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Ely 2024 Election Guide

Jerome J. Debeltz, Paul Kess, John Lahtonen, Frederica Musgrave and Emily Roose are running for Ely 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)

Jerome J. Debeltz

Incumbent: Yes

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Paul Kess

Incumbent: Yes

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

John Lahtonen

Incumbent: No

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Frederica Musgrave

Incumbent: No

Age on Election Day: 74

Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?

Retired teacher

Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.

Involved in change and respect for ALL in schools (as student & teacher), neighborhoods, businesses, social/volunteer groups, and local government/community task forces. Wrote and sold "dialoging" curriculum. Employed as Purchasing technician for AAFES, Europe. Spoke at City Council since spring 2023, suggesting changes in policies, procedures and outreach. In Nov 2023, co-founded Citizens for Transparency website www.elyminnesota.com/blog/ to post videos of Council, Planning & Zoning, Park & Rec, and other meetings.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

1) Serve ALL the People. Stop politics, personal agendas and games. Serve means use windows, not mirrors. Talk with people before decisions are made or public hearings are scheduled. 2) Promote true transparency 3) Appoint diverse voices to commissions, etc. 4) Stand up for clear codes of conduct, ethics, conflicts of interest, accountability and fiscal responsibility. 5) Promote well-thought-out balanced visions, plans and projects that align with current and evolving needs of local small businesses, community and environment.

Why are you running for office?

I am running as citizen/community advocate, especially for those who are ignored, silent, silenced or outsmarted by political maneuvering. Nobody else running has specific detailed goals as I have to make Ely a more citizen-based government. I have an inclusive - not exclusive - definition of "Ely." I am personally going door-to-door to talk with the community, including small businesses. I have skills to match up with my idealistic goals and determination. I am aware of and do not want to be tricked by poltiical or personal gaming tactics. I want to establish policies and procedures; have them followed; and then step back. Teachers facilitate change as well as encourage and mentor others to step up. Once a teacher, always a teacher. It is about the future of us ALL, not me.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.

1) Serving = personally reach out for input. Spend the People's money wisely: seek bids. Create visions & comprehensive plan for WHOLE community. Why are some groups ignored, some favored? 2) Have 24/7 streaming of ALL open meetings - including commissions. Post agendas & documents online 3 days prior to ALL open meetings - not just hours before - for Council and public to review. 3) Convince Council to create real outreach recruitment practices, policies & procedures for appointment of diverse voices. Openly interview on what they want to do vs. "I know you" appointments. Don't appoint lobbyists. Don't automatically reappoint (especially not friends) to serve 9 years or on several commissions. 4)Propose policies and procedures from the inside (on Council) that I've been advocating since the spring of 2023. 5) Question proposed plans and projects as to whether springing from community/user needs vs. developer profits. Why aren't we doing more for downtown businesses? For safe, accessible & life-style options including "passive" hobbies like dog-walking and birding? For integrating healing green spaces? For sustainability?

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?

1) Promote a variety of safe quality housing and for workforce, seniors, families, and lower-income individuals that fits in with an inclusive community vision and have amenities nearby. Don't create isolated housing developments. City Hall and Council should not focus on luxury projects. Prioritize good quality starter homes/housing. Determine with real (inclusive) citizen input what and where housing developments should be, then seek developers. City Hall is not transparent. They work hard to seek individual developers, court them, and then promote projects that benefit developers (= $$). Use funding wisely to create more housing units vs.luxury suites. Start with integrated community development vision, set up general specs, and then ask developers to comment and bid. Ask for more than one high-priced bid option. ALSO: Council NEEDS to address all the unoccupied houses in town. Many have been sitting empty for years; not all are blighted. Talk openly, invite public input, discuss options, think of incentives, DO something! Real estate is a big business in Ely. Real estate folks like incentives. Have owners of unoccupied buildings and real estate folks join a public study session.

What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?

Most importantly, first acknowledge climate change is here. Use the non-political wording "Climate Change." Secondly, agree we need to prepare our community for a variety of options. Discussions about Ely's City Visions and Land Use & Comp Plan do not address changes we need to undertake. Not just consider . . . undertake. City Hall, Council and the Commissions need to bring in, listen to and dialogue with experts (people, plans and documents). Our community also includes the environment around us (Nature). That's why people moved here and visit Ely. We must be mindful of year-round and migrating animals needing to survive.

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.

We need to pay taxes to keep essential services and a democratic government functioning. Prices are rising on almost everything. HOWEVER, government MUST spend taxes WISELY. If City money is spent wisely, taxes should not increase at such a high rate. (1) Ely has not been seeking multiple bids for many services and products. Ely often bends to developers' wishes (=$$) vs. basic needs. See Citizens for Transparency website for examples. Stop wasting the People's money. Stop wasting dollars from other funding sources. (2) Ely needs to redirect City staff efforts, time and focus on luxury non-essentials to lower-cost, good quality and inclusive community needs. (3) Projects should be prioritized AND aligned with City Visions and Comp Plan. We are ignoring lower cost amenities that can create a healthy and healing community for ALL. (4) Many sustainability-aligned investments like solar panels will help lower costs.

How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?

I speaking out since the spring of 2023 and will continue to do so as a citizen advocate. My role as "insider" means Council will have to listen to me at a different level. My heart is with The People. I cannot single-handedly make change. Ely folks themselves need to speak up at Council and Commission meetings, Study Sessions and Public Hearings. They need to watch, witness and reflect on what's happening. They need to speak with their neighbors; listen to others' viewpoints, read both local newspapers. They need to apply for Commissions; attend the monthly 2-hour meetings; share information, ask questions, and speak up. Trust and transparency in government only happens when we are ALL involved. It's not about me. It's about all of us.

Emily Roose

Incumbent: No

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.


Return to Election Guide

Still have questions for the candidates? Contact information for all those who've filed to run for office can be found at candidates.sos.state.mn.us.