Bill Droste
Name: William (Bill) Droste
Public Office Sought: Dakota County Commissioner-District 4
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-280-5630
Campaign Website: votedroste.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/votedroste
Candidate Bio
Rosemount Mayor, Bill Droste files for District 4, Dakota County Commissioner position. This district encompasses the southern parts of Eagan and Inver Grove Heights, Rosemount, Empire Township and a small section of Lakeville.
Bill Droste served his first term as mayor of Rosemount in 2003. He serves on the Metro Cities Board, Minnesota Statewide Emergency Communications Board, Regional Council of Mayors, Family Housing Fund Board, and National League of Cities Transportation Infrastructure & Services Committee. During his tenure as Mayor, Money magazine has ranked Rosemount as one of top 50 best places to live in the United States, two different times.
He holds a Masters of Science degree in Telecommunications from Saint Mary’s University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Upper Iowa University.
He is employed with Keller Williams Preferred Realty. Prior to that, he worked 28 years in the communications industry as an Operations Manager and Senior Market Analyst. He also served eight years in the Iowa Army National Guard.
Bill has lived in Rosemount since 1989. He has three adult children with his late wife Carol Droste, and 4 grandchildren. Interests include reading, running, golf, and spending time with his family.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Community health, jobs and housing, and transportation systems.
How would you characterize the business climate in Dakota County and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Overall I would say the business climate is good from a demand side. Covid has impacted business growth in two areas - labor and supply issues. Regarding labor we must find new ways to keep more of our young people in Minnesota and work to engage young students in skilled trades careers.
What role do you think the county should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in Dakota County?
I believe the county should take a more active role in attracting new businesses, especially in the manufacturing sector. Taxes at the state and county level are key components influencing decisions. At the county level, tax credits and abatements are two tools that can affect startup costs. The same tools should be considered with business expansions.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Dakota County (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of a policy on the many types of businesses in Dakota County and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Federal and state laws regarding minimum wage, sick time and mandatory scheduling notice are sufficient without adding another layer of government. In this tight labor market businesses are already increasing pay and benefits to enhance employee retention efforts.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
Tax credits are an effective tool for growing businesses. Strong ties with schools and business is another important element. A new issue in recent years is affordable housing near areas of employment. Although housing is more of a city issue, I do believe the county should be working with cities looking for creative ways to address the housing shortage, especially for workers in manufacturing and employees at the low to moderate income level.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
Cities and Dakota County should be adding public safety resources as our populations continue to grow. Dakota County’s strength today is the partnerships with its cities. One example is its electronic crime unit. Cities do not have the resources or demands for a separate unit in each city, where at a county level we are large enough to have an established unit that is efficient and tremendously effective because of the technical nature of electronic crimes.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
Housing is a complex issue that involves builders, cities, counties and the state. All parties influence outcomes and it will require everyone to work on solutions together. We need to support initiatives and funding to secure and maintain existing housing stock (NOAH). We should also find ways to incentivize builders to bring more affordable housing to our cities.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
In a post pandemic world, my view on transit, has shifted from a core city model to a more distributed model. Many jobs can be performed remotely where we are beginning to see large companies change policies away from an in-office requirement. Living habits are also changing where we are seeing success and a growing demand for a on-demand short route service. Driverless vehicles will also influence this area.
What are your priorities for the county’s budget?
Dakota County has the lowest tax rate of any metro county and the least per-capita tax of any county statewide which shows it is efficient. Simply stated, the budget should reflect the Board of Commissioners goals and objectives.
What will you do to expand Dakota County’s tax base?
With a projection of approximately 85,000 new residents in the next 18 years, we need to attract new and expand existing businesses. We should also explore new incentives to encourage more training programs, especially in the trades sector. Exploring incentives to attract businesses has been successful in many areas of the country and should be looked at for long term growth.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
We need to build stronger partnerships with businesses and schools - supporting career pathways of historically underrepresented groups. Providing career knowledge at an early age to move them towards technology and skilled trades and how the trades can be a great career path. A good example is Johnson Controls Community College Partnership Program that just expanded to ten new schools.
Are there any services currently provided by the county that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Dakota County is a well-run county and I am not aware of any specific program that should be eliminated. Regarding shared services, the county and cities should always be looking for opportunities to provide services in a more efficient way even if it means combining the city and county function. Bottom line, if it can save the taxpayer money it should be done.
What is the role of the County Board in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Dakota County?
As a County Board we should first ensure that the county’s workforce is diverse and that there are opportunities for minorities and women to move up through departments to leadership roles. As leaders, when there are opportunities speaking to groups, we should be explaining how our county is changing and the importance of creating opportunities for all workers.
