The Ellsworth Village Board has three open trustee seats and four candidates, including two incumbents. Trustee Mindy Anderson chose not to seek re-election.

Lance Austin

Occupation/profession: Union painter Local 61 (St. Paul, MN)

Prior elected offices: Village trustee

Community/civic involvement: Four years of village board trustee, sat and chaired several committees for the village

What specific skills and/or experiences have helped you to serve as trustee (if an incumbent)? If a challenger, what skills and/or experiences have prepared you to take on this role? Experience, my main concern has always been citizens of Ellsworth nothing else.

What issues are most pressing in the village? What would you do about them? Infrastructure, sidewalks, streets, apply for grant money not raise taxes anymore, not build plants inside city limits.

If you are an incumbent, what board/village accomplishment(s) are you most proud of? If a challenger, what has the previous board done well? Main Street, junior high, library, ATV routes open

What do you see as priorities the village should focus on? Infrastructure

What could the village do better? Concentrate on small goals, not add large uncertainties of building unnecessary plants

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the village in any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why? Sidewalks and better side streets

Where are your favorite places to spend time in the village? Why do you live here? Home. The small town and the people.

Why should people vote for you? What differentiates you from other board members/candidates? Honest, value everyone's point of view doesn't mean I will agree but I will respect it.

How can people contact you? My cell number

Jenni Hines

Occupation/profession: Intuitive Master Stylist/salon owner, manager

Prior elected offices: N/A

Community/civic activities: I am an active member of the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce. I was thrilled/honored to be named Best New Business of the Year for Ellsworth thanks to community votes during the Chamber’s Best of Awards competition earlier this year. As a member of the Ellsworth Power of 100, I support local non-profits and community projects. The Power of 100 helps to fund $10,000 grants twice a year for deserving local organizations. It's rewarding to see how these grants positively impact our neighbors and benefit our community. The emotional wellbeing of our community is also very important to me. I enjoy offering workshops on emotional wellness and personal development topics to give people the tools to help navigate personal challenges and inspire a positive outlook.

What specific skills and/or experiences have helped you to serve as trustee (if an incumbent)? If a challenger, what skills and/or experiences have prepared you to take on this role? I think being both an Ellsworth resident and a business owner will give me multiple perspectives. Building my business from the ground up has required me to be resourceful, determined, and a consistent performer. Being an entrepreneur means continuously learning, setting goals, and evaluating results. These are all qualities necessary for the trustee role. I believe in serving with integrity in all aspects of my life. My positive nature helps me to see the opportunities in challenging situations. I’m a good listener but I know that’s not enough. I’m also friendly and approachable. These qualities will allow me to connect with residents, understand their concerns, and advocate for what is best for the community.

What issues are most pressing in the village? What would you do about them? One pressing issue for Ellsworth is the lack of housing. We have people in our community that are just starting out in their careers unable to find an apartment or affordable first home. This makes it difficult for our local businesses to attract and retain workers. I know this issue is complex, but I’m inspired by what is happening on the former junior high property and the projects that Habitat for Humanity are doing. I have confidence these projects will lead to further development. As board members we should be ready to identify and work with developers on future projects to ensure they are in line with our community’s goals.

I would also like to see more businesses in town. This begins with supporting the businesses who are already here and investing in our community. I think Ellsworth is one of the best kept secrets and that we could be doing more to promote ourselves as a business-friendly community. Overall, my approach for both issues would involve looking to other successful communities for new ideas, working together as a board and community, and being open to creative solutions.

If you are an incumbent, what board/village accomplishment(s) are you most proud of? If a challenger, what has the previous board done well? I would like to commend and thank the board for their work and the commitment they have made to serving the community. Seeing Ellsworth on a new trajectory is one reason why I became interested in serving. The first accomplishment that comes to mind for me is our beautiful new library. The library brings traffic to downtown and is an example of the nice things we can have in Ellsworth if we are willing to work for them. It is also encouraging to see a new business in Crossing Meadows, and I hope this is a sign of more to follow. As I mentioned previously, the collaboration with Habitat for Humanity to build homes is addressing a need for affordable housing. I also appreciate the village offering streaming board and committee meetings and their communication through their Facebook page and the quarterly newsletter.

What do you see as priorities the village should focus on? As I shared in an earlier question, I think the priorities the village should focus on are housing and business attraction. Not only will this fulfill the need for housing and additional/more types of businesses but will also help expand our tax base. We don’t want taxes to rise, however we still have maintenance, services, infrastructure improvements, and the day-to-day operations to pay for. We need to continue to focus on ways to increase the tax base to help lighten the burden on the taxpayers.

What could the village do better? I think it’s important for us all to remember that the board is just regular people trying to do what is best for the community. Obviously, every organization can improve, and I look forward to being a part of that on the Village Board. There are many things waiting to be done in the updated Comprehensive Plan and I am eager to help prioritize and find ways to make those plans a reality.

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the village in any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why? First and foremost, I think a good return on the investment is important. A couple ways to achieve that could be using it for business attraction for vacant properties and promoting Ellsworth as a great place to work, live, play, and visit. It would also be nice to use some of it for enhancements to the community (sidewalks, parks, etc.). Another option would be to review the village’s budget to see where any gaps are evident. What did we have to cut last year to make the budget balance? It could be worthwhile to get caught up on anything that we are falling behind one due to lack of funds.

Where are your favorite places to spend time in the village? Why do you live here? It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that my favorite place in town is my very own downtown business. I also love to support other Ellsworth businesses. We enjoy visiting neighbors on our golf cart or swimming in our pool. And you’ll always find me and my family enjoying Cheese Curd Festival every June and the Pierce County Fair in August.

