Jordan Herzog
Name: Jordan Herzog
Public Office Sought: Minnesota State House of Representatives - District 43B
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 763-313-9665
Campaign website: www.herzog4house.com
Twitter handle: @jordanherzog
Facebook page: Facebook.com/herzog4house
Candidate Bio
I grew up and have lived in Minnesota for most of my life. I obtained a degree in Pastoral Studies and spent over 5 years serving in pastoral ministry. During that time I led many teams of volunteers in church and community activities. In addition, I spent years working and serving in youth and young adult development including helping those with special needs.
Now I work in Financial Reporting for a large MN-based company and am a Certified Public Accountant. I’ve worked in Accounting and Finance in a variety of industries for the last 6 years My roles have been focused on auditing, analysis, and process improvement. In the business world, you usually don’t have an option to be loyal to policies and procedures that don’t work. Many times that is allowed in government by nature of its size and revenue source. I would like to see that change.
My unique combination of analytical skills and desire to serve others would make me a great fit for this job. I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers, but I have a track record of coming into new situations and working to improve them.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities would be as follows:
End the Governor’s executive order and work with the State Legislature to put together a common-sense response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. I would like to see a response that allows individuals to have more freedom in assessing their personal risk while also allowing for commerce to continue with social distancing guidelines in place.
I will also look to bring additional accountability to government. My proposal is to improve the execution of all government operations by engaging third-party audit firms to identify areas of weakness and inefficient uses of taxpayer dollars. From there I will work with the legislature to provide solutions to those problems.
Finally, I will look to expand the availability of school charters so that qualifying organizations can provide additional education options in areas where this is a known demand for it from students and their parents.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro and what role do businesses play in supporting quality of life issues in East Metro communities?
The East Metro has a variety of great businesses. We have a variety of large corporations, small-businesses, and entrepreneurial ventures. This business climate is essential to supporting the quality of life here. They provide jobs, services, entertainment, and overall well-being for residents. I believe businesses also play an important role in providing funds and volunteers for many charitable organizations and some even start their own organization. Businesses that are owned or operating by generous and loving people can make a major impact on improving the well-being of those in need.
What role do you think the State should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to and retain existing businesses in the East Metro?
There is room for government to alleviate obstacles to new and existing businesses. I will propose a lowering of the corporate income tax to be competitive with our neighbor, Wisconsin. I believe this would help the East Metro because we are so close to the border. Our current tax environment creates a flight risk for companies in the East Metro. Additionally, I would work to put a stop to any new regulatory encumbrances and instead encourage new entrepreneurial efforts by East Metro residents.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals (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 the east metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I generally do not support any new government mandated employment policy. My approach would be to allow companies to increase their attractiveness to potential employees by providing additional benefits and higher salaries – which they will do in a competitive market. Also, new regulations tend to harm small companies that cannot afford to hire new compliance officers and tax managers to keep up with the new regulation. What is a small impact to a large company may eliminate a smaller company’s entire profit margin.
What is your strategy to address public safety, transportation, and housing issues?
I will look to expand the amount of land available for housing development to alleviate increasing housing costs. For transportation, my approach would be to ensure the safety of all that are currently using or are considering the use of our current public transportation system. I will look to focus transportation spending on the expansion and improvement of our current roads and bridges.
What are your priorities for the State’s budget? Are there any services currently provided by the State that you believe should be expanded, cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
With the coronavirus pandemic impacting commerce and resulting tax revenue around the state, our budget is going to be in a difficult position. In order to keep it balanced and healthy for the long term, my priority would be to hold off on any new spending and non-inflation adjusted budget increases. In terms of the expansion, cutting, or elimination of agencies or services, I would propose exploring options to outsource services or agencies to non-governmental entities. This would increase business creation and innovation within the respective fields and help our taxpayers get the best value from their tax-dollars.
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
I believe the best way to increase the tax base is to make it a welcoming space to live and do business. Support for law enforcement and removal of unnecessary burdens on business owners will attract additional housing development and business investment.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
My approach would be to listen and learn from business leaders in the area to understand what the needs are for their company’s workforce. From there I would work to facilitate discussion of that information between the region’s education leadership and business leadership. I would also encourage continued partnership of education and businesses to provide mutually beneficial workplace education programs for students.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
The state’s primary role is to enforce current non-discrimination laws. Whether these are laws regarding employment of future business owners or lending practices of banks for small-business loans, they need to be enforced. A combination of enforcement of current laws, encouragement of entrepreneurship in under-represented demographics, and the involvement of other non-government groups providing start-up funds and training will provide many opportunities for individuals within these demographics.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
The first policy that the state can enact is the phasing out of our governor’s executive orders. I believe a legislative approach that considers the voices of health officials and business owners would help tailor a response to the pandemic that would not destroy our state’s businesses.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I’m always available to answer any specific questions. My website www.herzog4house.com has my email and phone number for anyone wanting to reach out.
