Dear Anoka County Commissioner Candidate,

The MetroNorth Chamber Leadership Fund (PAC) is a leading voice for commerce and industry in Anoka
County. It is our objective to research and identify pro-business candidates.

We have organized a list of questions (below) which pertain to the position you seek. We ask that you take
the time and effort to complete this profile. Each answer should offer thorough and detailed information.
Please use as much additional space as necessary to provide your responses.

Our potential endorsement will be given to the candidate whose leadership we believe will provide the
greatest opportunities and success for our Anoka County business climate.

To expedite the process, we are sending this questionnaire only by email. Please return the completed
typed form to my attention at your earliest convenience but no later than Noon, Monday July 2 2018.

Also, we are asking for you participation in a short (30 minute) interview with our PAC Board during
the time period of 3-5 pm on Monday, July 16. Please let me know of your availability.

You are welcome to contact me should you have any questions. Thank you for your time as well as for
your participation in the political process.

Best wishes,
Lori
Lori Higgins
On behalf of the MetroNorth Chamber Leadership Fund
763-783-3553

2018 Candidate Questionnaire June 2018 Page 1 of 5

Name: Sean Broom, info@seanbroom.com – 612-819-8186

Please provide a short introduction of yourself, your current occupation and why you are running for office.

My name is Sean Broom, and I’m running for County Commissioner because I intimately know the
value of the services the county provides.

When I was 15 I was homeless for about 7 months. My mom, little sister, myself and our three cats
were sleeping in a van and couch hopping—we were in a rough spot. Because of assistance we got
from the county (things such as housing, food, and health care), we were able to get back on our
feet. These social service programs save lives. The role of County Commissioner has a unique and
direct role in advocating for and delivering those services. Those services have made a huge
difference in people’s lives, including my own.

In college, I studied geography and urban planning which led to interest in local government, public
policy, and government finance. After college I had the opportunity to serve as a policy and
outreach staffer for a member of Congress, after which I worked for a Minneapolis City Council
member as their Senior Policy Aide/Chief of Staff. Currently, I am the Director of Public Policy at the
Minneapolis Regional Chamber. My professional experience has exposed me to the role of
government in the lives of constituents and businesses. County government plays a remarkably
powerful role in those lives and in the success of our region. The County Commissioner seat
provides an opportunity to advocate for the health and the wellbeing of my neighbors, support
needed investment in critical infrastructure for Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop and Spring Lake
Park, and make the Twin Cities region stronger.

Why do you think you are a pro-business candidate? List any affiliations with any Chamber of Commerce
and/or business associations, as well as experience you have owning and/or managing a business.

I currently serve as the Director of Public Policy for the Minneapolis Regional Chamber. In this
position I advocate for businesses at the capitol in St. Paul, at Minneapolis City Hall, and around the
region. I organize the policy advisory committees for the Chamber, and have had the opportunity
to bring together businesses of all sizes from around the region to discuss the issues that matter to
them and the policies that could allow them to succeed. This role has afforded me connections
with businesses that will allow me to serve as a successful pro-business legislator.

2018 Candidate Questionnaire June 2018 Page 2 of 5

 One of my first professional positions was the general manager of a small manufacturing business
in the West Metro. I learned through late nights and a lot of stress what entrepreneurs and
business owners go through in bringing their products to market and starting up. From regulations
to worries about payroll I saw firsthand the challenges that can keep businesses from thriving.

What specific efforts would you make toward improving the ability for business development in Anoka
County in the next two years?

The first thing would be supporting and empowering the County’s new economic development
specialist. The MetroNorth Chamber and Connexus did a real service for Anoka County in sharing
the load of the economic development study but now the County has an obligation to resource its
recommendations and follow through with them. The perceptions of Anoka County identified in
the study don’t always apply to the 4th district, a place most people around the region don’t
associate with Anoka County, and that means I may have to advocate for discrete interventions
that can help Fridley and Columbia Heights take advantage of their proximity to our region’s core.

Foremost among those interventions would be transit investment. Anoka County must be active
and engaged with our regional partners in promoting transit and supporting its development in
appropriate areas. The dense corridors along 47 and 65 are ripe for redevelopment in some areas,
and have strong retail and employment draws in others. Bus rapid transit is already planned for a
part of this area. However increased infrastructure investment by Anoka County – along with vocal
partnership – will allow us to maximize the opportunities we are presented.

