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By Cristof Traudes
Kim Vlaisavljevich is approaching her campaign for City Council from a financial angle. She might as well — finance is what she knows best. A consultant and accountant, Vlaisavljevich's work involves finding the most efficient use for every dollar a company spends. That's what she wants to do at City Hall, too. "It's kind of my offering to voters," she says. She wants the city to think hard about its financial priorities. The $500,000 artistic water fountains, as well as the about $180,000 public relations campaign to promote city water, seem like slaps in the faces of the people who pay property taxes, especially when Minneapolis' streets are filled with potholes, she says. "It's just not very tasteful," Vlaisavljevich says. "I think the community feels detached. It would be nice to see what a couple hundred thousand can do instead of a PR campaign." Her rule of thumb is that 1 percent of a budget often causes 99 percent of the issues. Fixing that small problem can often be all it takes to become financially efficient. That doesn't necessarily mean centralization, which is what she considers the movement to eliminate the Board of Estimate and Taxation. It means finding creative solutions. Maybe outsource some services ("you can't be the best at everything always") and don't always make turning to taxpayers the first step (that's "old methodology"). The ultimate goal of the city should still be to be beautiful and affordable to its residents, Vlaisavljevich says. But to get there, City Hall should have its head screwed on straight. It's what she learned from her father, who for eight years during Vlaisavljevich's youth was the mayor of Eveleth, Minn. "I grew up in City Hall, essentially," she says. "I was eight years old watching council meetings. ... I always thought it was very interesting. My father kept me pretty involved." ABOUT KIM VLAISAVLJEVICH Age: 29
Occupation: accountant Family: single Neighborhood: The Wedge
Governmental/personal experience: degree in economics; consults on finances and accounting Endorsements: GOP Website: www.voteforkimv.com
Phone: 702-7546
E-mail: KimV@VoteforKimV.com
Updated Aug. 24
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