Balancing public, city needs is Albrecht's goal

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--Councilor Joel Albrecht who has represented Ward 3 for the last 10 years doesn't feel it's a step down in power in attempting to become the city's next mayor.

In New Ulm's "weak mayor" system where the "power" is placed in the hands of the City Council and the mayor's duties are largely ceremonial, the council president is the most powerful individual in city government, and the other four councilors share a fair amount of that power.

"The people of New Ulm really have the best of both worlds with a 'weak mayor' system because they elect their city council which is the supreme authority in the city," Albrecht explained.

"Then, they also have a voice in moving the council in whatever direction they would like from 125 commissioners and board members that serve on these various boards so you have the input coming from the general population."

Because Albrecht, 67, is midway through his third term, he's really not risking anything by taking a run for mayor. If he wins, he'll move into the mayor's office; if he loses, he will continue as councilor from Ward 3 where he's had no opposition in his last two elections.

"It's commonly referred to as the 'bloody third," he laughed. "We've had some very interesting races in that ward. I did try to do a decent job for everyone. That's always been my goal, serving the public and serving the city."

Those goals aren't always the same, Albrecht said, "because, as city councilor, you're on the board of directors, so to speak, and yet you have to look out for welfare of the city, the infrastructure, the finances, everything that is city. You have to balance that with the wishes of the population. There are times when you have to make very, very difficult decisions that aren't particularly popular."

Albrecht said it's something that "you absolutely have to think through," but a councilor won't be right all the time.

"Yah, there are a couple votes I wish I had back, absolutely stupid, but they seemed to be right at the time. But, as they played out, it was the dumbest thing that could possibly have been done. That's life. You give it your best shot when you're doing it, but it's not always right."

While still considered a relative newcomer in New Ulm since he's been here only about 46 years, Albrecht quickly became involved in the city's business community upon his arrival.

Albrecht, who grew up at Taunton west of Marshall, volunteered for the draft and served two years in the U.S. Army at its research and development laboratory at Fort Belvoir. After his service hitch was up, he went to work for a firm that was starting a new office in New Ulm.

"I worked for them for a couple of months and then went to work for New Ulm Paint and Glass Co. About a year, year and a half, John Midthun, who is dead now, and I started the A&M Glass Co. That, then, evolved into New Ulm Glass," Albrecht recalled.

"We did that for 2 years about when the St. Paul's Lutheran men's club voted to sell the building housing Concordia Lanes to the church for its school which was bursting at the seams," Albrecht said.

Albrecht's father-in-law, Carl Witt, was on the men's club board and didn't want to see Concordia Lanes leave town.

"About that time the Madelia Bowling Center burned so it was just about a done deal that Madelia would buy the equipment. My father-in-law tried to get a couple other board members or interested people to invest with him. Nobody wanted to do it so he did it. My brother-in-law, Jim Witt, was working for Ulrich Electric at the time so he said, 'Boys, I'm buying it, and you fellows have to run it,'" Albrecht said.

"I said, 'Well, I'll give you about two years of my time and get it moved to a different location' because we had to get the equipment out of there. The rest is history," Albrecht laughed.

Albrecht believes the mayor not only has to be a good recruiter for filling the 125 board and commission positions but a good listener and willing to speak up at council meetings.

"Our mayors of the last few years have been very quiet at council meetings. We have only two people who are elected at large, and that's the council president and the mayor so when you're talking public policy, those are the two people that speak for everyone. For that reason, I think, on public policy issues, if the mayor is not of prevailing thinking on the council, he should be heard from, and he should be listened to."

The mayor has one significant power vested in the office. That is veto power over city spending. Would Albrecht exercise that power if he were mayor?

"Absolutely, no question. If the council embarks on some hare-brained scheme for spending, you betcha!"