WRIGHT COUNTY, MN – This November, two supervisor positions will be up for election for the Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District.

➢    Supervisor District I - Clearwater, Corinna, Maple Lake and Silver Creek Township and that portion of the cities of Annandale, Clearwater and Maple Lake located within those townships boundaries and the City of Silver Creek.

➢    Supervisor District III - Buffalo, Chatham, Franklin, Rockford and Woodland Township and that portion of the cities of Buffalo, Delano, Hanover, Montrose, Rockford and Waverly located within those township boundaries.

Only those portions of the cities included within the open townships qualify.  Persons wishing to run for either of these positions must be eligible voters, of legal voting age when assuming office and reside within the area they would represent for at least 30 days before the general election. Though nominated within a specific Supervisor District, voting for these positions are countywide and each Supervisor represents the total county.  Supervisor terms are four years.

SWCDs are local units of government that manage natural resource programs.  Minnesota’s 90 SWCDs cover the entire state with boundaries which usually coincide with county lines.  Each SWCD is governed by a board of five (5) elected Supervisors.

To be a supervisor, you need:

Concern: Supervisors must be concerned about our environment and natural resources, maintaining and improving water quality and protecting our soil.

Knowledge: Supervisors must have – or be willing to learn – some basic knowledge to effectively carry out their responsibilities.  They must understand – or be willing to learn - some of the fundamentals about the environment and how it works, the relationship between land use decisions and the environment and the effect environmental decisions have on other aspects of our lives, local concerns, attitudes and needs.

Leadership:  Supervisors must be willing to take a proactive leadership role in the community.  This can involve setting local conservation priorities, educating friends and neighbors about the environment, working with other local units of government, state and federal agencies and other elected officials, setting an example, taking unpopular stands (in other words, “can you do what’s right for the resource?”), balancing economic needs with environmental concerns and sacrificing short-term gains for long-term benefits.

Being a Supervisor involves at the very minimum, one District Board meeting a month and incidental responsibilities; such as, committee assignments, Area and State meetings.  A Supervisor does not receive a salary but does receive compensation for attending meetings/mileage and is also reimbursed for preauthorized expenses.

General information regarding this position can be found on the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) website:  www.bwsr.state.mn.us/aboutbwsr/publications/supervisorshandbook.pdf.  If you would like information specific to Wright County or any other additional information, please contact the Wright Soil and Water Conservation District, 311 Brighton Avenue South, Suite C, Buffalo (763) 682-1970 and talk to either Sandi or Kerry.

Filing for the office of Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor opened Tuesday, May 18 and can be completed at the County Auditor’s Office (Wright County Government Center, Buffalo) until 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 1.  A $20 filing fee is required or 500 signatures collected on the form “Minnesota Petition In Lieu Of Filing Fee.”