Communities

NU’s 4th Ward has a write-in candidate

Sue Ullery announces her candidacy for city council

NEW ULM - This year, New Ulm's Ward 4 City Council seat is up for election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, but no one will be on ballot. For that reason, Ward 4 resident Sue Ullery has decided to run for the seat as a write-in candidate.

Ullery is a long-time resident of New Ulm. She has lived in the community for 38 years, 30 of those years in the Fourth Ward.

Ullery recently retired from the New Ulm Public Library, where she worked as a part-time reference aid for 16 years.

Before the library, she worked at the Brown County Historical Society Museum as an exhibit coordinator. She worked on programming, setting up exhibits and helped conduct tours at the museum and at the John Lind House. She still assists with the annual cemetery tours each year.

"I know a lot of the history of New Ulm; it is a particular interest of mine," she said.

Ullery has previously served as an elected official. She was on the District 88 School Board for 12 years, from 1998 to 2010.

Ullery said she joined the school board out of civic duty. She attended a meeting where community members were seeking people to run for school board. Her kids had just started school, and she wanted to be more involved.

She said her 12 years on the school board was challenging because the district was facing many budget issues, including referendums and budget cuts.

Though it was challenge, Ullery said it was overall a wonderful experience.

"It was a very defining experience in my life," she said.

It also gave her experience working as an elected official and she is prepared to serve on the city council.

Ullery decided to run as a write-in candidate after seeing no one filed for the Ward 4 seat.

"The fact that nobody filed sort of makes me sad because I like it when citizens are involved in their community," she said. "It is important to have good representation; you want people working in your best interest."

At the same time, Ullery was getting more involved with election issues. Earlier this year, she trained as an election judge and helped during August's primary. She is also a new member of the League of Women Voters. She saw the open race for city council as an opportunity to get more involved. She also had several people encourage her run.

Ullery said she had never considered running for City Council before now, mainly because she was satisfied with the direction the council has taken.

"I feel like city council has been operating really well in recent years," Ullery said. "I feel like they are forward-thinking and open to new ideas."

As an example, Ullery cited the city's response to the housing shortage by approving multiple different types of housing. She thought the new apartment projects, the tiny houses and shouses was an innovative solution to the issue. She also liked that the council was open to redeveloping properties for alternative uses.

Ullery believes part of the reason no one filed for Ward 4 is that there was no major problem that spurred people to run. She said that was one of the reasons she did not initially file. However, with no one else formally running, Ullery thought it was her chance to contribute to the community.

"I am inquisitive; I know how to absorb information, listen to opinions, be collaborative but also I am not afraid to make a decision," she said.

Asked what she believed were the top issues facing the New Ulm Community, Ullery cited the uncertain economy.

She believed voters were concerned about the economy, with the rise in gas prices, groceries and issues with the tariffs limiting some supplies. With many families struggling, she said it was important to be fiscally responsible with the city's budget.

"That is always something to be cognizant about when you are taxing people," she said.

From her perspective, she believed city staff is being responsible with tax dollars by seeking out grant opportunities for projects. At the same time, she praised the Economic Development Authority (EDA) for offering loan programs to help people in the community.

She also believed it was important to keep up New Ulm's amenities. She said the city had a lot going on in terms of parks and recreation. She believes the park system in New Ulm is a major asset, but the city needs to make sure funding is in place to maintain it.

Another issue impacting New Ulm is business retention. Ullery said she believes the city is working hard on keeping and growing New Ulm businesses. She appreciated the EDA's efforts and believed their collaboration with other organizations was a benefit. She also praised the work of the New Ulm Area Chamber.

Currently, the Ward 4 city council seat is held by Larry Mack, who was first elected to the position in 2015. Earlier this year, before the election filing deadline opened, Mack announced he did not intend to run for a fourth term.

After the filing deadline passed without any candidates entering the race, Mack said he would be willing to serve a fourth term if voters chose to write in his name. After it was announced Ullery was running as a write-in candidate, Mack said he still had no intention of campaigning for the seat, but would serve again if he won a write-in election.

Mack praised Ullery for running, as few others chose to do so this year.

The New Ulm Mayor and Ward 2 positions are also up for election this year. Incumbent Mayor Kathleen Backer and Councilor Eric Warmka filed to run for re-election, but both were the only candidates to file in their respective seats.

Ullery said that whoever the constituents choose to vote for, she encourages everyone to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

"It is the most basic way you can have a say in your community," she said.