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I retired and moved back to the Albert Lea area three years ago after having lived in several large metro areas around the U.S.  I was taken aback how by how Albert Lea had not grown over the years and appeared to have gone backwards in many areas.  I heard many reasons.  Too close to Iowa, too far from the airports, the loss of several employers, etc.  

I’ve had the opportunity to meet and get to know Brian Beasley and his family over the last few years. Brian has a sharp mind. He has fresh ideas on how to get Albert Lea to reach its potential and be a desirable place to live and open a business.

Regarding Albert Lea’s distance from an airport. If you live in the western, northern or eastern suburbs of the Twin Cities, it can take well over an hour to get to the airport on a Monday morning. The distance from the Albert Lea area to MSP door to door is about 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Rochester is about an hour and Mason City about 50 minutes. So, distance from the airport as a reason for no growth is a specious argument.  

There are many new start-up medical companies in the twin Cites and Rochester that are taking advantage our world-renowned medical research facilities at the U of M and in Rochester. We need to let these companies know that Albert Lea is open for business and that it’s a great location that provides access to both these research facilities.  And the cost of doing business and housing cost is much lower than in the TC metro.

Our need for progressive thinkers in City Hall is not just a city issue, but a county issue as well. Albert Lea is the heartbeat of Freeborn County.  As the city goes, so does the county. We need to expand our tax base to cover the cost of maintaining our streets, roads, schools, etc. 

The internet has changed how people work and where they live. Large metro areas with their high taxes, high cost of living and high crime rates are no longer necessary for someone to live in order to make a good living.

It’s been said that the economic history of the world is like the natural history of the world, you either adapt or you become extinct. Albert Lea and Freeborn County must adapt to this new reality.

We need city leaders that can work with county leaders and members of the Albert Lea Economic Agency to develop a vision of what Albert Lea can and must become.   

Brian Beasley is that person. I hope the people of Ward 2 elect Brian Beasley on Nov. 8.

Tim Donovan

Hartland