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MARTIN COUNTY - With both District 2 and District 4 of the Martin County Board of Commissioners up for election, District 2 incumbent Jaime Bleess and challenger Dan Geronsin and District 4 incumbent Richard Koons and challenger Julie Laue spoke about their background and what they would tackle as county commissioners.
Question 1: What is your background and why are you running for county commissioner?
Bleess: I currently serve on the following committees to represent the best interests of Martin County:
Prairie Lakes Transit Executive Committee, Martin County Library Board, Martin County Building Committee, Brown County Detox Board of Directors, South Central EMS Board of Directors, South Central Workforce Council Joint Powers Board Chair, Minnesota Valley Action Council/Housing Committee, MRCI Executive Committee, Prairieland Solid Waste Management Joint Powers Board, Faribault Martin County Human Services Joint Powers Board andAssociation of Minnesota Counties Public Safety Policy Committee
In 2025, I completed my Master’s Degree in Public and Non-Profit Administration with a primary focus on public administration, policy analysis, budgeting and responsible long term capital improvement planning as a way to help me learn and grow as a county commissioner.
My background is 24 years as a police officer. I currently serve as Sergeant in the Fairmont Police Department with duties that include patrol supervision and community outreach.
I am running for re-election to keep taxes low while continuing to seek out and identify new revenues that will help us address long overdue capital improvement needs with minimal impact on property taxes.
Geronsin: As to my background, I moved to Fairmont in 1982 and worked at Tycho plastics plant until it closed. Then I went back to school at Jackson Votech to become an electrician. I work for a local company until I retired. I have retirement. I've just been enjoying walking around our town in Fairmont. As for why I'm running for county commissioner I want to have an invoice and how we spend our money. I do not think at this time we need the new justice center, which taxes to everyone in the county.
Koons: I graduated from Welcome High School, attended Iowa Lakes Community College and graduated from the Continental College of Auctioneering. My wife Amy, I and our family remain active in agriculture and raise and train AQHA horses. My sons and I own Koons Auction & Appraisal Services.
Prior to my time on the county board, I served for several years on the Manyaska Township Board and multiple other organized boards.
I have served as the Martin County District 4 Commissioner for eight years, including two years as the County Board Chair. Currently serving on sixteen important county related committees and two state association board appointments.
I feel I have the knowledge and experience needed to face the growing challenges of county government and enjoy serving the residents. Currently, I am the senior member of the board of commissioners, bringing eight years of background and experience. I have an extensive knowledge of field drainage and drainage law, helping newer board members and residents with questions.
During my tenure on the board, I have faced issues which would directly impact county property taxes. As a fiscal conservative, I have opposed building a new multi-million-dollar Justice Center / Jail, have worked to maintain county facilities and eliminate rented office space.
For new jobs created through how occupations, options to rural health care and overall communication in a modern society, I have had a strong commitment to bringing reliable, high-speed fiber-optic internet to every residence in Martin County. I have sought partnerships with providers and serve as the chairperson of a multi county board to help with this process.
I pledge to continue to work with State and Federal elected officials to help them understand that they can't continue to shift the costs of federal mandated services onto local property taxpayers.
Laue: I have served in different roles within the community of Martin County. I have experience with the Fairmont Area School Board, serving on many different committees and roles such as Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer. I am a Registered Nurse who has retired from Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Fairmont after almost 28 years, so I have a deep regard and understanding of the health needs and concerns of our county and want to keep healthcare in Martin County. I recently, since January, was selected to be on the Board of Directors for the UHD Hospital in Blue Earth, again with the main goal of keeping health care options available in our local community.
I have a deep love for the people of the District 4, having lived within this district my entire life. I have been going out and meeting with people in the county talk to them about their needs and how I can better serve them as a County Commissioner. My interest started when I was younger, riding with my dad and learning about the tile systems and the regulating of them with the county. Although that is just one of my memories, my heart is in the health care and mental health of our county. I believe that my many years of experience as a Registered Nurse gives me a unique perspective of the health care needs of Martin County that are needed with all the social services that our population needs.
Question 2: How should we address shortages in housing, workforce and day care in the community?
Bleess: I currently serve on the Minnesota Valley Action Council housing subcommittee as part of my duties as an MVAC board member to help ensure resources are allocated to Martin County to address housing issues. I am the chair of the South Central Workforce Center Joint Powers Board with a primary focus of helping dislocated workers have access to job training and job placement opportunities. I serve on the Faribault/Martin County Human Services Joint Powers Board as an advocate for expanded day care options in Martin County.
Geronsin: Maybe with the daycare problem, we could look into it by seeing if there's any programs that are out there to help with cost and also check to see if someone wanted to start a daycare if there was a way to help the process and money to start up the housing we could see if there was any grants or funds available to get someone want to build some lower income housing?
Koons: During my tenure, the county board has introduced a single-family home tax abatement program that has created more homes in the county; creating more net value to the county, cities, townships and school districts.
