Leif Erickson
Name: Leif Erickson
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-279-3653
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: facebook.com/EricksonforCouncil
Candidate Bio
I am a Forest Lake City Council Member, local business owner, financial advisor, and longtime community leader committed to helping Forest Lake remain a strong, vibrant place to live, work, raise a family, and build a business.
Since being elected to the City Council in 2022, I have focused on responsible decision-making, economic development, infrastructure, public safety, and strengthening Forest Lake’s long-term financial position. I also serve as President of the Forest Lake Economic Development Authority, working with businesses, property owners, and community partners to encourage investment and expand our tax base.
My commitment extends beyond City Hall. I previously served as Chair of the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and remain actively involved in our business community. My wife, Chelsea, and I own businesses and investment property locally, including a historic downtown building we recently purchased and reinvested in.
Professionally, I am a financial advisor and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), bringing experience in financial planning, business strategy, and long-term decision-making to the Council.
I’m seeking re-election to continue Forest Lake’s momentum while protecting the character and quality of life that make our community special.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
My leadership style is collaborative, thoughtful, and results-oriented. I believe good leadership starts with listening, asking the right questions, understanding the facts, and then being willing to make a decision.
As a business owner and financial advisor, I naturally approach issues with a long-term perspective. I want to understand not only what a decision accomplishes today, but what it means for Forest Lake five, ten, or twenty years from now. I’m comfortable challenging assumptions, asking difficult questions, and respectfully disagreeing when necessary.
At the same time, local government works best when people can work together. During my time on the City Council, I’ve worked to build productive relationships with fellow Council Members, City staff, residents, and our business community.
Ultimately, I believe leadership is about moving beyond identifying problems and toward finding solutions. I bring an optimistic, practical approach focused on building consensus where possible, making responsible decisions, and continuing to move Forest Lake forward.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
My top three priorities are growing our tax base through thoughtful economic development, responsibly investing in infrastructure, and maintaining the public safety and quality of life our residents expect.
First, we need to continue attracting new businesses, encouraging redevelopment, and supporting investment in our existing commercial areas. Growing the tax base helps reduce the pressure placed on homeowners while creating jobs and opportunities locally.
Second, we must continue making disciplined, long-term investments in roads, utilities, parks, and other infrastructure. Forest Lake knows all too well that deferring critical infrastructure investments ultimately makes them more expensive. As a City Council member for the past four years, responsibly increasing our infrastructure investments has been a key stewardship initiative.
Third, public safety and quality city services must remain core priorities. Residents should feel they receive strong value for the property taxes they pay.
Uncertainty around state and federal funding makes fiscal discipline even more important. Forest Lake has pursued outside funding when it makes sense, but we should not build our long-term plans around dollars we cannot control. By maintaining responsible reserves, prioritizing projects carefully, and expanding our commercial tax base, we can remain financially resilient while continuing to move Forest Lake forward.
What is the biggest challenge facing Forest Lake right now, and where do you see the greatest opportunity?
I believe Forest Lake’s biggest challenge is balancing the investments our community needs with the very real concern residents have about affordability and rising property taxes. Roads, infrastructure, public safety, and quality city services require investment, but we also have a responsibility to make those investments thoughtfully and ensure taxpayers receive value for every dollar.
Our greatest opportunity is economic development. Forest Lake has tremendous assets: a growing population, access to I-35, a strong business community, an increasingly vibrant downtown, and, of course, the lakes. We have an opportunity to better leverage those assets to attract private investment, expand our commercial and industrial tax base, and create more places for people to work, shop, dine, and gather.
As President of the Forest Lake Economic Development Authority, I’ve seen firsthand the interest and opportunity that exists in our community. I believe our next chapter should be about intentionally capturing that potential while preserving the character that makes Forest Lake special.
When we grow our tax base faster than our tax burden, we can invest in Forest Lake’s future while protecting affordability for our residents.
How would you characterize the business climate in Forest Lake, and what role should city government play in partnering with the business community to attract jobs, develop the workforce, and address shared challenges?
I believe Forest Lake’s business climate is strong and getting stronger. We have an engaged business community, an excellent location along the I-35 corridor, and significant opportunities for continued commercial, industrial, and downtown investment.