One area I would like to focus on is providing assistance to businesses about sewer access charges.
Restaurants and retail establishments are particularly hard hit by these charges, and so are child
care facilities and new residential construction. The Twin Cities has some of the highest child care
costs in the country and if we can find ways to lower the burden of that cost, we will be supporting
new businesses and supporting our workforce. While the MetCouncil has recently enacted some
SAC reforms, further programs and supports at the county and regional level must be looked at.

What budget priorities would you have, if elected?

Aside from the state directed and funded social programs the county administers, we should focus
on core county functions – roads, parks, libraries, and public safety. After that the county could
commit resources to sustainable economic development, and the county should also be thoughtful
about investing in water and other infrastructure projects.

2018 Candidate Questionnaire June 2018 Page 3 of 5

Please state your specific transportation priorities as well as how you plan to address the County’s overall
transportation needs.

I feel we must begin a new conversation in Anoka County about bonding and the wheelage tax for
county road and transit infrastructure. From overpasses on 10 to redesigned intersections on 65,
the county needs to be a stronger partner in delivering the transportation infrastructure that
businesses and residents need. That does require money, but Anoka County must make itself as
attractive and advantageous to business development as the surrounding region is.

There are many issues with county infrastructure in other communities that will require big ticket
capital investment, to do grade separations or increase capacity on county roads, and I support
those investments. In District 4 we have some things that may be different priorities from the rest
of the county. Given the scale of development in Columbia Heights and Fridley, we need to have
sidewalks on county roads and design those roads with all of the possible end users in mind.
Investing in a pedestrian-friendly environment on 40th between 65 and 47 can help that area
develop into an engaging “Main Street” anchored at one end by the transit and commercial node at
Central and 40th. On 49th Ave., 4 of Columbia Heights’ 5 public schools sit on a county road that has
incomplete sidewalks and is too fast a roadway. We need to invest in roads that everyone can use
safely.

What are your ideas in reforming the governance and scope of the Met Council to make it more
accountable to taxpayers?

Ideas about reforming the MetCouncil often flow from the party that does not control the
Governor’s mansion and the appointment power of MetCouncil members that the Governor has.
Given that dynamic, any reforms have to be ones that can be accepted by both local communities,
but also legislators and the Governor.

I think that a good start for MetCouncil reform is staggered terms for council members. This will
hopefully support continuity of policies across administrations and support institutional memory.
The allocation of transportation dollars has always brought controversy and I think reforms to the
Transportation Advisory Board are also a good place to look for reforms that can be agreed to, and
which will make it more accountable to taxpayers on some of the biggest and most visible projects
the MetCouncil oversees.

2018 Candidate Questionnaire June 2018 Page 4 of 5

Do you support or oppose local governments establishing its own mandates on businesses for wages and
scheduling policies?

I’m concerned about local governments creating a patchwork of local mandates on wages and
scheduling policies. Guaranteed sick leave is important not only to public health concerns, but also
to productivity in the workplace. It is an area where businesses should lead the way and show what
employers are capable of. Locally mandated minimum wages can have numerous secondary effects
on the labor market, keeping some people out of work and speeding automation in others. Anoka
County cannot succeed and thrive as ‘the low wage’ county in the region; and businesses have the
opportunity to show they prioritize a well-compensated workforce that is an asset to our region’s
economy.

Please add any additional information you feel would be helpful that was not addressed above.

This seat has not truly come open in 64 years. It’s remarkable to think about the sweep of history
the Kordiak family has observed from this position. During the first year of Al Kordiak’s term Dwight
Eisenhower was President and Rosa Parks kicked off the Montgomery Bus Boycott. We’ve gone to
the moon and developed the internet during that time. His son served through the administration
of the first black President. Now we have the chance for new leadership, and a new voice to help
lead Anoka County. I am uniquely qualified to be that voice.

I am the only candidate in this race with professional experience in a legislative body-- I have an
understanding of legislative process, constituent services and expectation, and how bureaucracy
works. Among all of the candidates for 4th District, I have the strongest relationships with policy
makers and business leaders from around the region-- I will be a tireless advocate for the
businesses and residents of southern Anoka County. The county commissioner needs to be a
critical policy mind, an engaged community member, and a confident voice for our district-- I am
the most qualified candidate and I would love your support.

2018 Candidate Questionnaire June 2018 Page 5 of 5