While serving on the Martin County Economic Development Board, the first Martin County Local Housing Trust Fund was created. This trust fund helps organizations like HUD and MVAC refurbish unused homes into livable housing.
In the last year, our board worked closely with regional partners to protect local rental assistance. When the regional HRA voluntarily gave up its federal vouchers, the Martin County board coordinated with the Minnesota Valley Action Council (MVAC) to successfully take over and preserve the HUD Section 8 housing vouchers, ensuring low-income residents retained access to local housing aid.
Through the Economic Development Board and Martin & Faribault County Human Services we have worked to support local day care providers through workshops, care packages and grant options. Through support, we have added the option for care of 50 children so parents could support our workforce.
Laue: Each is an important part of living in Martin County. We need affordable housing, but we also need access to jobs in our community as well, they go hand in hand. The closing of the 3M plant is a great loss for the area, but we need to use our resources such as CEDA and EDA along with Civic leaders to assist, work together for the betterment of our community and to “think out of the box” as to how to address our citizen’s needs. This is community loss, but we need to focus on what is best for our community and use the available sources.
With the daycare shortages we do have a light in the tunnel as we have seen the recent expansion of the Building Blocks at the Lakeview Center and the opening of the new daycare at Grace Lutheran Church in Fairmont, but also the available daycares in our smaller communities as well, such as in Ceylon, Sherburn and Welcome. We also have many in-house daycare options in our community as well. We also need to focus on keeping daycare affordable for families, not just focusing on the slots of available daycare. Families shouldn’t have to choose what bills they need to pay or if they both need to work, where is the best care for their children. Many families don't have extended family members that are available for the needed care of their children. But the children of Martin County should be considered, so we all need to work together to give them the best opportunities that we can as they are available!
Question 3: Are there any areas of the county’s budget you would increase or decrease?
Bleess: Early in my first term, I led an effort to revamp our annual budgeting process by looking back three years at our actual dollars spent on each line item, instead of just adding 3 percent to each line item every year automatically. This intentional effort helped us engage department heads in the budgeting process and ultimately kept the budget under control and property taxes low.
We recently passed a half-cent Local Option Sales Tax to help us maintain our roads and bridges without putting additional burden on property taxes.
Geronsin: I would have to look at what we are doing now which I have not done yet.
Koons: Keeping in mind that most decisions we make as a board affects the county budget and therefore county property taxes, I have led in the need to push back on budget increases.
Rather than just cutting expenditures, I have encouraged our board to look at ways to increase county revenue. We have eliminated renting office space by securing grant dollars to revise current county owned buildings and moving offices to county owned space.
Laue: We need to remember that all tax money comes from our taxpayers. There is a difference between the sources. So, if we are looking for funding from the State of Minnesota, that is a tax funded source, the same as if it is from our local county tax system. It is a process of looking at the assets or the income of the county and then comparing the expenses of our county to keep our budget in line. We need to keep our budget as projected, adjusting as needed, as different expenses come up in our day-to-day expenses. I realize that the workforce of our county is a big expense, but where would we be without those to do the work of the county?
I would like to see more support financially and focused on the healthcare of our community and citizens. We also are seeing an increased need for mental health needs for more individuals. All individuals in our community deserve to have all their needs to be met, but for some individuals they may not even be aware of the services that could help them be a part of a productive society in Martin County. I would like to see that we address those needs, whether the individual is aware of their own needs, but they at least deserve that opportunity for a healthy lifestyle in Martin County.
Question 4: What is your goal if elected?
Bleess: Keeping property taxes low while maintaining a high level of service is my primary focus. If re-elected, I will continue to identify and forecast new revenues to help us responsibly fund overdue capital improvements to our county buildings with minimal impact to property taxes so future generations will be able to live and work in Martin County with an affordable cost of living.
Geronsin: My goal if elected is to try and help find ways to save some taxpayers money if possible to try and be helpful and finding ways to help our community.
Koons: My goal has always been to be a strong advocate for the people of District 4 as well as the entire county. I am approachable and trustworthy. I'm always available for calls and visits. I find answers to questions and make informed decisions, always keeping the citizens and taxpayers in mind. I take the job of being your Martin County Commissioner seriously and offer complete transparency and dedication to the office.
Laue: My personal goal, as I have shared with many of my constituents in District 4, is to be their voice in the government of Martin County. I am only one person, but I have years of experience working in a team format with many different organizations. No one does anything alone, I am willing to listen to individuals as to what their concerns are, research the concerns and then I will get back to them with whatever the resolution is. I have made hard decisions with other organizations that I have worked with, but I can also ask hard questions that may not always be the popular one in our community. I understand that there is a learning curve to being a County Commissioner but there is a learning curve with anything that you take on as an endeavor. No one is preprogrammed to know all the answers or ask the appropriate questions; it would be my responsibility as a commissioner to do that as a part of the role. I am looking forward to the challenge, as if selected to be your County Commissioner, I vow to do the best of my ability just as I have in my other leadership roles.