Local Lawyer To Run For Vacant City Council Seat

Prominent local attorney William J. Coughlin has officially announced his intention to run for the city council seat left vacant by the untimely passing of Charlie Crichton. 

Known to most people as 'Bill', Coughlin is a long-standing member of the Burnsville community.

Coughlin has been a resident and homeowner in Burnsville since 1989. He and his wife Lisa have raised three children in the Burnsville school system; They are loyal members of the local Prince of Peace Lutheran Church; And there was even a time when youth basketball and baseball teams in Burnsville could call him "Coach."

One of the myriad reasons Coughlin decided to test his mettle in local government is the political kinship he feels to his predecessor.

"Like Charlie Crichton, I am a fiscal conservative and I believe that the Burnsville City Council needs to continue to have such a voice," Coughlin said in an exclusive interview.

He also believes his law background gives him an insider's understanding of ordinances, zoning and variance issues as well as the intricate relationship between the governments of the city, county and state. 

When deciding whether or not to run for local office, Coughlin requested meetings with deputy city manager Tammy Omdal as well as two sitting coucilmembers. He read Burnsville's 310-page city budget for 2011 and the agendas and minutes for city council meetings and work sessions from the past 16 months. 

His dedication to the position as well as his personal politics appear to have won him at least one prominent supporter.

"Bill contacted me when he was considering running," explained councilman Dan Kealey. "I found him to be an outstanding candidate because of his solid financially conservative values." 

For Kealey, Coughlin represents a political ally. 

"Charlie and I voted very closely on budget matters," Kealey explained. "Bill Coughlin would maintain the voice that Charlie held while serving the citizens of Burnsville." 

Among Coughlin's key areas of concern for the community are building the business community and maintaining clean and safe neighborhoods. But two issues on which he is particularly outspoken include the fate of the Burnsville Performing Arts Center (BPAC) and the city's budget.

“Although I would not have voted to build (BPAC) with almost exclusively taxpayer money, all that I can reasonably do as a city councilperson is work diligently to improve revenues with innovative thinking and try to reduce the tax burden of this facility on every taxpayer in Burnsville,” Coughlin said.

“The largest cost driver of our city budget is labor costs, including health and retirement benefits,” Coughlin continued. “I would like to personally congratulate the maintenance union representatives who recently agreed to a zero percent wage increase for 2011. I believe they truly understand that we are in very difficult times and that their actions preserved jobs...I hope that the other unions will follow suit.”

With two of his three children away at college, Coughlin sees the vacant city council seat as an opportunity to spend his time giving back to the community that helped him build a successful business and a flourishing family.

Burnsville's city council decided on April 20 to and move directly to a special general election to fill the vacant council seat.

The special election is scheduled to be held July 26.