The big national news in recent weeks has been the presidential contest in Iowa. However Cook County has its own elections to think about— the filing period for all three West End townships opened January 3 and remains open until January 17, 2012.
Each township is seeking candidates for a three-year term as supervisor and a two-year term as clerk.
Candidates for Lutsen
In Lutsen, the current clerk is Silviya Duclos, who was appointed to complete the term of Amity Goettl. Goettl resigned in August 2011. Contacted by phone, Duclos said she would be running for the position.
The Lutsen supervisor up for re-election is Diane Parker. Reached on Jan. 5, Parker said she is considering running again. She has been a supervisor for two three-year terms.
The compensation for the Lutsen Town Board is $85 per meeting. For township work outside of meetings, supervisors are paid $15 per hour and the town clerk and treasurer are paid $20 per hour.
Lutsen meetings are the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Lutsen Town Hall at 116 Caribou Trail.
Tofte incumbents to run
The current Tofte clerk is Barb Gervais. She said she plans to run again.
Paul James now holds the supervisor seat up for election. James has served on the Tofte Town Board for 12 years. At press time, James said he also intended to run.
Tofte town board members are reimbursed $75 per meeting and the treasurer and clerk are also paid $20 per hour for work outside the monthly meetings.
The Tofte board meets the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Tofte Town Hall at 7240 Tofte Park Road.
Schroeder desperately seeking a clerk
Ross Willson currently holds the supervisor seat open for filing in Schroeder. Willson said he would be running for re-election. Willson is just completing his first term. At the November town meeting, he was elected to serve as town board chair for 2012.
Asked why he is running again, Willson said he is more familiar with township activities. “I’m more prepared at this point to serve the West End needs,” he said.
Currently serving as Schroeder clerk is Carol Tveekrem, who said she would really like to step down. Tveekrem was appointed to the clerk position in 2002, when another clerk resigned. Since then she was re-elected five times. Tveekrem has repeatedly said that she wants to step down but has continued to serve until someone else comes forward.
Schroeder Deputy Clerk Gale Ring said she is unable to take on the job, but reached by phone, she said she will always be available to assist whomever is serving as clerk. “Also, Carol isn’t going anywhere and she is more than generous. She will be around to help out a new person.”
Schroeder town board members are paid $75 for each monthly meeting and receive $10 per hour for work outside the regular meetings. The clerk and treasurer are also reimbursed at a rate of $13 per hour outside meetings.
Schroeder meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Schroeder Town Hall at 24 Cramer Road.
Township elections and annual meetings are held the second Tuesday of March. In 2012, township citizens will gather on Tuesday, March 13.
Get involved in your township
Townships are the original form of local government in Minnesota, established as part of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 which created the State of Minnesota. The township form of government, a carryover from Europe, served as a familiar building block to develop the state by dividing land areas into 36 square mile units known as congressional townships. Today, the term township generally refers to organized but unincorporated communities governed by a local board of supervisors and created to provide services to their residents. There are 1,790 townships across the state.
For information on how to file:
Lutsen
Contact Clerk Silviya Duclos
(218) 663-7501
Tof te
Contact Clerk Barb Gervais
(218) 663-7315.
Schroeder
Contact Clerk Carol Tveekrem
(218) 663-8109.
There is a $2 fee to file as a town board
candidate, payable to the town clerk of
the respective township.
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