City government’s role should be to create an environment where businesses want to invest, grow, and create jobs. That means maintaining strong infrastructure, providing predictable and efficient processes, keeping taxes and fees competitive, and approaching businesses as partners rather than simply as taxpayers.
As President of the Forest Lake Economic Development Authority, a former Chair of the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, and a local business and commercial property owner, I’ve experienced economic development from multiple perspectives. I believe relationships matter. City leaders should regularly engage with existing employers to understand their challenges, help remove unnecessary barriers to growth, and connect businesses with workforce, education, and regional partners.
We should also aggressively pursue opportunities to expand and diversify our commercial and industrial tax base. When businesses succeed and invest in Forest Lake, they create jobs, strengthen our community, and help distribute the cost of city services across a broader tax base.
What do you view as the most pressing public safety challenges in your community, and how would you address them?
Forest Lake is a safe community, and keeping it that way requires continued investment, strong leadership, and proactive planning. Our most pressing public safety challenges include ensuring our police, fire, and emergency services have the staffing, equipment, training, and resources necessary to serve a growing community.
Public safety also means addressing traffic and pedestrian safety as our community grows, responding effectively to mental health and substance-related calls, and maintaining strong relationships between our first responders and the residents they serve.
My approach is to make public safety a core function of city government and fund it accordingly, while continually evaluating how we can deliver those services effectively and efficiently. We also need to plan ahead. As Forest Lake grows, our public safety needs will grow with it, and waiting until we have a staffing or capacity problem is more expensive and less effective than preparing for it.
Ultimately, residents deserve to feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and public spaces. Maintaining that sense of security will continue to be one of my highest priorities as a City Council Member.
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?
Housing affordability is a real challenge, and I believe increasing the supply and variety of housing is an important part of the solution. Forest Lake needs housing options for young families buying their first home, working professionals, seniors looking to downsize, and employees who want to live near where they work.
The City can help by ensuring our zoning supports an appropriate mix of housing, identifying opportunities for redevelopment, investing in infrastructure that enables responsible growth, and maintaining an efficient and predictable development process. We should also encourage housing options that allow residents to remain in Forest Lake through different stages of life.
I do not believe rent control is an effective long-term solution to housing affordability. While well-intentioned, controlling rents can discourage investment in new housing and improvements to existing properties, ultimately limiting the supply we need to address affordability.
I believe the better approach is to create conditions that encourage private investment and additional housing supply while being thoughtful about where and how we grow. More housing choices, combined with responsible development and a strong local economy, will give Forest Lake the best opportunity to improve affordability over the long term.
How would you improve transportation infrastructure and safety for drivers, transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians in your community?
Improving transportation infrastructure has been a significant priority during my first term, and we are seeing the results of strong partnerships and long-term planning.
Forest Lake regularly works with Washington County, MnDOT, and other government partners to leverage outside funding and accomplish projects our local taxpayers should not have to fund alone. MnDOT is completing a major two-year reconstruction of Highway 97, while Washington County has invested in local corridors including Everton Avenue and is planning improvements to 11th Street. That project will also leverage federal funding to help offset the cost of an important redesign.
I want to continue that approach: aggressively pursue state, county, and federal partnerships while ensuring Forest Lake is investing responsibly in the infrastructure we control.
Safety must remain central to those decisions. As roads are reconstructed, we have opportunities to improve intersections, pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, trails, and bicycle connections where appropriate—not as separate initiatives, but as part of thoughtful transportation planning.
My goal is a safe, connected transportation network that supports residents, businesses, economic development, and Forest Lake’s continued growth while maximizing every infrastructure dollar we invest.
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?
Rising property taxes are a legitimate concern for Forest Lake homeowners, and setting the levy requires balancing affordability with our responsibility to adequately fund the services and infrastructure residents expect.
I believe fiscal responsibility means more than simply holding the levy flat. We need to scrutinize spending, prioritize core services, plan responsibly for long-term capital needs, and avoid deferring investments that ultimately become more expensive. At the same time, we should continually look for efficiencies and outside funding opportunities that reduce the burden on local taxpayers.