Public Office Sought: Minnesota State House of Representatives - District 43B
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 763-313-9665
Campaign website: www.herzog4house.com
Twitter handle: @jordanherzog
Facebook page: Facebook.com/herzog4house
Candidate Bio
I grew up and have lived in Minnesota for most of my life. I obtained a degree in Pastoral Studies and spent over 5 years serving in pastoral ministry. During that time I led many teams of volunteers in church and community activities. In addition, I spent years working and serving in youth and young adult development including helping those with special needs.
Now I work in Financial Reporting for a large MN-based company and am a Certified Public Accountant. I’ve worked in Accounting and Finance in a variety of industries for the last 6 years My roles have been focused on auditing, analysis, and process improvement. In the business world, you usually don’t have an option to be loyal to policies and procedures that don’t work. Many times that is allowed in government by nature of its size and revenue source. I would like to see that change.
My unique combination of analytical skills and desire to serve others would make me a great fit for this job. I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers, but I have a track record of coming into new situations and working to improve them.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities would be as follows:
End the Governor’s executive order and work with the State Legislature to put together a common-sense response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. I would like to see a response that allows individuals to have more freedom in assessing their personal risk while also allowing for commerce to continue with social distancing guidelines in place.
I will also look to bring additional accountability to government. My proposal is to improve the execution of all government operations by engaging third-party audit firms to identify areas of weakness and inefficient uses of taxpayer dollars. From there I will work with the legislature to provide solutions to those problems.
Finally, I will look to expand the availability of school charters so that qualifying organizations can provide additional education options in areas where this is a known demand for it from students and their parents.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro and what role do businesses play in supporting quality of life issues in East Metro communities?
The East Metro has a variety of great businesses. We have a variety of large corporations, small-businesses, and entrepreneurial ventures. This business climate is essential to supporting the quality of life here. They provide jobs, services, entertainment, and overall well-being for residents. I believe businesses also play an important role in providing funds and volunteers for many charitable organizations and some even start their own organization. Businesses that are owned or operating by generous and loving people can make a major impact on improving the well-being of those in need.
What role do you think the State should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to and retain existing businesses in the East Metro?
There is room for government to alleviate obstacles to new and existing businesses. I will propose a lowering of the corporate income tax to be competitive with our neighbor, Wisconsin. I believe this would help the East Metro because we are so close to the border. Our current tax environment creates a flight risk for companies in the East Metro. Additionally, I would work to put a stop to any new regulatory encumbrances and instead encourage new entrepreneurial efforts by East Metro residents.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals (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 the east metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I generally do not support any new government mandated employment policy. My approach would be to allow companies to increase their attractiveness to potential employees by providing additional benefits and higher salaries – which they will do in a competitive market. Also, new regulations tend to harm small companies that cannot afford to hire new compliance officers and tax managers to keep up with the new regulation. What is a small impact to a large company may eliminate a smaller company’s entire profit margin.
What is your strategy to address public safety, transportation, and housing issues?
I will look to expand the amount of land available for housing development to alleviate increasing housing costs. For transportation, my approach would be to ensure the safety of all that are currently using or are considering the use of our current public transportation system. I will look to focus transportation spending on the expansion and improvement of our current roads and bridges.
What are your priorities for the State’s budget? Are there any services currently provided by the State that you believe should be expanded, cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
With the coronavirus pandemic impacting commerce and resulting tax revenue around the state, our budget is going to be in a difficult position. In order to keep it balanced and healthy for the long term, my priority would be to hold off on any new spending and non-inflation adjusted budget increases. In terms of the expansion, cutting, or elimination of agencies or services, I would propose exploring options to outsource services or agencies to non-governmental entities. This would increase business creation and innovation within the respective fields and help our taxpayers get the best value from their tax-dollars.
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
I believe the best way to increase the tax base is to make it a welcoming space to live and do business. Support for law enforcement and removal of unnecessary burdens on business owners will attract additional housing development and business investment.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
My approach would be to listen and learn from business leaders in the area to understand what the needs are for their company’s workforce. From there I would work to facilitate discussion of that information between the region’s education leadership and business leadership. I would also encourage continued partnership of education and businesses to provide mutually beneficial workplace education programs for students.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
The state’s primary role is to enforce current non-discrimination laws. Whether these are laws regarding employment of future business owners or lending practices of banks for small-business loans, they need to be enforced. A combination of enforcement of current laws, encouragement of entrepreneurship in under-represented demographics, and the involvement of other non-government groups providing start-up funds and training will provide many opportunities for individuals within these demographics.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
The first policy that the state can enact is the phasing out of our governor’s executive orders. I believe a legislative approach that considers the voices of health officials and business owners would help tailor a response to the pandemic that would not destroy our state’s businesses.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I’m always available to answer any specific questions. My website www.herzog4house.com has my email and phone number for anyone wanting to reach out.