What further policies can Dakota County adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
One area that may still need assistance is the local owned small restaurant. Although most areas are back to normal some work centers have changed where the support businesses are still challenged.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Public Office Sought: Dakota County Commissioner-District 4
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-280-5630
Campaign Website: votedroste.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/votedroste
Candidate Bio
Rosemount Mayor, Bill Droste files for District 4, Dakota County Commissioner position. This district encompasses the southern parts of Eagan and Inver Grove Heights, Rosemount, Empire Township and a small section of Lakeville.
Bill Droste served his first term as mayor of Rosemount in 2003. He serves on the Metro Cities Board, Minnesota Statewide Emergency Communications Board, Regional Council of Mayors, Family Housing Fund Board, and National League of Cities Transportation Infrastructure & Services Committee. During his tenure as Mayor, Money magazine has ranked Rosemount as one of top 50 best places to live in the United States, two different times.
He holds a Masters of Science degree in Telecommunications from Saint Mary’s University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Upper Iowa University.
He is employed with Keller Williams Preferred Realty. Prior to that, he worked 28 years in the communications industry as an Operations Manager and Senior Market Analyst. He also served eight years in the Iowa Army National Guard.
Bill has lived in Rosemount since 1989. He has three adult children with his late wife Carol Droste, and 4 grandchildren. Interests include reading, running, golf, and spending time with his family.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Community health, jobs and housing, and transportation systems.
How would you characterize the business climate in Dakota County and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Overall I would say the business climate is good from a demand side. Covid has impacted business growth in two areas - labor and supply issues. Regarding labor we must find new ways to keep more of our young people in Minnesota and work to engage young students in skilled trades careers.
What role do you think the county should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in Dakota County?
I believe the county should take a more active role in attracting new businesses, especially in the manufacturing sector. Taxes at the state and county level are key components influencing decisions. At the county level, tax credits and abatements are two tools that can affect startup costs. The same tools should be considered with business expansions.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Dakota County (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of a policy on the many types of businesses in Dakota County and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Federal and state laws regarding minimum wage, sick time and mandatory scheduling notice are sufficient without adding another layer of government. In this tight labor market businesses are already increasing pay and benefits to enhance employee retention efforts.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
Tax credits are an effective tool for growing businesses. Strong ties with schools and business is another important element. A new issue in recent years is affordable housing near areas of employment. Although housing is more of a city issue, I do believe the county should be working with cities looking for creative ways to address the housing shortage, especially for workers in manufacturing and employees at the low to moderate income level.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
Cities and Dakota County should be adding public safety resources as our populations continue to grow. Dakota County’s strength today is the partnerships with its cities. One example is its electronic crime unit. Cities do not have the resources or demands for a separate unit in each city, where at a county level we are large enough to have an established unit that is efficient and tremendously effective because of the technical nature of electronic crimes.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
Housing is a complex issue that involves builders, cities, counties and the state. All parties influence outcomes and it will require everyone to work on solutions together. We need to support initiatives and funding to secure and maintain existing housing stock (NOAH). We should also find ways to incentivize builders to bring more affordable housing to our cities.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
In a post pandemic world, my view on transit, has shifted from a core city model to a more distributed model. Many jobs can be performed remotely where we are beginning to see large companies change policies away from an in-office requirement. Living habits are also changing where we are seeing success and a growing demand for a on-demand short route service. Driverless vehicles will also influence this area.
What are your priorities for the county’s budget?
Dakota County has the lowest tax rate of any metro county and the least per-capita tax of any county statewide which shows it is efficient. Simply stated, the budget should reflect the Board of Commissioners goals and objectives.
What will you do to expand Dakota County’s tax base?
With a projection of approximately 85,000 new residents in the next 18 years, we need to attract new and expand existing businesses. We should also explore new incentives to encourage more training programs, especially in the trades sector. Exploring incentives to attract businesses has been successful in many areas of the country and should be looked at for long term growth.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
We need to build stronger partnerships with businesses and schools - supporting career pathways of historically underrepresented groups. Providing career knowledge at an early age to move them towards technology and skilled trades and how the trades can be a great career path. A good example is Johnson Controls Community College Partnership Program that just expanded to ten new schools.
Are there any services currently provided by the county that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Dakota County is a well-run county and I am not aware of any specific program that should be eliminated. Regarding shared services, the county and cities should always be looking for opportunities to provide services in a more efficient way even if it means combining the city and county function. Bottom line, if it can save the taxpayer money it should be done.
What is the role of the County Board in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Dakota County?
As a County Board we should first ensure that the county’s workforce is diverse and that there are opportunities for minorities and women to move up through departments to leadership roles. As leaders, when there are opportunities speaking to groups, we should be explaining how our county is changing and the importance of creating opportunities for all workers.
What further policies can Dakota County adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
One area that may still need assistance is the local owned small restaurant. Although most areas are back to normal some work centers have changed where the support businesses are still challenged.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?