One of the most important things we can do is grow and diversify our tax base. Attracting commercial and industrial investment creates additional tax capacity and helps distribute the cost of city services across a broader base rather than relying disproportionately on homeowners.
As a financial advisor, I bring a long-term financial perspective to these decisions. My goal is to ensure Forest Lake remains financially strong while delivering value for every tax dollar we collect.
Ultimately, our objective should be simple: grow our tax base faster than our tax burden while continuing to provide the services and infrastructure that make Forest Lake a great place to live.
What are the two or three issues where you believe city government is best positioned to lead — and why the city rather than the state or county?
City government is best positioned to lead in three areas: economic development and land use, core infrastructure, and public safety.
Decisions about how Forest Lake grows should be driven locally. Zoning, redevelopment, business attraction, and neighborhood planning directly shape the character and economic future of our community. Local leaders are best positioned to understand where growth makes sense and how it should occur.
The City must also lead in maintaining the infrastructure it owns. Streets, utilities, parks, trails, and other public assets require long-term planning and disciplined investment. State, county, and federal partnerships can provide valuable resources, but Forest Lake must establish its priorities and responsibly maintain its assets.
Finally, public safety is fundamentally local. Our police, fire, and emergency services should reflect the needs and expectations of the community they serve.
I strongly support partnerships with Washington County, the State of Minnesota, and other agencies. But those partnerships work best when Forest Lake brings a clear vision and strong local leadership to the table.
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?
Real taxpayer transparency means more than making financial documents available—it means making them understandable and accessible to the people paying the bills.
Forest Lake has made meaningful progress. Our new Finance Director, Elle, has developed infographics and other easy-to-understand materials that help residents see where their tax dollars go and better understand the City’s budget. I strongly support continuing and expanding those efforts.
Residents should be able to understand how the levy affects their property taxes, where City revenues come from, how dollars are spent, and what we are investing in for the future. Major financial decisions should continue to be communicated before they are made, giving residents meaningful opportunities to ask questions, provide input, and understand the tradeoffs.
Taxpayers should not have to be experts in municipal finance to understand their City’s finances. Real transparency means communicating clearly, welcoming public engagement, and ultimately being accountable to the people we serve.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-279-3653
Campaign Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page: facebook.com/EricksonforCouncil
Candidate Bio
I am a Forest Lake City Council Member, local business owner, financial advisor, and longtime community leader committed to helping Forest Lake remain a strong, vibrant place to live, work, raise a family, and build a business.
Since being elected to the City Council in 2022, I have focused on responsible decision-making, economic development, infrastructure, public safety, and strengthening Forest Lake’s long-term financial position. I also serve as President of the Forest Lake Economic Development Authority, working with businesses, property owners, and community partners to encourage investment and expand our tax base.
My commitment extends beyond City Hall. I previously served as Chair of the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and remain actively involved in our business community. My wife, Chelsea, and I own businesses and investment property locally, including a historic downtown building we recently purchased and reinvested in.
Professionally, I am a financial advisor and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), bringing experience in financial planning, business strategy, and long-term decision-making to the Council.
I’m seeking re-election to continue Forest Lake’s momentum while protecting the character and quality of life that make our community special.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
My leadership style is collaborative, thoughtful, and results-oriented. I believe good leadership starts with listening, asking the right questions, understanding the facts, and then being willing to make a decision.
As a business owner and financial advisor, I naturally approach issues with a long-term perspective. I want to understand not only what a decision accomplishes today, but what it means for Forest Lake five, ten, or twenty years from now. I’m comfortable challenging assumptions, asking difficult questions, and respectfully disagreeing when necessary.
At the same time, local government works best when people can work together. During my time on the City Council, I’ve worked to build productive relationships with fellow Council Members, City staff, residents, and our business community.
Ultimately, I believe leadership is about moving beyond identifying problems and toward finding solutions. I bring an optimistic, practical approach focused on building consensus where possible, making responsible decisions, and continuing to move Forest Lake forward.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
My top three priorities are growing our tax base through thoughtful economic development, responsibly investing in infrastructure, and maintaining the public safety and quality of life our residents expect.
First, we need to continue attracting new businesses, encouraging redevelopment, and supporting investment in our existing commercial areas. Growing the tax base helps reduce the pressure placed on homeowners while creating jobs and opportunities locally.
