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Waseca Mayor Charged with 2 felony counts

On May 31, 2023, Waseca Mayor Randy Zimmerman was charged in Waseca County Court with two felony counts of perjury. The court complaint alleged that Zimmerman committed perjury by signing his name to a voter registration form which included false information, implying that he was maintaining a residence within city limits, thus making it legal for him to run for a city office or vote in the registered district. 

The court complaint states that Zimmerman did not live within Waseca city limits 30 days before the 2022 general election, during which he was elected as the city’s mayor, an office he still holds.

Zimmerman maintains he did nothing wrong. “It’s really unfortunate," he said. "I knew from the get-go, that [getting elected] wouldn’t be an easy process. The fact that I [was] tells me that the community wants and deserves progress. I put myself out there to try and deliver that.”

Zimmerman said he is cooperating fully with the investigation and is awaiting legal advice. 

Charges originate from a form filed in early October of 2022; Zimmerman filed a change of address with the United States Postal Service stating his new address would start October 5, 2022 at 313 4th Ave. NE, Waseca, a property owned by his mother. His previous address was located in Woodville Township. 

A memorandum distributed to city council members Friday states that the mayor has a right to a presumption of innocence, and further, that the council has no authority to change the mayor’s status. In fact, creating a vacancy in this case would require action from a committee of at least five city residents. 

The investigation regarding Zimmerman’s official residence began roughly one week after November’s election when a complaint regarding his residency was received by the City of Waseca. 

The complaint was forwarded to the Albert Lea Police Department for investigation. Among the evidence gathered are numerous points surrounding the status of his residency, including that Zimmerman, his wife and his sons all have Minnesota driver’s licenses which indicate a location in Woodville Township as their addresses. The family also has four vehicles registered within the state of Minnesota, two registered to the defendant's wife, and one each to the defendant and one of his sons; all four registrations show the Woodville location. Zimmerman is the owner of a business, R.L. Design, which shows its address to be the one in Woodville Township. Zimmerman’s wife voted in Woodville Township during the October election.

Zimmerman and his wife are listed as owners of the residence in Woodville Township. They also own an undeveloped lot at 304 19th Ave NE within city limits; this property was purchased on October 6, 2022. During the investigation, Zimmerman reportedly told officers that his intent was to build a home at that address if his bid to become mayor proved successful.

The complaint further reads, “The defendant swore, by oath or affirmation, on his Affidavit of Candidacy and on his Voter Registration Application, that his residence was located at 313 4th Ave NE, Waseca. However, the defendant did not live at the residence.” It claims, “The defendant had no intention of moving…to 313 4th Ave NE. The defendant's family maintained its residence at 36830 Lake Knoll Drive. Although the defendant may have intended to acquire a new residence when he moved to 304 19th Ave NE, that was not enough to establish residence within the City of Waseca. Based on the language of Minnesota Statute § 200.31, the defendant's residence, on November 8, 2022 and the 30 days prior, was located at 36830 Lake Knoll Drive in Woodville Township.”

The case was remanded to the Albert Lea Police Department because of potential conflict of interest; The Rice County Attorney’s office is prosecuting the case. 

The penalty for Zimmerman, if convicted, could be no more than 5 years in prison and/or $10,000 in fines.

 

 

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