Kautz has helped city grow

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To the editor:

Decision Resources recently reported the results of an April-May 2012 survey of 400 randomly selected residents and 300 businesses in Burnsville. According to the survey, 89 percent of residents rated life in Burnsville as good to excellent – the metro area’s highest rating.

As a former business owner, I was pleased to read that 92 percent of respondents rated Burnsville’s business climate as good to excellent and that Burnsville was headed in the right direction – the highest rating of all Decision Resources surveyed cities and in the metro. Eighty-six percent indicated that Burnsville was responsive to the needs of business and were satisfied with their interaction with city staff; 87 percent rated the labor pool as good to excellent. This vibrant business climate is due in great part to the leadership of Mayor Elizabeth Kautz over the past 14 years.

In 2009, 2010 and 2011 more than 150 new businesses were started in Burnsville. The city strategy to develop, reinvent and update has served the business community very well. Kautz and the City Council have worked very hard to keep businesses in Burnsville by convincing them to relocate within the city rather than move out.

What is happening in the Minnesota River Quadrant and the areas around 115th/Rupp Street and south of Highway 42 to Corporate Drive is a real eye-opener. The Goodrich Company is undergoing a large expansion. Northern Tool has grown rapidly. We are fortunate to have many success stories, a result of strong leadership of our council.

An opponent of Kautz continues to cite the Performing Arts Center as a failure and a drain on the city. Heart of the City generates more than $1 million in taxes, an increase of $754,000 before redevelopment. CVS Pharmacy is constructing a large store, with an office complex, in the area.

To the detractors of Kautz, look at her accomplishments and the results of her 24/7 effort to attract and retain businesses. We live in a beautiful and dynamic city. My family will vote to retain Elizabeth Kautz as mayor. If the voters value a well-governed city, she will be re-elected.

KEN SLIPKA
Burnsville