Freeborn County District 2 Commissioner Dan Belshan will seek his sixth term on the board this fall.

Belshan, 63, was first elected to the board in 1998.

He said he was “encouraged by a lot of constituents to stay on the county board.”

“I have the time and energy to continue doing a good job serving,” Belshan said.

A farmer, Belshan said he will continue to try to eliminate government waste.

“I understand the tax burden in cities, villages and rural areas,” he said. “I’d like to see a 1 percent across-the-board cut to all county departments so that we don’t have to increase taxes, and money saved could go toward our county core services.”

Belshan spoke highly of public safety in the county and said the county’s transportation department needs to focus on filling cracks, seal coating and installing Class 2 gravel, which he said is better than the type being used, contains more rock and holds up better.

Belshan suggested the county work more with the city.

“We could merge departments and share more staff with the city of Albert Lea,” he said.

Belshan said the city of Albert Lea and Freeborn County could share an emergency management director and Human Services and Public Health departments could merge.

“If we eliminated part of a position — the recently formed public works director — existing staff could cover duties as in the past.”

Belshan said his favorite parts of serving as commissioner solving problems for his constituents and enabling the county to receive money by conducting research and answering questions.

“For example, I saved the county over $100,000 on a software purchase and found an anonymous donor for a $30,000 drone for the Sheriff’s Department,” he said.

Belshan and his wife, Bonnie, live in rural Glenville. They have two sons, John Van Beek and Matthew Belshan.