Ex-Fridley Exec on Panel Seeking Shutdown Solution

A former Fridley business executive is part of a bipartisan committee formed Tuesday to find a solution to Minnesota’s $1.7 billion budget gap and end the .

Creators of the committee, which will begin work Wednesday, were former Vice President Walter Mondale, former Gov. Arne Carlson and former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger.

They recruited seven current and former government and business leaders for the group, including former vice president Kristina Johnson and a current member of Gov. Mark Dayton's cabinet.

“We were trying to find people with superb professional backgrounds and exemplary roles in impartial public leadership,” Mondale told reporters Tuesday morning at Minneapolis City Hall.

Members of the committee, besides Johnson, include:

• Steve Dille (co-chair), former GOP state senator
• Wayne Simoneau (co-chair), former DFL state legislator
• John Gunyou, city manager of Minnetonka
• Jay Kiedrowski, former state finance commissioner under Gov. Rudy Perpich
• Jim Campbell, former CEO of Wells Fargo
• Jim Schowalter, current Minnesota Management and Budget commissioner (a Dayton appointee)

“This is as good a group as could have been assembled," Carlson said. "With John Gunyou and Jay Kiedrowski, in particular, we certainly have two of the best finance people in Minnesota history, as far as I’m concerned."

(Gunyou ran for lieutenant governor in 2010 on former DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher's ticket. He also served as Minneapolis' first finance director.)

Carlson and Mondale each stressed the importance of finding a quick solution to the budget impasse—both for the state and people of Minnesota.

“Our fear is that large sums of money, large interests will come into Minnesota and cause a freezing of attitude and make it very difficult for compromise to become a reality,” Carlson said.

Mondale added: “We understand that thousands of people depend on Minnesota’s ability to resolve this crisis quickly.”

The founding trio will not serve on the committee but instead  creation and sponsorship.  

“We’re not in this to negotiate,” Carlson said. “We’re in this to provide a third alternative. I would anticipate the ultimate support of the both parties.” 

Carlson said he expects the committee to come up with a workable solution no later than Friday. No one knows if legislators and the governor will heed the group's recommendations.

Fridley Legislator Reaction
Fridley Patch contacted the offices of all five legislators who represent parts of the city Tuesday afternoon for comment. Look for updates to this post as those comments come in.