Second, we must continue making disciplined, long-term investments in roads, utilities, parks, and other infrastructure. Forest Lake knows all too well that deferring critical infrastructure investments ultimately makes them more expensive. As a City Council member for the past four years, responsibly increasing our infrastructure investments has been a key stewardship initiative.
Third, public safety and quality city services must remain core priorities. Residents should feel they receive strong value for the property taxes they pay.
Uncertainty around state and federal funding makes fiscal discipline even more important. Forest Lake has pursued outside funding when it makes sense, but we should not build our long-term plans around dollars we cannot control. By maintaining responsible reserves, prioritizing projects carefully, and expanding our commercial tax base, we can remain financially resilient while continuing to move Forest Lake forward.
What is the biggest challenge facing Forest Lake right now, and where do you see the greatest opportunity?
I believe Forest Lake’s biggest challenge is balancing the investments our community needs with the very real concern residents have about affordability and rising property taxes. Roads, infrastructure, public safety, and quality city services require investment, but we also have a responsibility to make those investments thoughtfully and ensure taxpayers receive value for every dollar.
Our greatest opportunity is economic development. Forest Lake has tremendous assets: a growing population, access to I-35, a strong business community, an increasingly vibrant downtown, and, of course, the lakes. We have an opportunity to better leverage those assets to attract private investment, expand our commercial and industrial tax base, and create more places for people to work, shop, dine, and gather.
As President of the Forest Lake Economic Development Authority, I’ve seen firsthand the interest and opportunity that exists in our community. I believe our next chapter should be about intentionally capturing that potential while preserving the character that makes Forest Lake special.
When we grow our tax base faster than our tax burden, we can invest in Forest Lake’s future while protecting affordability for our residents.
How would you characterize the business climate in Forest Lake, and what role should city government play in partnering with the business community to attract jobs, develop the workforce, and address shared challenges?
I believe Forest Lake’s business climate is strong and getting stronger. We have an engaged business community, an excellent location along the I-35 corridor, and significant opportunities for continued commercial, industrial, and downtown investment.
City government’s role should be to create an environment where businesses want to invest, grow, and create jobs. That means maintaining strong infrastructure, providing predictable and efficient processes, keeping taxes and fees competitive, and approaching businesses as partners rather than simply as taxpayers.
As President of the Forest Lake Economic Development Authority, a former Chair of the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, and a local business and commercial property owner, I’ve experienced economic development from multiple perspectives. I believe relationships matter. City leaders should regularly engage with existing employers to understand their challenges, help remove unnecessary barriers to growth, and connect businesses with workforce, education, and regional partners.
We should also aggressively pursue opportunities to expand and diversify our commercial and industrial tax base. When businesses succeed and invest in Forest Lake, they create jobs, strengthen our community, and help distribute the cost of city services across a broader tax base.
What do you view as the most pressing public safety challenges in your community, and how would you address them?
Forest Lake is a safe community, and keeping it that way requires continued investment, strong leadership, and proactive planning. Our most pressing public safety challenges include ensuring our police, fire, and emergency services have the staffing, equipment, training, and resources necessary to serve a growing community.
Public safety also means addressing traffic and pedestrian safety as our community grows, responding effectively to mental health and substance-related calls, and maintaining strong relationships between our first responders and the residents they serve.
My approach is to make public safety a core function of city government and fund it accordingly, while continually evaluating how we can deliver those services effectively and efficiently. We also need to plan ahead. As Forest Lake grows, our public safety needs will grow with it, and waiting until we have a staffing or capacity problem is more expensive and less effective than preparing for it.
Ultimately, residents deserve to feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and public spaces. Maintaining that sense of security will continue to be one of my highest priorities as a City Council Member.
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?
Housing affordability is a real challenge, and I believe increasing the supply and variety of housing is an important part of the solution. Forest Lake needs housing options for young families buying their first home, working professionals, seniors looking to downsize, and employees who want to live near where they work.
The City can help by ensuring our zoning supports an appropriate mix of housing, identifying opportunities for redevelopment, investing in infrastructure that enables responsible growth, and maintaining an efficient and predictable development process. We should also encourage housing options that allow residents to remain in Forest Lake through different stages of life.
