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Jeff Thompson Mayor Jeff Thompson, who turns 50 on election day, was first elected mayor in 1996 and has served for three previous terms. He has served on the city council since 1989. A 1970 graduate of PHS, he earned an associate degree in accounting and is now the finance manager at Valley Industries in Paynesville. He and his wife, Becky, have two children and one grandchild. Why are you interested in serving on the city council? Service and involvement seem to run in the Thompson blood. As long as I can remember, my grandparents and parents have been active in community leadership and service roles. I enjoy the personal and professional relationships that come with being involved in local government. It's a good feeling to be involved in helping a community grow and be successful. What will you do, as a council member, to make Paynesville a better place to live? The League of Minnesota Cities has come up with a list of characteristics that have been identified as making up quality communities. During my tenure as mayor, that list has been my guide. I will continue to base my attempts on fostering and emphasizing those characteristics to help make this community a quality community. With the state facing budget deficits, aid to cities could be cut. How should the city maintain its services to residents and pay for them? The city has been in excellent shape for some time now. Our proposed budget for 2003 is not 'fat' by any means, but there are already targeted areas that can be trimmed with no overall or long-term effects from these possible short-term cuts.

Jackie Braun City Council Jackie Braun, 47, is a 1973 graduate of Paynesville High School. She is a bookkeeper at Ideal Lumber Company in Litchfield. She lives on Lake Avenue with her husband, John. They have four children. Why are you interested in serving on the city council? My concerns over the street project on Lake Avenue originally prompted me to attend city council meetings. I find the city government very interesting and would like to learn more about it. I feel if I'm going to attend and learn I can volunteer to serve as well. What will you do, as a council member, to make Paynesville a better place to live? As a city council member, the greatest commitment would be volunteering the time it takes to serve. Taking the time to learn about the city government and becoming involved, along with being practical in decision making, are ways to make the community we live in a better place. With the state facing budget deficits, aid to cities could be cut. How should the city maintain its services to residents and pay for them? I think the present council has been working on the budget for next year with the possibility of aid being cut. By planning for the future and spending funds that are available - not overextending - the city should have no problem maintaining services.

Jean Soine City Council Jean Soine, 50, has served on the city council for six years. She is a high school and vocational school graduate and owns Paynesville's Total Entertainment Center. She has served on various city committees and also on the Minnesota Task Force on Cultural Diversity. She and her husband, Paul, have three children and three grandchildren. Why are you interested in serving on the city council? I have enjoyed the last six years. I enjoy being involved in the decision making of our community, and I feel I can represent the retail community and women's point of view. Also, I am easily accessible for people to contact with their thoughts and concerns. What will you do, as a council member, to make Paynesville a better place to live? There are a few things I have been doing, working on the Ethnic Festival to be proactive with our cultural diversity. I already feel Paynesville is a great place to live. With the state facing budget deficits, aid to cities could be cut. How should the city maintain its services to residents and pay for them? Fortunately, due to good planning in the past, the city is in good shape financially to weather this crisis without a big increase in taxes or a cut in services at this time.

Dennis Zimmerman City Council Dennis Zimmerman has served on the city council for seven years, first as an appointee and then being elected twice. He graduated from PHS and from college in 1974. He is currently a software developer for North American Software Associates in Belgrade. He and his wife, Cindy, have two daughters. Why are you interested in serving on the city council? A book that I was reading recently had the following quote: "If we believe in and work for something larger than ourselves...for our families, for the community, for the common good...then every expenditure of emotion will have meaning." It is important to give something back, when we have been blessed with so much. Because of those blessings, I desire another term on the city council. What will you do, as a council member, to make Paynesville a better place to live? Paynesville has many assets as a community. Our people, our location, our businesses, our amenities all provide great hope for the future. It is my goal to work with all these to maximize what Paynesville can become in the next four years and to lay the groundwork for a long and prosperous future. With the state facing budget deficits, aid to cities could be cut. How should the city maintain its services to residents and pay for them? While I have been privileged to serve on the council, we have worked very hard to walk the delicate balance of providing needed public services while not burdening taxpayers unnecessarily. If state aid is cut, the city must review each expenditure, cut where possible, and only then, if necessary, raise taxes to provide the essential services that we all enjoy. The healthy growth of Paynesville has provided an expanding tax base, meaning that even though some costs born by the city have risen, taxes have remained relatively stable over the years.

GENERAL ELECTION Tuesday, Nov. 5, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
NEW POLLING PLACE for the city of Paynesville. . .at the Paynesville Area Center

Part I of the city council and mayor candidate profiles (10/09/02).
Part II of the city council and mayor candidate profiles (10/16/02).
Part III of the city council and mayor candidate profiles (10/23/02).

(Editor's Note: This is the last in a four-part series of questions and answers with the four candidates for the Paynesville City Council. To see all their answers, go to www.paynesvillearea.com.)