Tony Scales
Name: Tony Scales
Public Office Sought: Inver Grove Heights City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-450-7677
Website: www.votetonyscales.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: facebook.com/votetscalesIGH
Candidate Bio
Growing up in Inver Grove Heights my entire life and raising my family here, I have watched our city go through many ups and downs and many of these I have seen during my 14 years on the Planning Commission. Through the commission I have seen and heard from many of our citizens what makes Inver Grove Heights great and where we have our challenges giving me a unique insight on how to help Inver Grove Heights to be an even better place to live. My parents instilled in me the importance of being involved in the community where you live and I gained experience and insight watching my parents build successful
businesses, developed both residential and commercial areas in Inver Grove Heights
which helped gave me the work ethic I have today.
In my professional career, I’ve worked with major corporations to help grow and lead facility engineering and facility operations by providing efficient and cost-effective solutions which I will bring to the City Council.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Fiscal responsibility is a top priority as it is important to ensure our Public Safety and existing and new infrastructure is properly funded while not spending city funds on items that do not add value to the community and citizens. Strong support for our police and fire services. A balanced approach to housing and commercial development. Only by working together can we build a strong community where not only resident are provided needed and wanted services but also where business can attract others from outside our city to do business here.
How would you characterize the business climate in Inver Grove Heights and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The current business environment in Inver Grove Heights has gone through many ups and downs and currently is not growing at a rate that I believe we need to support the citizens and tax base of our city. There are many improvements that can and should be made to make Inver Grove Heights a city that developers and businesses want to work with. This can be achieved by the city and business owners and developers working hand in hand on solutions and listening to each other. There will always be compromises that need to be made but if we can lower the cost and complexities for companies coming to Inver Grove Heights, we can better work with them to help them bring in developments, jobs and services that will continue to increase the quality of life for all those that chose to call Inver Grove Heights home.
What role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Inver Grove Heights?
The city can best help in attracting and retaining jobs by working to make the process companies go through to do business in the city as easy as possible. I have heard from those trying to bring in new business to the city that the process although better than in the past can still use some improvement and by coordinating listening sessions between the city and business leaders, we can help to facilitate a system that continues to improve.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
I believe there is very little the city can do directly to address labor shortages, but I would encourage employers to look at new ways to support their employees. Being flexible with work schedules, reaching out to high school and college students and retirees that may want part time work. I believe during this time of labor shortages it is important to be flexible and for employer and employee to work together to find solutions that work for all.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Inver Grove Heights (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Inver Grove Heights and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I am open to the idea of studying these issues but would not support Inver Grove Heights pursuing this alone. I believe to increase the minimum wage it is best to do this across a larger region. If done in one areas or city, it can drive business and people to other neighboring communities giving the opposite result of what is desired.
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?
Public safety is a great concern for me, and I feel the best way to address any current public safety concerns and possible future ones is to work to develop strong relationships between the citizens of Inver Grove Heights and local law enforcement. By building these strong bonds we can hopefully work together to make Inver Grove Heights a safe and active community where everyone feels safe and valued.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
During my time on the Planning Commission the commission and the city have worked to bring innovative ideas to address housing issues within the city. Recently the city has addressed the idea of Accessory Dwelling Units allowing them within the city. I believe we need to continue to offer all types of housing from new single family homes to apartments for those that are starting out or those that want to remain in our community when downsizing.
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?
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities for the city budget are making sure that every dollar spent goes to improve the lives of the citizens of this community and is done in a cost-efficient way. My experience in managing large budgets and projects in my career has enabled me to make the tough decisions needed at times, and when something doesn’t line up with the goals of the citizens of Inver Grove Heights, I will not support it.
What will you do to expand Inver Grove Heights’s tax base?
I believe the best way to grow Inver Grove Heights tax base is to continue to work to attract new businesses to the city. We can not continue to rely on residential development to expand the tax base as this puts too much of the tax burden on the residents. We need to continue to find better ways to reach out to businesses such as manufacturing, warehousing and other businesses and let them know Inver Grove Heights is a great community to do business in. This can help to bring jobs to our community and attract even more business.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I would encourage the city actively seeks out the input from members of the local school board and meet at least yearly with representatives of Inver Hills Community College. This would ensure that the city is in line with the needs of our K-12 and post-secondary institutions.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
At this time, I do not believe there are specific services that should be cut back or eliminated but we should better ensure that the citizens are getting the best value from the currently offered services.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Inver Grove Heights?
I believe that the City Council and city staff should welcome all business equally and fairly and by being an inclusive community it will foster growth and support for minority and women owned businesses.
What further policies can Inver Grove Heights adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
This will continue to be challenge for not only Inver Grove Heights but the world. As some businesses change from traditional work models to hybrid (home/office) to remote work it is important that the city looks at ways in which we can help to facilitate a good environment for all types of work.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I have been on the Inver Grove Heights Planning Commission for 14 years and during that that time some of you may have heard me say “I’m Just a Simple Man”. I believe by keeping things simple and straight forward together we can work to bring cost effective, reasonable, common-sense solutions to the citizens of Inver Grove Heights, and work with all those involved in a fair and honest way. I have seen how many of our city processes and plans have gotten overly complicated such has our variance request process. I will work to simplify them in a way that continues to make not only the City of Inver Grove Heights a great place to live, but also a great place to work and do business in.
Thank you and I look forward to the opportunity to earn your vote for City Council.