Why should people vote for you? What differentiates you from other board members/candidates? I would like to encourage people to vote for me because I bring a consistently positive attitude to every situation. Even when faced with challenges, I maintain an optimistic outlook, inspiring others to approach problems constructively.

I also believe it is important to understand the facts when making any important decision. By researching and analyzing information, I am sure that my decisions are grounded in reality rather than speculation or opinion. I will foster a collaborative environment with mutual respect and constructive dialogue. I lead by example, demonstrating a strong work ethic and a willingness to tackle any task, no matter how big or small. I believe in getting things done rather than simply talking about them.

I understand the importance of listening. By genuinely hearing the perspectives of others, I can better represent the interests and needs of our community. I approach every individual and situation with an open mind and without preconceived notions. I recognize that everyone has their own unique strengths, weaknesses, and challenges. I love this community and know it has so much potential. I would be honored to have the opportunity to represent you as a village board member.

How can people contact you? Jennihines@hotmail.com

Tony Hines*

Occupation/profession: Driver for Ellsworth School District

Prior elected offices: I was elected to the Village Board as a trustee two years ago

Community/civic activities: Retired Ellsworth Funster, Safety Committee, Red Wing Shoe Co., Ellsworth Village Board - numerous committees - Chairman of Water and Sewer.

What specific skills and/or experiences have helped you to serve as trustee (if an incumbent)? If a challenger, what skills and/or experiences have prepared you to take on this role? Working and talking with people in the community. Being on numerous committees where I learned a lot about the workings of the village.

What issues are most pressing in the village? What would you do about them? The biggest thing in the village is trying to get things settled and trying to talk through all the problems. I believe in listening to the people of our community to get their input on matters that are important to them as residents.

If you are an incumbent, what board/village accomplishment(s) are you most proud of? If a challenger, what has the previous board done well? Working on the streets and water and sewer lines.

What do you see as priorities the village should focus on? Getting the streets and sidewalks fixed so people can walk on them without fear of falling or tripping.

What could the village do better? The village has to inform people when something is coming down the pipeline instead of springing it on the people at the last minute. And the residents deserve to be heard. Also getting more business here that the community actually wants or needs.

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the village in any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why? Lower taxes for one thing. Fix our streets and sidewalks. Bring more needed business here. Donate to our Fire Department.

Where are your favorite places to spend time in the village? Why do you live here? I have lived here all my life. I enjoy the people of Ellsworth, I love visiting with them. The Pierce Co. Fair is always one of my favorite places. This is HOME!

Why should people vote for you? What differentiates you from other board members/candidates? I always try to work for the people instead of trying to just vote on things. I have a mind of my own and have been known to speak it. I don't always just go along with the flow, unless I think it's the right thing to do.

How can people contact you? 715-307-0852

Laurie Neeley*

Occupation/profession: Computer/Network Technician for ECSD

Prior elected offices: Trustee

Community/civic involvement:"Rock the Block" Habitat for Humanity, worked at the voting polls, Ruby's Pantry, ECSD activities, work in the Fresh Art Tour.

What specific skills and/or experiences have helped you to serve as trustee (if an incumbent)? If a challenger, what skills and/or experiences have prepared you to take on this role? I get along with all types of people, having done retail work since I was 15. I’ve learned how to see different sides to every situation and not form my option based on one person’s thoughts, but to ask questions from multiple sources. It's great to hear another person’s passion for something. I have had many friends and family involved in the Union over the past 20 years so I’m familiar with negotiating and contract work. I am an avid genealogist; I LOVE doing research and digging in to find new information. I also come from a farming family and understand the importance of farming/agriculture in our community.

What issues are most pressing in the village? What would you do about them? I believe our infrastructure and housing are most pressing in the village. I believe that we need to address the infrastructure needs as funding allows. I prefer to be proactive as opposed to being reactive, so if we can maintain what we have, in the long run it will cost us less than having to be reactive when it fails. As for the housing, I currently am the chair of the CDA. We have been focusing on the plans for the old Junior High site and what type of housing would fit that space for our community.

If you are an incumbent, what board/village accomplishment(s) are you most proud of? If a challenger, what has the previous board done well? We have a brand-new administrative staff at the village. They are doing amazing at reorganizing the system that was in place. It is still a work in progress but they are heading in the right direction with streamlining and updating how everything is run in our village.

What do you see as priorities the village should focus on? The infrastructure. That is the foundation of the village. If that is healthy what we build around it will succeed.

What could the village do better? I would like to see us more united. Agree to disagree, have our own opinions but not work against each other. Find the middle ground.

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the village in any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why? I would like to give it back to the small business owners in our community who want or need to make updates to their buildings. Attractive, well-maintained businesses will draw more people to stop in our community on their way through, as well as giving our community a greater sense of pride.

Where are your favorite places to spend time in the village? Why do you live here? I do a lot of walking (sometimes running) with my dog, so being outside throughout our village is my favorite place to be. I moved to Ellsworth 24 years ago when I got married. I have raised my children here and I work here for the school district. Being from a farming family I enjoy living in a smaller community where you can get to know your neighbors.

Why should people vote for you? What differentiates you from other board members/candidates? Having lived in Ellsworth for 24 years, I want our community to continue to be successful, thrive and grow. As a trustee I have had the opportunity to see more of what makes our community work and I want to be a part of the success of our community by bringing my knowledge of small business, technology, my people skills and my love of research.

How can people contact you? laurie@villageofellsworth.org