I am a second-term council member, Vice Mayor, EDA Vice President, and QCTV Cable Commission Board chair. During my tenure, I have focused on the strategic development of residential areas, investment in core city services, road/trail improvements, and low-density housing. I have been, and always will be, open to discussing residents' concerns.
Andover is at a crucial juncture, and it needs strong, committed leadership. As your next Mayor, I pledge to provide stable leadership and strategic guidance. My extensive knowledge of Andover and my experience as a council member uniquely qualify me to navigate this transition. My commitment to our community is unwavering, and I am ready to serve as your next Mayor. www.JamieBarthel.com
Road Repair: Ensure the large number of roads that need repair are completed in the next 5-7 years. Also, prioritize the streets to have as many mills and overlays as possible versus full reclamations.
Road Replacement Strategy: Mapping all streets and the date they will need to be replaced to ensure we maintain enough roads each year to never have a large project at one time.
Water Quality: Analyze and develop protective strategies to ensure our city water is safe for many generations.
After serving on the council, I found our city transparent. All financial reports, agendas, and minutes from all commission meetings are on the website. If something cannot be found, a call to the city will get residents the necessary information. I want this to continue so residents are aware of what is occurring.
I will also uphold the high standards that the city and the staff show regarding accountability and ethical conduct. Our current policies and workplace culture will continue.
In the past six years, I have spent countless hours meeting and talking with residents about their concerns and ideas. Whether it was an email, phone call, or grabbing a cup of coffee, I was and will continue this trend. My phone line and email are always open. Although we have various forms of communication for residents to provide feedback, I would like to find a couple more platforms to ensure residents receive vital information when needed and can respond, especially during emergencies.
I support our Anoka County Sheriff Contract—a partnership that saves city taxpayers significant amounts of money and provides more public safety than running our own police force. The sheriff's office patrols our neighborhoods, serves our schools, and provides detective services.
I also strongly support Andover Fire. This group of brave firefighters has saved countless lives over the years, and I want to ensure they always have the equipment and staff to continue their high level of service.
Contact Phone
763-755-6306
My leadership skills and how I handle real-life situations are a big reason people should vote for me. My critical thinking is another. Andover needs a true leader to help us navigate through the transition of a new City Administrator and 2 new council members. I am a businessman with common sense and I know the definition between needs and wants. Right now, Andover must elect a fiscally responsible Mayor. My experiences are not government related, they are comprised from over 35 years of real life business situations and how I handled them. Keep in mind, Government is a business and my history as a businessman will get us through the upcoming challenges any great city like ours will have. I also have a strong history of utilizing others.
1.) Transparency: Previous council members ignored the will of the citizens when they voted to spend $20M on a community center 2nd Addition. That will never happen on my watch. Citizens will have a say in large financial decision.
2.) Public Safety: I support our First Responders and support our contract with the Anoka County Sheriffs office. Our Fire Department will be lifted up and grow.
3.) Taxes: Let's get our roads fixed now and have a plan for the future to avoid any new road taxes.
Andover has a very good city government staff. We all need to have checks and balances and my expectation is that the city managers and council will have open and transparent conversations within our own meetings. By doing this, we will avoid any "gotcha" moments. I am a firm believer that everyone is responsible for their own actions and government should be the same way. Unethical activity will not be tolerated at any level, even Mayor. In the business world, there is accountability.
Today Andover has a city newsletter that comes out 6 times a year. We have to have other ways to get our messages out. The timing of those messages must work too. Important and critical information should not be in the December newsletter. People are too busy with Holidays to read it when it comes out. A Podcast, keeping our Social Media platforms updated will be crucial. When we have public hearings, citizens should be involved. Afterall, they are at the top of the Andover Organization Chart.
Andover is the largest city in MN that doesn't have our own Police Department. Contracting with the Anoka County Sheriff's Department is a wonderful way to keep our community safe. They are based in Andover which drastically reduces bad people from coming here to harm our citizens. Our own city Fire Department wants to hire more full-time firefighters. As a Council, we need to hear their plan. Today, residents know that if they have a problem, a Deputy and/or Firefighter will be there fast.