Public Office Sought: Inver Grove Heights City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-450-7677
Website: www.votetonyscales.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: facebook.com/votetscalesIGH
Candidate Bio
Growing up in Inver Grove Heights my entire life and raising my family here, I have watched our city go through many ups and downs and many of these I have seen during my 14 years on the Planning Commission. Through the commission I have seen and heard from many of our citizens what makes Inver Grove Heights great and where we have our challenges giving me a unique insight on how to help Inver Grove Heights to be an even better place to live. My parents instilled in me the importance of being involved in the community where you live and I gained experience and insight watching my parents build successful
businesses, developed both residential and commercial areas in Inver Grove Heights
which helped gave me the work ethic I have today.
In my professional career, I’ve worked with major corporations to help grow and lead facility engineering and facility operations by providing efficient and cost-effective solutions which I will bring to the City Council.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Fiscal responsibility is a top priority as it is important to ensure our Public Safety and existing and new infrastructure is properly funded while not spending city funds on items that do not add value to the community and citizens. Strong support for our police and fire services. A balanced approach to housing and commercial development. Only by working together can we build a strong community where not only resident are provided needed and wanted services but also where business can attract others from outside our city to do business here.
How would you characterize the business climate in Inver Grove Heights and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The current business environment in Inver Grove Heights has gone through many ups and downs and currently is not growing at a rate that I believe we need to support the citizens and tax base of our city. There are many improvements that can and should be made to make Inver Grove Heights a city that developers and businesses want to work with. This can be achieved by the city and business owners and developers working hand in hand on solutions and listening to each other. There will always be compromises that need to be made but if we can lower the cost and complexities for companies coming to Inver Grove Heights, we can better work with them to help them bring in developments, jobs and services that will continue to increase the quality of life for all those that chose to call Inver Grove Heights home.
What role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Inver Grove Heights?
The city can best help in attracting and retaining jobs by working to make the process companies go through to do business in the city as easy as possible. I have heard from those trying to bring in new business to the city that the process although better than in the past can still use some improvement and by coordinating listening sessions between the city and business leaders, we can help to facilitate a system that continues to improve.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
I believe there is very little the city can do directly to address labor shortages, but I would encourage employers to look at new ways to support their employees. Being flexible with work schedules, reaching out to high school and college students and retirees that may want part time work. I believe during this time of labor shortages it is important to be flexible and for employer and employee to work together to find solutions that work for all.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Inver Grove Heights (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Inver Grove Heights and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I am open to the idea of studying these issues but would not support Inver Grove Heights pursuing this alone. I believe to increase the minimum wage it is best to do this across a larger region. If done in one areas or city, it can drive business and people to other neighboring communities giving the opposite result of what is desired.
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?
Public safety is a great concern for me, and I feel the best way to address any current public safety concerns and possible future ones is to work to develop strong relationships between the citizens of Inver Grove Heights and local law enforcement. By building these strong bonds we can hopefully work together to make Inver Grove Heights a safe and active community where everyone feels safe and valued.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
During my time on the Planning Commission the commission and the city have worked to bring innovative ideas to address housing issues within the city. Recently the city has addressed the idea of Accessory Dwelling Units allowing them within the city. I believe we need to continue to offer all types of housing from new single family homes to apartments for those that are starting out or those that want to remain in our community when downsizing.
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?
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities for the city budget are making sure that every dollar spent goes to improve the lives of the citizens of this community and is done in a cost-efficient way. My experience in managing large budgets and projects in my career has enabled me to make the tough decisions needed at times, and when something doesn’t line up with the goals of the citizens of Inver Grove Heights, I will not support it.
What will you do to expand Inver Grove Heights’s tax base?
I believe the best way to grow Inver Grove Heights tax base is to continue to work to attract new businesses to the city. We can not continue to rely on residential development to expand the tax base as this puts too much of the tax burden on the residents. We need to continue to find better ways to reach out to businesses such as manufacturing, warehousing and other businesses and let them know Inver Grove Heights is a great community to do business in. This can help to bring jobs to our community and attract even more business.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I would encourage the city actively seeks out the input from members of the local school board and meet at least yearly with representatives of Inver Hills Community College. This would ensure that the city is in line with the needs of our K-12 and post-secondary institutions.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
At this time, I do not believe there are specific services that should be cut back or eliminated but we should better ensure that the citizens are getting the best value from the currently offered services.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Inver Grove Heights?
I believe that the City Council and city staff should welcome all business equally and fairly and by being an inclusive community it will foster growth and support for minority and women owned businesses.
What further policies can Inver Grove Heights adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
This will continue to be challenge for not only Inver Grove Heights but the world. As some businesses change from traditional work models to hybrid (home/office) to remote work it is important that the city looks at ways in which we can help to facilitate a good environment for all types of work.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I have been on the Inver Grove Heights Planning Commission for 14 years and during that that time some of you may have heard me say “I’m Just a Simple Man”. I believe by keeping things simple and straight forward together we can work to bring cost effective, reasonable, common-sense solutions to the citizens of Inver Grove Heights, and work with all those involved in a fair and honest way. I have seen how many of our city processes and plans have gotten overly complicated such has our variance request process. I will work to simplify them in a way that continues to make not only the City of Inver Grove Heights a great place to live, but also a great place to work and do business in.
Thank you and I look forward to the opportunity to earn your vote for City Council.