Milbrath believes ‘Waseca can still grow’

Throwing his hat in the ring for Waseca County Commissioner is Brad Milbrath, 57, former sheriff of Waseca County for 12 years. Milbrath grew up in Waseca County, having graduated from Mapleton High School in 1984 before going on to obtain a degree in criminal justice from Minnesota West Community College. He has three children and seven grandchildren and lives in Waseca with his significant other, Cindy Lou Johnson.

Currently, Milbrath is retired from law enforcement and works part-time with Borneke Construction in Janesville as well as helping the Schlaak family from New Richland with farming. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time outdoors and with his grandchildren, as well as farming and gardening.

His decision to run for county commissioner was due mainly to the untimely passing of former commissioner, Blair Nelson.

“Blair and I have always worked well together,” Milbrath said. “Part of our discussion was that I wouldn’t run against him as long as he was there. He and I had the same philosophies on how things should be done.”

His passion for public service, Milbrath added, also contributed to his decision to run.

“I’ve been helping Waseca County for 24 years, and I believe Waseca can still grow and thrive with some push.”

If elected as county commissioner, Milbrath says his focus will be on development, progress for the county, and being mindful of the budget and taxes for the citizens of Waseca County and District 3.

“My vision is to keep the board’s vision progressing forward using common sense, yet being mindful of the budget and how it affects constituents, not only for District 3 but for Waseca County as a whole,” he said. “I want to be open to constituents within my district, as well - listen to their concerns and try to address those the best that I can.”

He noted the importance of a county commissioner’s role in helping the county government meet the requirements of unfunded state mandates, including identifying sources to pay for the required services. Examples he provides include the jail, public health, emergency management, planning and zoning, human services, etc. 

“Most of these are unfunded or underfunded as a whole - that’s where property taxes come in,” Milbrath said. “Granted, our taxes are high, but you’ve got to weigh those services with what you tax people and what people want for services. We can’t always lower taxes, but we can try to stabilize them as best we can while providing the services that everybody wants or needs and make sure that people are taken care of. It’s a balance.”

When asked about his take on the county jail, which is in need of either upgrades or replacement in order to remain functional, Milbrath said it would be beneficial to the county to keep the jail in Waseca. However, he commented the complexities involved make it a difficult decision that requires more input from local citizens and officials.

“One of the things that has been going around is that they would regionalize the jail,” he said, referring to the idea of contracting with a surrounding county - namely Steele or Blue Earth - to house prisoners. “Sometimes that’s not always the best answer. [Regionalized jails] work better for larger counties - the metro area, suburban areas. I’m not sure that Waseca would fit into that as well.”

The cost savings of contracting with another county are something to consider, according to Milbrath, who said that the county would save approximately up to $800,000 per year on costs of housing prisoners.

“Our jail is one of the oldest in the state at this time,” he said. “It’s a huge cost factor as to which direction we want to go. I would like to see the jail stay here. What that shows is that we’re not sending where everybody seems to go, to Steele County, and we’re not going to start paying Steele County to house our prisoners, [which would] help their economy and not ours.

I think future businesses would come in and say, ‘Well, they didn’t want to invest in the government part of it, why should we invest in Waseca County?’ I think that plays a factor.”

He also mentioned that the staff at the jail are all Waseca County residents and taxpayers, who would be out of jobs if the jail were to move to another county. 

Milbrath discussed the multiple factors that come into play regarding the jail and the justice building, including the impact it would have on Waseca County citizens if they were to be arrested and had to be transported to another county as well as the safety of inmates and the public with the current system, which requires inmates to be transported in public areas from the jail to the courtroom.

“I know it’s all about the money - to save taxpayers money - but it would be tough to lose the jail. You lose a little bit of your identity,” he said. “At some point something needs to be done; we’ve kicked the bucket down the road for 20-some years now, and the cost has just increased. It’s a matter of how we’re going to do it and where the funding is going to come from. I believe the board and county administrator have created a plan where it wouldn’t affect the levy quite so bad - it would be spread out over time.”

Another key issue on Milbrath’s radar for Waseca County is development - bringing new businesses and residents into Waseca County while keeping those which are already part of the community, rather than losing them to other settings. 

“There are incentives out there - tax abatements that could be used, EDA (Economic Development Authority) monies that can help coordinate and work together with cities,” he said. “Our industrial park has empty buildings off Highways 13 and 14 that can be refurbished or utilized somehow. It’s trying to get out and tell people, ‘Come to Waseca County. We’ll give you whatever we can for breaks to help you get established and get going.’ Whatever we can to get the businesses back, along with housing here for all walks of life.”

What sets Milbrath apart from other candidates, he says, are his years of experience and knowledge in government and the goings-on in Waseca County. These were gained during his years as sheriff, where he also attended board meetings regularly for more than 12 years, along with his years on the fire department, time on the Waseca Sheriff’s Posse, and other county activities.

“I have extensive knowledge of where the policies and procedures, department activities and responsibilities fall,” he said. “I’ve worked with everybody in Waseca County, not just at the city level but county-wide. I think my knowledge of how Waseca County operates will help me get going with the board right away without too much of a learning curve behind it.”

When asked why people should vote for him, Milbrath said it goes back to experience and knowledge.

“My history as sheriff has shown that I take care of Waseca County,” he said. “I think I’m a good leader - I’ve taken staff and people in general and helped them in any way I can. Part of our philosophy when I was sheriff is that we don’t just go to a call, we take those two extra steps, no matter what the cause. If it’s a flat tire on the side of the road or a leaky pipe - stop by and help them out. My goal is to help people in any way I possibly can, and make life a little bit easier for everyone.”