Elections

Emily 2024 Election Guide

KAXE

Published October 8, 2024 at 12:24 PM CDT

Tracy Jones and Roger "Buddy" Lund are running for Emily mayor.
Daniel Brennan, Bryce L. Butcher, Gerhart "Gary" Hanson and Brent Nolby are running for Emily 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.

Mayor

Tracy Jones

Incumbent: Yes

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Roger "Buddy" Lund

Incumbent: No

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

City Council (Elect Two)

Daniel Brennan

Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 64

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

Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I am a 20+-year small business owner. I am the president of Ruth Lake Improvement District. I am an attorney. I previously served as a liaison to the Minnesota legislature, Minnesota's federal congressional delegation, and to the federal Department of Transportation to establish Minnesota's Office of Pipeline Safety. I am a founding member of the Emily Mine Information Group. I believe these experiences are unique among those seeking a seat on Emily's City Council and will serve Emily well.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
To represent the residents of Emily, Minnesota on all matters related to the operation of their city government.

Why are you running for office?
To apply the skills and experiences I've developed through my legal career, involvement in state government, and volunteer positions for the benefit of Emily.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
Economic development.
- Emily is at a crossroads over whether and how it will grow economically in a way that does not do harm to our existing recreational economy and way of life.
Housing.
- A local workforce is essential to support economic growth in Emily. The lack of entry level housing is an impediment to Emily's economic future.
Community Engagement.
- Too often, year round and seasonal residents see the other as separate. We need civic engagement to counter this for the benefit of us all.

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?
Explore federal and state sources of funding for expanded housing opportunities in Emily. In addition, I believe we must create opportunities in our recreational economy that appeal to younger and often first time homeowners and renters so that Emily becomes a destination for such people and provides an economic base for them to live in Emily.

What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?
We must consider impacts on climate and environment in our decision-making. While a city the size of Emily has limited opportunities to affect such impacts (it does not, for instance, administer a public transportation system and has a small physical plant footprint that could be modified to be more energy efficient), changes in the climate have direct impacts on those amenities that make Emily a destination for many in our state and nation. Damage to water resources and other natural amenities risk negatively impacting Emily‘s economic base.

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.
This is one of my central concerns in seeking office. Many in our community live on fixed and low or modest incomes that have been stressed in the last several years by large taxing increases by the city. My intention is to thoroughly involve myself in the budgeting process to determine where our monies are currently being spent and if and where they can be reduced to decrease the tax burden on Emily residents.

How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?
My intention is to schedule quarterly listening/discussion sessions for the public to increase the amount of access and input Emily residents have to a process that is currently too opaque.