HURON Huron City Commission incumbent Drew Weinreis and challenger Rhonda Kludt addressed Huron voters on Saturday at an election forum sponsored by the governmental affairs committee of the Huron Chamber & Visitors Bureau.
Kludt opened the introductory comments by providing her background as a teacher and the executive director of Heartland United Way. She explained that her husbands background and her children and grandchildren remaining in Huron provide her with six generations of community connection. She discussed her work to bring community members together to improve the community, specifically citing recent work with Huron Rising 2.0.
Weinreis provided his background to those present, citing his work with Dakotaland FCU and community groups that he attends. Weinreis discussed the challenges of his first term on the commission and working with the community and city employees to get the best result possible from those challenges.
The first question posed to the candidates regarded property taxes and how some of the legislation passed this year could impact city budgets – and what priorities would be if the citys budget needed to be trimmed.
Weinreis stated that if budgets needed to be tightened, the first priority for him would be public safety and mentioned law enforcement and first responders as top priority. Kludt mentioned that public safety would be joined by infrastructure as budget priorities in her eyes. She also noted that upkeep on current buildings and current parts of the city would take priority over building.
The next question brought to the candidates regarded child care and its impact on recruiting businesses to town and encouraging business growth in Huron.
Kludt responded and discussed her role as the childcare committee coordinator with Huron Rising 2.0. She reported that six childcare centers closed in Huron last year, with one new center opening. She stated that grant funding to assist childcare centers to access additional salary is a current focus.
Weinreis stated that finding grants for centers would be something he could see the city partnering to offer, but he stated that he does not see city funding as part of the citys role within childcare in Huron. He did leave open an opportunity if city partnership could provide funding – such as in the case of a matching grant.
The next question regarded the citys budget and prioritizing the budget spending. Weinreis noted the 2025 budget increased by 14% to $54 million, primarily due to the construction of the solid waste system. He reiterated his focus on funding public safety and added in infrastructure funding as a secondary focus in city funding before cuts begin to be made. Kludt reiterated her focus on essential services before enhancements were cuts needed.
The candidates were then asked how to attract new businesses into the city. Kludt answered first, stating that chain businesses have a formula to evaluate communities. She explained that she would lean on Greater Huron Development Corporation and the Huron Chamber to do the work of recruiting businesses, but her focus would also be on making sure to take care of the businesses already in Huron.
Weinreis stated that Huron would first need the housing for a new business to come to the community as well as the available workforce. At that point, previous actions the city has taken has been to offer a TIF (tax increment financing) to give a tax break to potential new businesses.
Two questions addressed concerns with ordinance enforcement, both in animals running free and with blighted properties. Both Kludt and Weinreis stated that better education with the community on ordinances as well as partnering with the code enforcement officer and community groups could potentially help to upkeep properties better and inform pet owners and home owners on their roles under city ordinance.
In closing statements, Weinreis thanked Huron residents for trusting him in his first term on the commission while expressing a desire to continue with transparency in his role were he to be re-elected.
Kludt emphasized in her closing that she does not know the answer to every issue that may come up, but she has a track record of finding the right people to learn on an issue and listening. She stated that were she to be part of the city commission, she would continue that focus on listening – to the community, to city staff, and to her fellow commissioners.
The city commission election is on Tuesday, April 8, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Huron Arena. Early voting is open beginning today at City Hall during normal business hours.
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