Recap on Roseville City Council Candidates
Seven vying in Tuesday's primary election. Four to advance to general election.
During the past few weeks, Roseville Patch has run stories on each of the seven candidates running for the City Council.
The seven people seeking election to two four-year terms are: Jason Etten, Liane Gale, Bill Hoffman, Lisa Laliberte, Gerry McDonald, Karen Schaffer and Peter Strohmeier.
The top four vote getters advance to November's general election. Here are links to the stories on each of the candidates:
Jason Etten Running for Roseville Council
Liane Gale Running for Roseville Council
Lisa Laliberte, A Roseville Council Candidate with Campaign Experience
Bill Hoffman, A Roseville Council Candidate With a Public Administration Background
Gerry McDonald Among Seven Vying for Roseville Council
Karen Schaffer, A Dakota County Attorney, Running For Roseville Council
Strohmeier Supports Eco-Friendly Development
Want to keep abreast of Roseville City Council races and other news and information? Sign up for our free Roseville Patch newsletter.
623 parent
12:42 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Campaign Finance Reports
Initial report – one-time report due within 14 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $750
Pre-primary report – due 10 days prior to primary (August 3, 2012)
Pre-general report – due 10 days prior to general election (October 26, 2012)
Post-general report – due 30 days after general election (December 6, 2012)
Year-end report – due on January 31 of each year
Final reports – Due when committee dissolves. Filing a final report ends all reporting requirements. A candidate or committee may file a final report when all debts have been paid and all assets in excess of $100 in the aggregate have been disposed of. For laws governing disposal of assets, see Minn. Stat. Ch. 211A.13 and Ch. 211B.12 subd (6).
In reviewing the Ramsey County Elections web page it is apparent that some of the candidates have chosen not to disclose their financial reports. Gail, McDonald and Schaffer are all in violation of Campaign Finance Law.
http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/elections/2012+campaign+finance+reports.htm
Schaffer has filed her report although it is full week after the deadline and does not reflect expenses incurred in mailing that came to my home flyer.
Strohmeier, Etten, Hoffman and Laliberte, thank you for running an honest campaign.
Gerald McDonald
12:13 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Please review the following requirement set forth in the Ramsey County Elections web site regarding financial disclosures:
211A.02 FINANCIAL REPORT.
Subd. 1. When and where filed by committees. (a) A committee or a candidate who receives contributions or makes disbursements of more than $750 in a calendar year shall submit an initial report to the filing officer within 14 days after the candidate or committee receives or makes disbursements of more than $750 and shall continue to make the reports listed in paragraph (b) until a final report is filed.
Gerald McDonald
10:34 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
To whomever is hiding behind the alias "623 parent" I would advise you to do a little research BEFORE you make false accusations regarding candidates and Campaign Finance laws. I have a letter from Ramsey County Elections dated July 24, 2012 that states "This campaign report must be submitted by all candidates/committees who have exceeded $750 in contributions and/or expenditures. If you have not exceeded the $750 threshold for finance report filing, you do not need to file this report."
I AM running an honest campaign as I have not exceeded the $750 reporting requirement, and "623 parent" is both ill-informed and bordering on slanderous in the above post.
Tony Nickelsen
9:45 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Sleazy Parent 623!!! Lets stick to talking about candidate issues instead of made up finance reporting!
Mark Ryan
7:17 am on Monday, August 13, 2012
It concerns me is that we clearly have some candidates who have chosen not to file reports. I don’t think the law prohibits a candidate from filing a report if they do not exceed the $750 threshold?
A couple of the candidates have spent money on their campaigns and made a choice not to file reports. In reviewing online posts from McDonald, he has stated that he has distributed 1000 business cards. I have spotted at least one McDonald yard sign near Hamline and B2. Regardless if a campaign is self-financed, I’d like to know where these materials come from. For example, are the campaign signs and business cards from a local shop? Did they come from a non-union or union shop? I find these reports to be a very good indicator of the type of person seeking office.
If some candidates choose to conceal this information, that’s fine, they just won’t get my support.
Gerald McDonald
11:02 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
Mark, I would have filed the report had I have been in Minnesota at the time, I was traveling back from Nevada and could not quite make it. I have nothing to hide in my campaign. I purchased the signs through a former co-worker at the printing company that I used to work for called Modernistic, INC. Modernistic could not offer me a competitive price because the job was too small, but referred me and that is how I had my signs made. Modernistic is not a union shop, but they were one of the best employers I have ever had and I still have lunch with my old boss after 8 years since I left employment there.
My cards I bought online, and that was also a referral from a friend that is a graphic artist and does the art work for other people. I chose a graphic that the printing company had in stock to reduce costs.
I currently have collected contributions totaling $0, and that number will not change. I am beholden to no one outside of the voters and my own conscience. I have spent $5 to register for office, $68.23 for the business cards, and $629.16 for the signs and stands for a grand total of $702.39.
B. Martin
1:17 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
These kinds of issues and comments also partly contribute to discouraging good people from running for office.
Gerald McDonald
11:13 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
Very true B. Martin! I thought I was prepared for the acrimony from some of the people, and for the most part I am. I have "won over" several people by taking the time to discuss their grievances, but there are some people that will never be satisfied with anything no matter what. It has been an experience worthy of the effort though, and I would do it again just for the opportunity to talk to the people I never would have met otherwise!