Dennis A. Distad is running uncontested for his seventh consecutive term as Freeborn County auditor/treasurer.

He also serves as deputy registrar of motor vehicles.

Distad resides with his wife, Dianne, in Albert Lea. He has one son, Andrew, a daughter-in-law, Jodie, and two grandsons, Devin and Cole.

He is a member of the Minnesota Drainage Inspectors Association, the Minnesota Viewers Association, Minnesota Extension Committee-Freeborn County and serves on the Minnesota Counties Computer Cooperative.

Distad has been involved in various election groups and served as past president of the Minnesota Treasurers Association and past president of the Minnesota Association of County Officers.

In his spare time, he enjoys the company of family and friends.

Distad said he enjoys the variety of projects that come his way in the auditor/treasurer’s office, from elections to finances to drainage projects.

“I’ve met a lot of interesting people who come in off the street and the people I work with, and that’s the best part,” he said.

Background

An Albert Lea native, Distad went on to Mankato State University after high school, graduating with a business degree in administration. Through high school, college and his first year after college, he worked as a stockman at Red Owl.

Distad took his first position in the Freeborn County Courthouse in 1971 as deputy auditor. Over the next few years, he toggled back and forth as deputy auditor, then deputy assessor, and back to the deputy auditor’s position.

He was appointed auditor-treasurer in 1985 and won his first term to that very office the next year. At one point for a three-month stint, he also served as the assessor and recorder while serving as auditor/treasurer.

Now running unopposed for his seventh term in office as auditor/treasurer, Distad wants to build on the momentum he’s created in a number of areas, and continue to make improvements here in the county.

Accomplishments

One of Distad’s biggest accomplishments was redetermining benefits on 120 ditch systems in Freeborn County.

As a part of this, he was able to establish a one-rod conservation bumper strip, which is a 16 1/2-foot strip of permanent grassland along public drainage ditches, to keep sediment from getting in the ditch system.

“It’s helped a lot in the cleanup of water in Albert Lea Lake, Fountain Lake and the ditch systems,” he said.

Distad has also started recording ditch right-of-ways with the county recorders office.

“This gives future awareness of the public drainage system,” he said. “When you buy land, you know what’s on your land.”

He also takes pride in the fact that every dollar under his office’s control is accounted for.

Open, transparent and correct voting is another accomplishment for Distad, as proven in the 2008 recount for the U.S. Senate’s race.

“This shows that the machine and process works,” he said. “Running an error-free election feels good.”

Budget and labor

Distad said the auditor-treasurer’s office does not generate a lot of revenues to augment the budget.

Having no control over continually rising state auditor fees, publication fees, costs of paper and ballots, Distad said the biggest thing he can do to combat these in keeping a balanced budget is “running a tight ship with personnel.”

It’s also important to him that everyone who walks through the door of the auditor-treasurer’s office is treated with kindness and respect.

“The main thing I instill in myself and my staff is that whoever comes into the door, treat them the same way you want to be treated,” he said. “Our staff is very good to people.”

Future projects

Distad said the ability to pay for license plate fees and property taxes with debit and credit cards is something currently in the works.

“The county government differs from a business because we are not allowed to absorb credit card fees,” he said.

While his department continues to research and work through this project, he said the goal is to have automatic debit available as an option for paying property taxes in 2011.

He is hoping to have credit card payment capabilities available by late 2011.