Patch Candidate Profile: John Kuhl For Minnetonka Mayor

MINNETONKA, MN — Next week, Minnetonka residents will vote in a crucial city mayoral election.

John Kuhl is running for mayor his fall. He is running to unseat current Minnetonka Mayor Brad Wiersum.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

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Are you running for office? Contact William Bornhoft at william.bornhoft@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

John Kuhl

Age (as of Election Day): 46

Town of Residence: Minnetonka

Position sought: Minnetonka Mayor

Party Affiliation: Non-Partisan

Family: Wife, Michelle, 16-year-old daughter, 10-year-old son

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Occupation: Sr Vice President, The Moscoe Group. Seventeen years of experience focusing on both organizational transformations and business management.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Director, Hopkins School Board

Why are you seeking elective office?

I’m running for Minnetonka Mayor to engage everyone that lives, works, attends school, and worships in Minnetonka, ensuring that all voices are heard in our city.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Hiring a new city manager. The most important position in Minnetonka will be hired in January. The city manager runs the day-to-day operations of the city and needs to work collaboratively with the mayor. I will make this process transparent and have an opportunity for the public to provide feedback. Once hired, I will use my expertise in organizational transitions to assure the new manager is set for success.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I will govern the same way I’ve campaigned: with honesty, accessibility, and open conversation. I have been fortunate to serve on the Hopkins School Board where we have conducted robust engagement with community members around what matters to them, and I want to bring that to the City of Minnetonka. Not only will I engage with you, but I will engage in open dialogue with the City Council and city staff to make sure all options are considered and open to feedback before making tough decisions and taking action. I welcome criticism and enjoy talking with those I disagree with as a way to find common ground. I will ensure you feel like you are welcome and able to participate in Minnetonka’s city government process.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

This campaign is about ENGAGEMENT! Accessibility and proactive engagement must be the top priority for our mayor. As Mayor, I will engage with ALL people to learn what is important to the constituents of Minnetonka. The ideas, thoughts and opinions of ALL of us will be accounted for in my agenda as mayor.

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Covid has been hardest for our small businesses, who are seeing the retail industry change in front of their eyes. I believe we need to provide them more assistance, this is why I am meeting with small businesses every Friday to understand their challenges. I will expand these conversations once I am elected. The first program that we are working on is a digital campaign to connect small businesses looking for employees to our high school and local community colleges online forums.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Making sure Minnetonka is a place where everyone feels welcome, safe, and heard is a priority. It’s important to build upon the successes in our city while keeping in mind that Minnetonka’s future does not have to be its past. New city management and governance open possibilities to balance recreational opportunities with environmental sustainability, develop a housing stock that creates opportunities to live in Minnetonka, ensure community safety by increasing transparency and communication with our public safety departments and citizens, prioritize diversity and equity in all the work the city does, and engage all community members, including youth and seniors. Like many of you, I value fiscal responsibility and will ensure these priorities are carried out with respect to the concerns of the taxpayer.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Running a $200M+ business focused on managing organizational changes and transformations. With the Hopkins School Board, assisted in structurally balancing our school district budget to assure long term financial success. Worked through the challenges around the 2021/22 school year mask mandate, as well as approving the recommendation to rename the Lindbergh Center

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Your words and actions must always align.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As a candidate, I am running as a non-partisan candidate, but I do lean left historically. I am committed to be a leader that everyone can count on and will work to add more transparency to the work of the city.