Tim Finseth, former Representative for District 1B in the Minnesota House, and a resident of rural Angus has announced he is filing for the Polk County Commissioner’s seat the Fifth District. Finseth is a life-long resident of Polk County with a background in agriculture and government. “As a life-long resident of Polk County, I definitely have a vested interest in our community and want to do my part to help contribute to making it viable into the future,” said Finseth. “I have a well-rounded background with growing up on a farm and still own a farm today. I have experience working in a government office, so I understand the difficulties government employees go through and some of the rewards a government employee has. I’ve owned a business for 13 years, so I understand that side of it. I was also fortunate to spend 10 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives for District 1B, where I represented East Grand Forks, the northern part of Polk County, Red Lake, Pennington, and Marshall counties also. So, I’m pretty familiar with the whole county, and the residents and I figure I want to take my experiences and do want I can to help Polk County.”
Additionally, Finseth worked in the Soil Conservation Office as a manager for 19 years, before chairing the House Agriculture Committee in the Minnesota House. “When I worked in the conservation office, I worked day in, day out with landowners and farmers every day,” said Finseth. “I got to understand the different types of farms and different types of needs of these farms. Also, when I was the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives, I certainly got to work every day with the farmers and farm organizations, and deal with the issues they deal with day in, day out.”
Finseth said he believes you help out your community in whatever way you can and, as such, is or has been a member of many several local boards. “I believe that you help out in your community in many ways and be involved as much as you possibly can,” said Finseth. “Everybody has their talents and things that they should be doing to help out others and help organizations. So, yeah, I’ve been active as a church board member, hospital board member, served on the education foundation board, and I’m on the chamber of commerce board. I’m trying to do what I can to help out and help things keep moving in our rural communities.”
Finseth added he looks forward to meeting and hearing from everyone while campaigning even though campaigning may look different with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “I look forward to meeting everybody out there on the campaign trail,” said Finseth. “It’s going to be a different type of campaigning then what I’ve done in the past with all the COVID-19 issues we have to deal with. I’m sure it’s going to be a little more difficult to shake hands with people and do some of the normal campaigning. Nevertheless, I’m going to be available and get out. I hope to see everybody and let them have an opportunity to let them express their concerns about the issues with the county and the things I could do to help them.”
Don Diedrich is serving his fourth term and 16th year as the County Commissioner for the Fifth District. He has yet to announce whether he will seek a fifth term as commissioner. The First District and Third District seats currently held respectively by Gerald Jacobson and Gary Willhite will also be on the ballot this fall. Filing for County Commissioner officially opens on Tuesday, May 19.
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