Kolb Not Seeking Re-Election in 2018

Over the past few months I have been debating over whether I would run for re-election.  It was an amazing honor to be elected to represent you in 2014 by a 2-to-1 margin, and an even bigger honor to represent you on the Crystal City Council over the past three-and-a-half years.

As the filing deadline is now passed, the decision is final. I will not be seeking re-election.

I am extremely proud of what has been accomplished over my term.

My campaign was built around three themes: responsible spending, strong neighborhoods, and accountable government, and I’m proud to say that Crystal has made great progress in all three areas over my term.

The city is in better financial shape than when I was first elected, and we are finally developing budgets and long term financial plans that are honest and free from accounting gimmicks.

Our neighborhoods are stronger then ever. We are investing in our parks and developed the city’s first long-range parks plan.  We’ve updated our city’s image in smaller ways, like a new logo, flag and signage, and in larger ways by investing in some of our infrastructure that needed a bit of TLC, like the Bass Lake Road Corridor. Our community has had more than our share of tragic incidents over the past few years, but we came through it stronger and more connected.

And we reformed our government to make it more accountable to you. We slashed hundreds of unnecessary regulations, developed business and resident friendly policies, and invested in improving our customer service and communications with residents.

None of this could have been done without a great group of peers on the city council, and a world class staff at city hall who were ready and willing to embrace the necessary change.

When it comes down to it, my decision not to run was based on time. I know it’s cliché for a politician to step down to spend more time with their family, but since I was first elected we added a new baby to the family, and my wife and I both got new jobs that require significant travel. In the end I felt like I just wouldn’t be able to put in as much time as is required to do this job well.

I still have a few months left on my term, and in that time I’ll be focusing on passing the city’s first two year budget, continuing to refine our city code, and investing in making our neighborhoods stronger.  Plus, I still get one more round of attending Night To Unite parties with a police escort, which is always one of my favorite nights of the year.

Thank you for your support, and I hope to see you at Night To Unite, Crystal Frolics, the Crystal Airport Open House or many of the other great events in our city!