Wright County Redistricting Settled in Split Vote

Rose Thelen and Pat Sawatzke could be facing each other in November, and at least two county commissioners are headed to retirement, as the board came down with its decision on redistricting Tuesday morning.

The current Wright County Commission, tossed into a fray due to new boundaries created by population shifts and a couple of retirements, will have an almost complete overhaul when it convenes for the first time in 2013.

"As an outsider looking in, it's a really intriguing process," said Sheriff Joe Hagerty, who attended the redistricting meeting. "It's going to mean a lot of change."

St. Michael could, realistically, have two residents on the panel under the new plan. Eastern St. Michael will join Otsego for District 3, while western St. Michael, including downtown, will be hooked up with Hanover and Rockford to join District 4.

Elmer Eichelberg, who has represented the community on the commission for the better part of this century, said he is stepping back. Jack Russek and Dick Mattson, who would be in the same district under the new borders (District 5), will work out which one of the two men who will run in November. The other plans to retire.

District 1, which includes Buffalo and Annandale, then follows Highway 55 to South Haven, will have an entirely new representative. And District 2 would include both Silver Creek/Maple Lake and Monticello, pitting Sawatzke and Thielen against each other.

That drew "no" votes from those two commissioners, who said they didn't want to square off in November.

The St. Michael City Council, represented by Administrator Bob Derus, crafted a letter to the commission requesting for Option 5, which teamed St. Michael with Hanover, instead of Buffalo (other maps had that affiliation).

"It made sense," Eichelberg said, "because of all the things St. Michael is doing with Hanover. Even the water projects are teamed with Rockford, so that is the best plan to keep that cooperation going."

Most variances impact the St. Michael and Otsego areas, two of the fastest growing areas in the state since the 2000 Census, much less Wright County as a whole.

The county had to approve a redistricting plan by May 4, under state law. About five legitimate plans were submitted by staff to the commission, with small variances making for 11 different maps.