Myron Bailey
Name: Myron Bailey
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-368-6751
Campaign Website: n/a
Twitter handle: @myron_bailey
Facebook Page: myron.bailey
Candidate Bio
I have been the Mayor of Cottage Grove for the past 16 years. I am currently the President of the Cottage Grove Economic Development Authority, and currently on the Transportation Advisory Board for the Metropolitan Council. I have been past President of Metro Cities, Past President of the Youth Service Bureau, and past Board Member for the League of Minnesota Cities. I am currently a District Manager for Dollar Tree. Cottage Grove is one of the fastest growing communities in the State of Minnesota. We are a community where people want to live, work, and play. We attained a double AA bond rating and moved to a triple AAA Bond rating for our fiscal management during my tenure as mayor.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I am a passionate leader who strives to listen to all sides to any issue before making an informed decision. I am very open to citizens questions and concerns. Whether it’s via phone call, Facebook, messenger, in-person, or email. I am available to everyone. If you ask citizens of Cottage Grove about my leadership style, I believe they would say I am very open and honest and return call and emails quickly. Though we may not agree on all decisions or outcomes, I treat people with dignity and respect. I believe that is why I have run unopposed for the last 3 elections.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Cottage Grove?
Challenge is managing our growth while maintaining the small town feel and character of the community.
Opportunity – Bringing in more restaurants and retailers along with additional park amenities. These items have been the biggest ask by the residents of Cottage Grove.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
We have multiple programs in Cottage Grove that intently reaches out to our business community to gather feedback on how we can make things easier or better for them. With that being said – we work with various housing developers to provide letters of support or in some cases TIF or other financial options to create additional workforce housing in our community. We work closely with our School District and local area colleges for opportunities to collaborate on specific needs in the industry. And finally, if you ask most business leaders in our community, new or existing, they will tell you the City of Cottage Grove has been amazing to work with. We solve problems where other cities just say no or ignore them.
How would you characterize the business climate in Cottage Grove and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Cottage Grove?
The business climate in Cottage Grove is great! We have a very low commercial vacancy rate. We have many businesses that want to locate here, but we currently do not have the space for them. That is why we are working to expand our commercial area to “The Shoppes at Cottage View” to allow more retail and commercial businesses to join our community.
Our business park is one of the fastest growing in the Twin Cities with many recent additions of new and expanding businesses.
Regarding the role we play – working with current and new business opportunities is crucial to creating a vibrant community. Reducing any roadblocks and helping businesses navigate difficult issues. I consistently hear from our new and existing businesses that our city and staff are amazing to work with. They state they wish all cities were like our city staff and council.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
The good news for Cottage Grove, is we have been able to maintain a full Public Safety force, while other communities struggle to gain or retain officers. I attribute this success to our focus on training, including utilizing our Public Safety Training Center (HERO Center) and providing the proper tools and equipment to keep out citizens and officers safe. We also recruit internally through the local high schools and have a vibrant Community Service Officer program that acts as a springboard to a future career in law enforcement. And lasty, the connection with our citizens is amazing. Our community feels safe and our officers feel appreciated.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
We are proposing a 1% levy increase in 2025 to go towards different ways of creating affordable housing in our community. We also have worked closely with Habitat for Humanity to build new affordable starter homes in our community. We are currently studying a variety of programs that include, low or no interest loans to first time home buyers, renovation money for remodeling older homes, just to name a few ideas we are looking at.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
With every new or existing road repair or expansion projects, we always include pedestrian and bike trails that connect all parts of our community. With regards to transit – My focus in the next 4 years is to work with Washington County and the Metropolitan Council to expand bus service on a more frequent basis to Cottage Grove. We have also locally funded a bus route once a week for our senior facilities around Cottage Grove to get to our local retailers and medical facilities. This bus is provided at no charge for those who cannot afford to pay. I am also working with our Met Council Representative on expanding Metro Mobility for longer service hours in our community.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
With any grant options we are eligible for, we plan for the future to make sure we budget for the “tail” that comes after accepting this money. We also have used some of these dollars to improve or replace outdated equipment. That being said, we have created a 10-year financial plan to keep our tax rate stable, yet continue to provide the level of services our citizens have come to enjoy. Cottage Grove has the 2nd lowest city tax rate in Washington County and one of the lowest in the Twin Cities compared to cities our size. We expect to keep our fiscally conservative approach to city taxes.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
I personally do not believe cities should be implementing these types of programs. Funding and policies like the ones you referenced should be left to the state to implement. I do believe the state should stay out of local zoning authority. We are best suited to decide how our communities should grow. I also believe the state should not be dictating where marijuana outlets can be located within a city and the amount a city can charge for licensing. The City of Cottage Grove has policy objectives that we share with our legislative team every year. With regards to partnerships, one example I can share is the embedded Social Worker Program. Washington County was provided the funding to create these positions in various communities throughout Washington County. Each city can decide whether they want to be a part of this program or not. Cottage Grove will begin this program in the next few months.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-368-6751
Campaign Website: n/a
Twitter handle: @myron_bailey
Facebook Page: myron.bailey
Candidate Bio
I have been the Mayor of Cottage Grove for the past 16 years. I am currently the President of the Cottage Grove Economic Development Authority, and currently on the Transportation Advisory Board for the Metropolitan Council. I have been past President of Metro Cities, Past President of the Youth Service Bureau, and past Board Member for the League of Minnesota Cities. I am currently a District Manager for Dollar Tree. Cottage Grove is one of the fastest growing communities in the State of Minnesota. We are a community where people want to live, work, and play. We attained a double AA bond rating and moved to a triple AAA Bond rating for our fiscal management during my tenure as mayor.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I am a passionate leader who strives to listen to all sides to any issue before making an informed decision. I am very open to citizens questions and concerns. Whether it’s via phone call, Facebook, messenger, in-person, or email. I am available to everyone. If you ask citizens of Cottage Grove about my leadership style, I believe they would say I am very open and honest and return call and emails quickly. Though we may not agree on all decisions or outcomes, I treat people with dignity and respect. I believe that is why I have run unopposed for the last 3 elections.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
- Attaining final funding and construction of the 100th street extension from Jamaica Ave to Highway 61 to expand our business park.
