2024 Herald Journal candidate Q & A

Watertown Mayoral candidate Michael Walters

 

Who are you? Tell us about yourself personally.

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My name is Michael Walters – a resident since 2000, I am supported by my wife, Elena, and three beautiful daughters. Elena is head cook at WM elementary school and has been there since 2008. I am a regional sales manager for Castle Metals.
My interests include serving my community, hunting/fishing, coaching soccer, supporting the Minnesota Vikings, and spending time with family and friends.
I have a passion for soccer and played on a US team that toured Europe and South America as a teen. I have coached soccer locally for 22 years, including Watertown’s inaugural boys’ varsity team in 2006 and WM’s girls’ middle school team in 2009.
Currently, I coach traveling soccer year-round and am the girls’ JV head coach and varsity assistant at Buffalo High School.
I am a “servant leader” that believes the most effective leadership puts the needs, growth and empowerment first and foremost to the people that I serve. I have been honored to serve the community for about 17 years on the city council and park commission along with several other committees and commissions.
Also, I have been part of Watertown’s prestigious and generous Lions Club for over 12 years. I care greatly about the present and future of our great city. While on the council, I have worked diligently with the stakeholders to accommodate for growth and business prosperity while always keeping in mind to preserve the great natural beauty and small-town charm which makes Watertown awesome, especially its vibrant, thriving downtown.
I strongly support law enforcement and our fire department and first responders and believe every citizen should be treated equally and fairly. Also, I firmly believe in local government efficiency, transparency and accountability.

Why are you running for office, and how are you qualified?

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I have much experience serving the people and city of Watertown. It is my main objective to increase the current and future “quality of life” here and to keep Watertown a safe, prosperous and great place to raise a family or operate a business. Also, to offer the highest level of city-provided services while reducing spending waste and keeping taxes and fees stable.
I have appreciated the opportunity to serve the Watertown community for 14 years on the city council, two years as mayor, and two years on the park commission. I was Watertown’s deputy mayor from 2013 until 2022 and am proud to have been the only Chamber of Commerce liaison, serving in that role since 2015.
Some of my other civic work includes park commissioner, park liaison for more than five years, and being on the community education board. Also, I was planning commission liaison for five years and I am currently on Watertown’s Economic Development Authority in my fourth year.
I and the council have worked to keep Watertown affordable and taxes in check with the help of millions in grant funding dollars. I have worked with legislators several times testifying at the capitol to pursue grants to ease the tax burden on the people of Watertown.
Several grants were won over the last few years totaling over $14 million as massive upgrades to the city infrastructure were

dictated by tighter regulations and residential/commercial growth. I worked with the council to secure more than $7 million in grant funding for the wastewater treatment facility.
Also in 2023, I testified in front of the Capital Investment Committee to help win over $3.5 million for the people of Watertown for the new water tower. In 2023, the city was awarded another half million for a storm water grant and another $660 thousand for a land purchase and shoreline restoration creating new green space and park land downtown – Prairie Meadow Trails. We are currently pursuing more grants, so stay tuned.
During my tenure serving the people, all our parks have been restored and upgraded, the failing downtown bridge was replaced, we added an efficient and safe roundabout, added many sidewalks/safe pedestrian routes for connectivity and significantly upgrades to the HWY 25 corridor, paved 30th Street during Wildflower street upgrades (and still came in $175,000 below budget on the project) etc., the list goes on.
I worked with the council and state legislature to receive millions in grant funds to replace the downtown bridge in 2014 and the Hwy 25 improvements in 2021 were almost completely paid for with over $2 million state grant funding. I ran for the council back in 2010 to preserve civil liberties and protect property values and property owner rights.
Also, because most of the parks were dilapidated, insufficient and even dangerous in some spots with no plan in place to correct that. I bring knowledge, experience and common sense to the decision-making process.
Please see my website www.vote4walters.com for the extensive list of capital projects and improvements, and park additions/upgrades since I joined the council.

What are the most important challenges facing our city, and how do you propose to address them?

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The city faces several challenges as we move forward. Here are just a few:

•  Inflation and supply issues have made planning very difficult. With a fragile and recessive economy, fiscal responsibility and thorough planning are more important now than ever before.
  The new wastewater treatment plant, which is needed for the city to grow and to meet tightening regulations, for example was originally estimated to be in the $12 million range when planning in 2018 and the final bids with engineering costs came in over $24 million in 2022.
  The city needs to continue to be smart with planning for purchases and expenditures. The council will need to be informed, wise and diligent in confronting inflation to keep taxes in check and keep Watertown an awesome, economical place to live and work.
  I support always pursuing grant funds for projects and will continue to work hard to win them.
  The grants received have drastically reduced the tax burden on the people of Watertown for many of our capital projects. Also, it takes many budget workshops, fiscal responsibility, and making hard choices annually to keep city taxes and fees stable with nominal increases annually to the average valued home.
  • Crime has been on the rise statewide, but much less so in our city as the current council has prioritized public safety.
  We have been increasing funding for several years to add more patrols and coverage. The safety of our community is paramount. I am a proponent of sharing information as soon as possible with the public and always being transparent, stricter enforcement, and more police presence to keep response times minimal.
  Speeding cars on the local roads are still an issue, but with increased and directed patrol cars and many added safe pedestrian routes, these issues can be deterred and subdued.
  • Storm water pond maintenance is crucial. The city has more than 25 storm water ponds with about 110 homes that sit on or near one. Many ponds are getting old and have been let go to a point where they have become a rotten eyesore that negatively affects property values.  A pond maintenance plan needs to be adopted and adhered to as many other cities have done to keep the ponds functioning as they should and reverse the “nasty swamp” environment many have become. When I started on the council, the city did not even have a street maintenance plan (adopted in 2012).
  Now, every street gets regular maintenance helping them to last exponentially longer. The ponds in our city need a similar maintenance plan.
  • Managing growth – As stated above, working with developers, landowners, locals and other stakeholders to accommodate for new homes and businesses while keeping Watertown affordable and the beautiful, picturesque small town that brought many of us here.
  I am humbled and grateful for the many people that have supported me during my tenure. I sincerely and respectfully Thank you! Reelect Walters for mayor!  www.vote4walters.com