Choosing the best candidate for Albert Lea’s 1st Ward seat was difficult. Both the incumbent, Warren Amundson, and his challenger, Vern Rasmussen Jr., are capable individuals. However, Rasmussen would best represent the ward on the city council.

Amundson has been actively involved with economic development and through his efforts, the city has seen steady growth.

While we applaud his work, we believe Rasmussen will bring fresh solutions to the council, with an eye toward building the city’s tax base and jobs.

His desire overall for the city includes prioritizing growth and sustaining the community’s quality of life through maintenance of assets, all the while seeking new opportunities to increase jobs.

Admitting previous councils have kept costs down, Rasmussen questioned whether such strict cost containment was in the best interests of the city and its residents.

While a tall order, his positive attitude could be just the catalyst the council needs to make major advances on a variety of fronts, including the growth issue, which residents have repeatedly said was most important to the health of the community.