I do not believe rent control is an effective long-term solution to housing affordability. While well-intentioned, controlling rents can discourage investment in new housing and improvements to existing properties, ultimately limiting the supply we need to address affordability.
I believe the better approach is to create conditions that encourage private investment and additional housing supply while being thoughtful about where and how we grow. More housing choices, combined with responsible development and a strong local economy, will give Forest Lake the best opportunity to improve affordability over the long term.
How would you improve transportation infrastructure and safety for drivers, transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians in your community?
Improving transportation infrastructure has been a significant priority during my first term, and we are seeing the results of strong partnerships and long-term planning.
Forest Lake regularly works with Washington County, MnDOT, and other government partners to leverage outside funding and accomplish projects our local taxpayers should not have to fund alone. MnDOT is completing a major two-year reconstruction of Highway 97, while Washington County has invested in local corridors including Everton Avenue and is planning improvements to 11th Street. That project will also leverage federal funding to help offset the cost of an important redesign.
I want to continue that approach: aggressively pursue state, county, and federal partnerships while ensuring Forest Lake is investing responsibly in the infrastructure we control.
Safety must remain central to those decisions. As roads are reconstructed, we have opportunities to improve intersections, pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, trails, and bicycle connections where appropriate—not as separate initiatives, but as part of thoughtful transportation planning.
My goal is a safe, connected transportation network that supports residents, businesses, economic development, and Forest Lake’s continued growth while maximizing every infrastructure dollar we invest.
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?
Rising property taxes are a legitimate concern for Forest Lake homeowners, and setting the levy requires balancing affordability with our responsibility to adequately fund the services and infrastructure residents expect.
I believe fiscal responsibility means more than simply holding the levy flat. We need to scrutinize spending, prioritize core services, plan responsibly for long-term capital needs, and avoid deferring investments that ultimately become more expensive. At the same time, we should continually look for efficiencies and outside funding opportunities that reduce the burden on local taxpayers.
One of the most important things we can do is grow and diversify our tax base. Attracting commercial and industrial investment creates additional tax capacity and helps distribute the cost of city services across a broader base rather than relying disproportionately on homeowners.
As a financial advisor, I bring a long-term financial perspective to these decisions. My goal is to ensure Forest Lake remains financially strong while delivering value for every tax dollar we collect.
Ultimately, our objective should be simple: grow our tax base faster than our tax burden while continuing to provide the services and infrastructure that make Forest Lake a great place to live.
What are the two or three issues where you believe city government is best positioned to lead — and why the city rather than the state or county?
City government is best positioned to lead in three areas: economic development and land use, core infrastructure, and public safety.
Decisions about how Forest Lake grows should be driven locally. Zoning, redevelopment, business attraction, and neighborhood planning directly shape the character and economic future of our community. Local leaders are best positioned to understand where growth makes sense and how it should occur.
The City must also lead in maintaining the infrastructure it owns. Streets, utilities, parks, trails, and other public assets require long-term planning and disciplined investment. State, county, and federal partnerships can provide valuable resources, but Forest Lake must establish its priorities and responsibly maintain its assets.
Finally, public safety is fundamentally local. Our police, fire, and emergency services should reflect the needs and expectations of the community they serve.
I strongly support partnerships with Washington County, the State of Minnesota, and other agencies. But those partnerships work best when Forest Lake brings a clear vision and strong local leadership to the table.
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?
Real taxpayer transparency means more than making financial documents available—it means making them understandable and accessible to the people paying the bills.
Forest Lake has made meaningful progress. Our new Finance Director, Elle, has developed infographics and other easy-to-understand materials that help residents see where their tax dollars go and better understand the City’s budget. I strongly support continuing and expanding those efforts.
Residents should be able to understand how the levy affects their property taxes, where City revenues come from, how dollars are spent, and what we are investing in for the future. Major financial decisions should continue to be communicated before they are made, giving residents meaningful opportunities to ask questions, provide input, and understand the tradeoffs.
Taxpayers should not have to be experts in municipal finance to understand their City’s finances. Real transparency means communicating clearly, welcoming public engagement, and ultimately being accountable to the people we serve.