Greg Urban
Name: Greg Urban
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 6512489830
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
As a lifelong resident of Vadnais Heights I believe I am uniquely qualified to be the next mayor of Vadnais heights based on the very successful 2 terms I served as a city council member and deputy mayor. In addition, prior to being a city council member I served on the planning commission for 9 years. I am also a business owner which gives me unique knowledge of pro-business strategies to be used to set city policy.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I work very successfully with many people with different perspectives and opinions in private business. However, I believe a great strength I have is not being afraid to hold my positions when it is the right thing to do, regardless of pressures to change my position.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
My main priority as mayor will be to restore fiscal responsibility to the city after a 67% increase in the city levy over the past 4 years. By reducing spending, the reliance on any state or federal funding will also be reduced. Another priority will be to highly scrutinize the need for and scope of all city projects and work with city residents and business owners in the design phases to determine what is needed and necessary for any city projects. My last priority will be to end city street repair assessments, these assessments are a costly and time-consuming burden for the city to implement, and a burden for the residents and businesses that are forced to pay for something they do not own.
What is the biggest challenge facing Vadnais Heights right now, and where do you see the greatest opportunity?
The biggest challenge is to restore fiscal responsibility after a 67% increase in the city levy over the past 4 years. The greatest opportunity is that Vadnais Heights is a very nice city as is and can stay that way without a need to “reinvent the wheel”.
How would you characterize the business climate in Vadnais Heights, and what role should city government play in partnering with the business community to attract jobs, develop the workforce, and address shared challenges?
As a business owner, I believe the less city involvement in business, the better. Business owners are experts at their own businesses. Government involvement in business can increase the size of government which can then lead to higher taxes.
What do you view as the most pressing public safety challenges in your community, and how would you address them?
The biggest public safety challenge is the rising costs associated with our fire department. We have one of the best fire departments in the state, but we need to be creative in thinking of ways to manage the costs as it is becoming a rather large tax burden on our relatively small city.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability, and how do you view the role of rent control policies in that process?
I believe land development is the role of private developers, and the city will need to review each proposal on its own merits.
How would you improve transportation infrastructure and safety for drivers, transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians in your community?
Any public projects would need input from residents and business in the early phases of design. I will not force unneeded construction projects into the neighborhoods of our residents.
Residential property owners across the region are feeling significant strain from rising property tax bills. How would you approach balancing fiscal responsibility with the demand for services when setting the city levy?
During my 2 terms as a city council member, we kept tax increases very low by maintaining quality city services and infrastructure but not growing the size of government. If elected as Mayor, I would use this same approach.
What are two or three issues where you believe the city government is best positioned to lead - and why the city rather than the state or county?
I believe the main area where the city can lead is on land use and local regulation. We want to ensure we maintain the character of existing neighborhoods but also not restrict the property rights and needs of residents and business owners. As the city generally controls land use, the city would be the primary leader on these issues.
What does real taxpayer transparency look like to you, and what specific steps would you take to achieve it — both in terms of financial reporting and public engagement?
I believe the city needs to be accountable for all city expenditures. Tracking and reporting of this is generally handled thru audits and financial reports. However, the less you spend the less you need to report to your residents!
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 6512489830
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
As a lifelong resident of Vadnais Heights I believe I am uniquely qualified to be the next mayor of Vadnais heights based on the very successful 2 terms I served as a city council member and deputy mayor. In addition, prior to being a city council member I served on the planning commission for 9 years. I am also a business owner which gives me unique knowledge of pro-business strategies to be used to set city policy.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I work very successfully with many people with different perspectives and opinions in private business. However, I believe a great strength I have is not being afraid to hold my positions when it is the right thing to do, regardless of pressures to change my position.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
My main priority as mayor will be to restore fiscal responsibility to the city after a 67% increase in the city levy over the past 4 years. By reducing spending, the reliance on any state or federal funding will also be reduced. Another priority will be to highly scrutinize the need for and scope of all city projects and work with city residents and business owners in the design phases to determine what is needed and necessary for any city projects. My last priority will be to end city street repair assessments, these assessments are a costly and time-consuming burden for the city to implement, and a burden for the residents and businesses that are forced to pay for something they do not own.
What is the biggest challenge facing Vadnais Heights right now, and where do you see the greatest opportunity?
The biggest challenge is to restore fiscal responsibility after a 67% increase in the city levy over the past 4 years. The greatest opportunity is that Vadnais Heights is a very nice city as is and can stay that way without a need to “reinvent the wheel”.
How would you characterize the business climate in Vadnais Heights, and what role should city government play in partnering with the business community to attract jobs, develop the workforce, and address shared challenges?
As a business owner, I believe the less city involvement in business, the better. Business owners are experts at their own businesses. Government involvement in business can increase the size of government which can then lead to higher taxes.
What do you view as the most pressing public safety challenges in your community, and how would you address them?
The biggest public safety challenge is the rising costs associated with our fire department. We have one of the best fire departments in the state, but we need to be creative in thinking of ways to manage the costs as it is becoming a rather large tax burden on our relatively small city.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability, and how do you view the role of rent control policies in that process?
I believe land development is the role of private developers, and the city will need to review each proposal on its own merits.
How would you improve transportation infrastructure and safety for drivers, transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians in your community?
Any public projects would need input from residents and business in the early phases of design. I will not force unneeded construction projects into the neighborhoods of our residents.
Residential property owners across the region are feeling significant strain from rising property tax bills. How would you approach balancing fiscal responsibility with the demand for services when setting the city levy?
During my 2 terms as a city council member, we kept tax increases very low by maintaining quality city services and infrastructure but not growing the size of government. If elected as Mayor, I would use this same approach.
What are two or three issues where you believe the city government is best positioned to lead - and why the city rather than the state or county?
I believe the main area where the city can lead is on land use and local regulation. We want to ensure we maintain the character of existing neighborhoods but also not restrict the property rights and needs of residents and business owners. As the city generally controls land use, the city would be the primary leader on these issues.
What does real taxpayer transparency look like to you, and what specific steps would you take to achieve it — both in terms of financial reporting and public engagement?
I believe the city needs to be accountable for all city expenditures. Tracking and reporting of this is generally handled thru audits and financial reports. However, the less you spend the less you need to report to your residents!