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

Excelsior City Council Member {_getChooseLabel(this.selections.length)}

As local legislators who sometimes have executive power, council members can propose ordinances, set administrative policy, and authorize the budget proposed by the mayor. They oversee all city activities, including city services, programs, licensing, and public safety. Mayoral appointments to city government typically require council approval. Learn more here: https://www.lwv.org/blog/voting-local-matters-why-vote-city-councilUse the MN Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing page (https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/) to find specific candidate contact information.

Click a candidate icon to find more information about the candidate. To compare two candidates, click the "compare" button. To start over, click a candidate icon.

  • Candidate picture

    Dale Kurschner
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Bill Muenzberg
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Joshua Radziej
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Anne Vogel
    (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)

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

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elect Elect 2
Campaign Website http://www.electkurschner.com
Facebook (Full URL) http://www.facebook.com/Excelsior2030
Campaign Email dalekurschner@gmail.com
That’s for voters to decide, but here’s what I’d bring. I served on the council from 2019 through 2022, after two years on the Planning Commission, where I helped produce our last Comprehensive Plan. I worked through several budgets while we kept tax increases low and held our AAA bond rating. Professionally, I help business owners through financial turnarounds and complex decisions. With taxes rising, reserves below policy and a plan update due by 2028, that background is useful now. My approach is simple: ask good questions, do the homework, listen to every perspective and show up when residents raise concerns. On the council, that once meant joining our public works director at night to find out why College Lake was flooding.
1. Our finances. Property taxes and city fees are rising sharply, reserves are below the Excelsior’s own 40% minimum and we lost our AAA rating. I’d push for a multi-year financial plan and new revenue streams to slow the increases on homeowners. 2. A full Comprehensive Plan update with resident input, due by 2028, to help development better fit Excelsior. 3. Improve communication so residents hear about big decisions, like new borrowing before its borrowed instead of after.
Every part of town deserves a council member who shows up: the South Side, College Lake and the East Side as much as downtown. I’d propose each council member take an area of the city and meet residents there quarterly. I’d also explore how we might use low-cost tools to turn recorded meetings into short written summaries residents can respond to. And I'd continue being present in the community, talking with people while shoping, dining out, listening to live music, walking the neighborhoods...
In addition to trying to provide summaries of city council meetings, I'd work toward making sure the numbers are explained in plain language before votes: borrowing, revenue, costs and where the money goes. Consent agenda subjects would be shared before approval, too. I'd propose we create an Excelsior Public Integrity and Accountability Committee. And I'd help the council make sure council members step back from votes where they have a conflict, and openly address rumors of side deals.
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elect Elect 2
Campaign Website http://www.voteannevogel.com
Facebook (Full URL) http://www.facebook.com/share/19wNwekjyB/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Campaign Email zandyvogel@gmail.com
Having served for one year, appointed to fill an open seat, I know Council’s responsibilities and complexity. I understand the city budget and can help guide financial decisions from day one. I also have a people-focused record of connecting residents, city staff, and the business community. As a former Parks and Recreation Commissioner, I understand protecting our green spaces and blue water. As co-owner of South Lake Cycle on Water St., I understand how traffic, parking, and access affect a healthy downtown. I will represent Excelsior residents—not one interest—and ensure their voices shape the city’s future.
1) I believe managing the city budget will be our most pressing challenge over the next couple of years. With limited flexibility, we will need to make tough priority decisions. 2) Commercial development on Water St. - making smart and timely decisions on behalf of the city, keeping Excelsior's hometown feel 3) Protecting and enhancing our precious green spaces and blue water
As part of my current duties as councilmember, I am accessible and responsive through phone and email. Proactively, I participate in Coffee Hour with the Mayor and recently Council hosted an ice cream social. As a candidate, to meet with residents directly, I have been door-knocking, having a table at the local farmers market, attending national night out block parties, joining our garden clubs and coffee hour at The Waters.
All of our Council and Commission meetings and materials are public and don't happen behind closed doors. The meetings are in-person and recorded which can be attended livestream via Zoom or watched afterwards. The written materials are posted online and printed out at the meetings. Our City Staff and Council take this very seriously. I would never enter into an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) with a company or any party that would require keeping any information from our residents.
Powered by League of Women Voters Education Fund

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.

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