walmart Supercenter, Maintenance Associate

Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Bemidji State University. I have an Associate in Arts Degree in Business Administration from Hibbing Community College (now Minnesota North-Hibbing). I graduated from Chisholm High School in 1993. I am currently Vice Chair for the Chisholm Parks, Trails, and Recreation Board.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Vote on proposed ordinances, vote on budget, set levies for property taxes, representing the citizens of Chisholm to the best of my ability, defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Minnesota. The city Councilor should also conduct himself or herself above reproach.

Why are you running for office?
I am running because I believe that Chisholm needs a City Councilor who has a vision that is as progressive as the citizens who live in Chisholm.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
My priorities are as follows:

1. Bring in new businesses to Chisholm and create jobs

2. Rebuild and upgrade the infrastructure (streets, sewer lines, etc.)

3. Establish Human Rights Commission in the city of Chisholm.

4. Fight for a budget that minimizes increases in the city's levy.

Across the region, renters and owners are struggling to afford housing. If elected, what would you do to address the issues of availability and affordability for your constituents?
One of the things that we could do is build new housing in Chisholm. We have some empty lots due to some houses being demolished. We must ensure that the renters are renting houses that are in habitable. This means that there needs to be inspections of rental properties per city ordinance. We also need to hold the line on property taxes.

What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?
I would support efforts to invest in clean energy initiatives. I would also support purchasing fuel efficient vehicles for the Chisholm Police Department as long as they are not wanting to replace them every year. I would be asking the Chisholm Fire Department to look into firetrucks the would be able to use ethanol fuel into them.

High taxation is a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. Please share any specific opinions you hold related to taxation, and how you plan to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
I believe that taxes should be progressive based on income of the individual. I'm tired of millionaires and billionaires not paying their fair share of taxes. Property taxes, however, aren't progressive as it's based on the value of a person's home, not on their income. I l plan to ensure that tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively by fighting for a budget that minimizes the levy increases. If I find anything that would waste money, I will fight to cut it from the budget.

How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?
The city of Chisholm has a code of ethics and a code of conduct. I will act with integrity as a Chisholm City Councilor and conduct myself in accordance to the city of Chisholm code of conduct and state and federal laws.

Marty Halverson

Incumbent: Yes

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Cheyenne Mikkola-Rahja

Incumbent: Yes
Age on Election Day: 36

Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
I am an Operations Specialist in the Talent Management Department at a local healthcare organization.

Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
My lifelong passion for politics has fueled my involvement in local government. In college, I served on the Student Senate and other club cabinets, sharing my ideas to shape campus policy and advocate for students at the state level. Additionally, I have volunteered in Get Out the Vote to encourage voter participation as well as volunteering for local campaigns when I was younger allowing me to learn from leaders I admired. Lastly, I follow our local news sources to stay informed on world, national, regional, and local news and politics.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
The role of the City Council is to set policy to fulfill the City’s vision established through the development of its strategic plan, adopt the budget and make decisions that support adhering to it, and work with City leadership to ensure the city's operations are running smoothly.

Why are you running for office?
I strongly believe that local government plays a crucial role in improving and enhancing the lives of its residents and I want to continue to use my skills and experience as an advocate for my community locally and regionally.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
My priorities are to address the urgent needs of our community in terms of housing and infrastructure while also fostering strong, supportive relationships with city leadership, staff, and community members. Regarding housing, I would continue working towards finding solutions for folks to have access to affordable, adequate housing. In terms of infrastructure, continuing the process of identifying areas that require updates to our roads and the infrastructure below.

Across the region, renters and owners are struggling to afford housing. If elected, what would you do to address the issues of availability and affordability for your constituents?
I would continue to support work towards the development of new housing opportunities while also identifying and exploring development and building options for the smaller lots within the city.

What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?
I believe that improving resiliency to climate change requires continuing our proactive, forward-thinking approach of building sustainable infrastructure and planning and preparing for weather events.

High taxation is a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. Please share any specific opinions you hold related to taxation, and how you plan to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
Every year, we review the city budget to ensure we are spending money responsibly by creating a balanced budget that utilizes cost-effective solutions to improve processes, prioritizes funding that directly benefits our community, and remains transparent by inviting the community to attend public meetings and participate in an annual audit process.

How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?
We can continue to improve trust and transparency in our local government by encouraging input from our community throughout the decision-making processes, keeping lines of communication open between our city government and community members, inviting folks to attend meetings, and maintaining our practice of leading with integrity.