Minnesota and North Dakota Voter's Guide

Forum Communications Co., in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and of North Dakota, is providing this voter guide to help keep you informed ahead of the 2024 election.

  • Learn where candidates running for office in your community stand on the issues.
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Voter Guide

Sherburne County Auditor

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  • Candidate picture

    Brenda Davis
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Michael Tonsager
    (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

What do you see as the most pressing financial challenges facing our county and what strategies do you propose to address them? (500 characters)

How do you plan to communicate financial information to county residents and ensure that they have access to transparent and understandable reports? (500 characters)

How would you implement election laws to balance safe and secure elections with voting access? (500 characters)

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I bring over 12 years of hands-on experience in the Sherburne County Auditor-Treasurer’s office, with direct knowledge of elections, county investments, cash management, property tax calculations and collections, and government financial processes. I am certified by the State of Minnesota in Property Tax Calculation and have experience with annual audits, financial reporting, payroll, and process improvement. I understand the responsibilities of this office and the importance of strong oversight, internal controls, and accountability. I am prepared to provide accurate, transparent, and non-partisan service from day one.
First, maintain accurate accounting and oversight to safeguard taxpayer dollars. It’s crucial we have strong financial controls, responsible stewardship, and be accountable to taxpayers. Second, I will administer secure, accurate, transparent and nonpartisan elections. Protecting public confidence in election results is important. Lastly, as our department goes through major changes, I will retain our existing checks and balances while also looking for process improvement and efficiencies.
Sherburne County is balancing population growth and greater demand for services with inflation, rising operating costs and state and federal cost shifts. I would emphasize accurate forecasting, long-term planning, strong cash and investment management, disciplined spending, and collaboration across departments to identify efficiencies while protecting essential services and safeguarding taxpayer dollars.
I would make financial information clear, timely and easy to find. Residents should have access to understandable budget, levy, audit and financial reports. I would use plain-language summaries, online reporting tools and consistent public communication to explain where county revenue comes from, how it is spent, and how financial decisions affect taxpayers.
I would administer Minnesota election law consistently, fairly and without partisanship. Election security and access are both critical responsibilities of this office. That includes thorough testing of voting machines, chain-of-custody and ballot-security procedures, effectively training election officials, maintaining duties with dual party controls, and ensuring every eligible voter has the lawful opportunity to vote.
As a U.S. Navy veteran who led teams of 125+ personnel and a business leader who has managed finances and high-volume operations for 15+ years, I bring the accountability, attention to detail, and results-driven approach Sherburne County needs. In private practice, our locations ranked among the top 5 nationally through disciplined operations and continuous improvement. With a Master’s in Strategic Leadership, I will bring a private-sector perspective focused on process improvement to eliminate gaps, make secure elections the top priority, deliver clear and accessible tax and spending transparency, and modernize systems to cut waste while improving service.
My top three priorities will be secure elections, tax transparency, and administrative efficiency. Secure elections must come first because our freedoms begin at the ballot box; I will ensure Sherburne County has the most secure elections in Minnesota. Tax transparency builds accountability by providing clear, accessible reports on county spending so residents can trust how their dollars are used. Administrative efficiency modernizes systems, eliminates waste, and delivers better services.
The most pressing challenges are ensuring every taxpayer dollar is spent efficiently, maintaining full transparency in financial reporting, and modernizing systems to reduce waste. I will bring a private-sector perspective focused on process improvement to identify and eliminate gaps, deliver clear and accessible reports on all expenditures so residents can see exactly how funds are used, and optimize operations to provide better services at a lower cost.
Accountability begins with openness. I will provide clear, accessible reports on all county expenditures and operations so every resident can easily understand how their tax dollars are used. By modernizing systems and eliminating process gaps, I will make financial information more timely, straightforward, and available online and in person. Transparency builds trust, and I am committed to ensuring Sherburne County residents have the information they need without barriers.
Securing our elections is my top priority because our freedoms begin at the ballot box. I will implement election laws by ensuring the highest security standards, thorough equipment testing, and strong chain-of-custody procedures so every vote is accurate and protected. At the same time, I will maintain clear processes that give eligible voters reliable access while preventing any gaps that could undermine confidence. My goal is the most secure elections in Minnesota.
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The League of Women Voters of Minnesota and North Dakota crafted the questions sent to the candidates in the Spring of 2024. They reached out to candidates based on contact information in their public candidate filings. Candidates with email addresses were invited and reminded with emails. Candidates with only mailing addresses were sent a letter. Candidates with phone numbers received a phone call as well.

Candidate responses are published as they responded and have not been edited, except when responses were longer than the given character limit. In those cases, the responses are truncated.

VOTE411 is brought to you by the League of Women Voters Education Fund and League of Women Voters of Minnesota Education Fund. The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose any political party or candidate for office.