- Beginning Construction of the future commercial and entertainment area called “The Shoppes at Cottage View”.
- Bringing additional restaurants, retailers, and entertainment options to our community.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Cottage Grove?
Challenge is managing our growth while maintaining the small town feel and character of the community.
Opportunity – Bringing in more restaurants and retailers along with additional park amenities. These items have been the biggest ask by the residents of Cottage Grove.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
We have multiple programs in Cottage Grove that intently reaches out to our business community to gather feedback on how we can make things easier or better for them. With that being said – we work with various housing developers to provide letters of support or in some cases TIF or other financial options to create additional workforce housing in our community. We work closely with our School District and local area colleges for opportunities to collaborate on specific needs in the industry. And finally, if you ask most business leaders in our community, new or existing, they will tell you the City of Cottage Grove has been amazing to work with. We solve problems where other cities just say no or ignore them.
How would you characterize the business climate in Cottage Grove and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Cottage Grove?
The business climate in Cottage Grove is great! We have a very low commercial vacancy rate. We have many businesses that want to locate here, but we currently do not have the space for them. That is why we are working to expand our commercial area to “The Shoppes at Cottage View” to allow more retail and commercial businesses to join our community.
Our business park is one of the fastest growing in the Twin Cities with many recent additions of new and expanding businesses.
Regarding the role we play – working with current and new business opportunities is crucial to creating a vibrant community. Reducing any roadblocks and helping businesses navigate difficult issues. I consistently hear from our new and existing businesses that our city and staff are amazing to work with. They state they wish all cities were like our city staff and council.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
The good news for Cottage Grove, is we have been able to maintain a full Public Safety force, while other communities struggle to gain or retain officers. I attribute this success to our focus on training, including utilizing our Public Safety Training Center (HERO Center) and providing the proper tools and equipment to keep out citizens and officers safe. We also recruit internally through the local high schools and have a vibrant Community Service Officer program that acts as a springboard to a future career in law enforcement. And lasty, the connection with our citizens is amazing. Our community feels safe and our officers feel appreciated.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
We are proposing a 1% levy increase in 2025 to go towards different ways of creating affordable housing in our community. We also have worked closely with Habitat for Humanity to build new affordable starter homes in our community. We are currently studying a variety of programs that include, low or no interest loans to first time home buyers, renovation money for remodeling older homes, just to name a few ideas we are looking at.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
With every new or existing road repair or expansion projects, we always include pedestrian and bike trails that connect all parts of our community. With regards to transit – My focus in the next 4 years is to work with Washington County and the Metropolitan Council to expand bus service on a more frequent basis to Cottage Grove. We have also locally funded a bus route once a week for our senior facilities around Cottage Grove to get to our local retailers and medical facilities. This bus is provided at no charge for those who cannot afford to pay. I am also working with our Met Council Representative on expanding Metro Mobility for longer service hours in our community.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
With any grant options we are eligible for, we plan for the future to make sure we budget for the “tail” that comes after accepting this money. We also have used some of these dollars to improve or replace outdated equipment. That being said, we have created a 10-year financial plan to keep our tax rate stable, yet continue to provide the level of services our citizens have come to enjoy. Cottage Grove has the 2nd lowest city tax rate in Washington County and one of the lowest in the Twin Cities compared to cities our size. We expect to keep our fiscally conservative approach to city taxes.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
I personally do not believe cities should be implementing these types of programs. Funding and policies like the ones you referenced should be left to the state to implement. I do believe the state should stay out of local zoning authority. We are best suited to decide how our communities should grow. I also believe the state should not be dictating where marijuana outlets can be located within a city and the amount a city can charge for licensing. The City of Cottage Grove has policy objectives that we share with our legislative team every year. With regards to partnerships, one example I can share is the embedded Social Worker Program. Washington County was provided the funding to create these positions in various communities throughout Washington County. Each city can decide whether they want to be a part of this program or not. Cottage Grove will begin this program in the next few months.