Maplewood will have a primary election on Sept. 11 to narrow the field of candidates competing for two open seats on the Maplewood City Council:
David Bartol
Rebecca Cave
James Dykes
James Meehan
James Moreno Llanas
John Nephew
DelRay Rokke
Will Rossbach
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Field is crowded for 2 Maplewood City Council seats
Will Rossbach and Rebecca Cave up for re-election
Katy Zillmer
staff writer
Eight candidates have come forward to vie for two open Maplewood City Council seats this year. The terms of Will Rossbach and Rebecca Cave are expiring and both incumbents are seeking re-election.
The Review contacted all the candidates by phone and e-mail for this article. The candidate list would have reached nine, but Anne Bryson, whose name had been on the Maplewood city web site until the day filing closed, July 17, withdrew her name. She could not be reached for comment.
When asked about his reaction to the large field this election cycle, City Manager Greg Copeland, whose employment is at the discretion of the City Council, said while it is not his job to get involved in elections.
But, Copeland added that it is good news to have people interested in local government. "I thought there might even be more interest. Obviously, democracy is very helpful here in Maplewood. They paid the $5, and they'll get to talk to a lot of voters."
Candidates who responded for this article all expressed the need for change in Maplewood - either within the City Council and how it operates or with city policies, ordinances and future projects and ideas to focus on.
The ballot for the Sept. 11 primary will include David Bartol, Rebecca Cave, James Dykes, James Meehan, James Moreno Llanas, John Nephew, DelRay Rokke and Will Rossbach. Bartol and Meehan were not available as of press time.
Rebecca Cave
Incumbent Rebecca Cave said she is seeking re-election because she wants to continue working on the various tasks set before her. "I found that I really enjoy working together with the citizens to solve community issues," she said.
Cave gained a seat on the council in a special election in 2006. She replaced interim member David Bartol, who had been appointed to the council in September 2005. Cave is a homemaker who lives in Maplewood with her husband George, a paid-per-call firefighter and their five children.
Focusing on getting information to citizens, Cave said her platform is to support having all City Council and commissions meetings televised on cable TV public access channels. "My efforts to bring the Roseville School Board meetings to public access TV for those in Maplewood to watch have been successful," Cave said.
"I think it is great we have so many candidates, and it goes to show that people in Maplewood are interested in local municipal government."
James Dykes
With the thought that it is important for someone to be working toward the future of Maplewood, 22-year resident James Dykes said he decided to run for City Council.
"Maplewood is one of the oldest suburbs in the east metro, but I don't think we are viewed as a leader. I would like to help change that," said Dykes, who resides in southern Maplewood.
Dykes is a safety manager in the public works department in Minneapolis, but said he has worked in both private and public sectors. "My experience in the public sector has been instrumental in my understanding of how crucial it is to achieve public trust and confidence in local government."
Dykes said a collaboration with citizens, government and businesses will ensure the city's competitiveness in the metro area. "I would also emphasize civility in relationships with staff, colleagues and city leadership. As a public figure it is imperative that other points of view be heard and considered, even when there are major philosophical differences," Dykes said.
On the campaign trail, Dykes plans to attend city meetings and meet residents to learn about their concerns. "I think there are so many candidates because many feel the perception of Maplewood has not been positive. I think we can do much better, and apparently there are others that feel the same way," Dykes said.
John Nephew
Candidate John Nephew, who founded and still operates a publishing company called Atlas Games, said he chose to run in the election because Maplewood is on "the wrong track."
Nephew said he started attending council meetings last year to form his own opinion about the "controversies" occurring at the time.
"The majority that controls the City Council has made it clear that they like the situation they have created. In order to effect positive change, we need new blood on the council and I'm prepared to do the job," Nephew said.
He has spent more than five months refining his campaign platform, which includes keeping taxes low, making smart investments and good government including mutual respect among council, staff and residents and for the law, he said.
He will focus on pride in Maplewood as well. "While we are all embarrassed by the picture drawn of Maplewood in the papers recently, we can't fairly blame the media for reporting the news. We can, however, change the story itself through the ballot box," he said.
He plans to introduce himself to residents by doing a lot of door-knocking this fall.
"I've heard many variations of the phrase, "I wanted change, but not like this...' My job now is to persuade voters that I'm the best prepared, best funded and most likely to win the general election - to deliver that positive change the voters demand," Nephew said.
DelRay Rokke
"A large number of candidates can attract even larger masses to participate in the public discourse over diverse issues and solutions. The greater the number of candidates, the more likely it is we will have fresh topics to consider by the City Council," DelRay Rokke said.
Rokke's enjoyment of living in Maplewood and interest in state and national politics were some reasons he decided to make a bid for City Council, he said. "My interest in local government has always been quite high because of the more immediate impact it has on the people I know and respect," Rokke said.
His interest in local government started more than 25 years ago when he worked for a company that painted new city water towers - which often involved daily meetings with elected officials and city employees.
Rokke now works for 3M in Maplewood and lives in the city with his wife Barbara and two daughters. The candidate's campaign platform includes supporting issues that "will make Maplewood a cleaner, leaner and greener city."
Cleaning up lakes and ponds, use of community service projects, combined purchasing power, renewable energy and taking advantage of available grants to fund projects are some of Rokke's campaign goals.
James Moreno Llanas
When asked why he's seeking a seat on the council, James Moreno Llanas said it's "because I'm committed to making our community the best it can be and to be a voice for my fellow citizens who feel they have not been heard."
In describing his campaign platform, Moreno Llanas said, "Most people don't care about political squabbles; our focus should be on issues like traffic, safety in our neighborhoods, services for our seniors, affordable housing and a fair budget that can support the needs of our city."
Moreno Llanas' plan until the September primary election is to learn what is important to voters, he said. "Each constituent I spoke to, from precinct 15 to precinct 4, has unique and significant ideas and concerns."
Those constituents include business owners, elderly people on fixed incomes, young couples living in crowded apartments, and Asian students who are feeling increasingly unsafe, Moreno Llanas, an education sales consultant, said.
When asked for his reaction to the crowded field, Moreno Llanas said, "The focus on the candidates should be not in (the) number running but on how they may bring fresh and broad perspectives. Many of my opponents are running with the support of one side or the other of the divided council. My grassroots campaign is focused on what the people of this city want and need, not what the political class thinks is important."
Will Rossbach
Incumbent Will Rossbach, who is finishing his first four-year term on the council, said he decided to be a candidate because he has enjoyed serving the local people.
"My 18 years of service shows that I am dedicated to that task. I will continue to serve as long as the people of Maplewood want me to do so," Rossbach said. Those 18 years included 14 on the Maplewood Planning Commission. Rossbach is the vice president of production at Rossbach Construction.
When asked what his campaign platform will be and why, Rossbach said, "The three main areas I am focusing on are: returning sensible government to Maplewood, re-establishing a strong commitment to parks, and preparing Maplewood for the future. "It has been clearly demonstrated in the last two years that government in Maplewood has gone astray in so many ways. It will take a concerted effort to return the city to its high-level performance of the past."
In response to running against seven other candidates, Rossbach, who is often a dissenting voice on many council votes, said, "It is not a surprise that with all of the poor decisions, lack of real processes and disregard of citizens' concerns that there would be many people who would feel that they want to help to correct the problems."
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