Mayor of Burnsville Advises President Obama

President Obama and his staff, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and Burnsville citizens have all recognized the power of Elizabeth Lanhilde Kautz's leadership style -- based on partnerships and shared responsibility. Burnsville has only 59,000 residents, but her reputation has preceded her as a fiscally dynamic partnership builder, dedicated to involving all residents in their city. She is the second vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in line to be the head mayor in June 2010, over mayors of far bigger and more known cities, such as Miami and Seattle. Though a Republican, she has been twice called upon by the Administration to provide input on economic plans that would influence America's cities.

In February 2009, President Obama recognized Langhilde Kautz as one of the eight mayors to address him as he advocated to a special group of 80 mayors the details of his stimulus package. In December 1008, she was asked as one of 16 mayors to meet with the president-elect's transition team to discuss two issues: the Economic Recovery Package and the establishment of a new Urban and Metropolitan Policy Office in the White House. 

A City Style Based on Partnerships, Fiscal Responsibility, Quality of Life, Arts, Education, Youth, and the Environment

No authorative mayor for Burnsville. Langhilde Kautz organized a city-wide visioning process that brought together over one thousand residents and business people to establish a shared vision and direction for Burnsville.  Out of that effort came a major redevelopment plan called “Heart of the City.” What was once a depressed 54-acre site that produced only $166 thousand in property taxes is now a thriving downtown area with multiple residential options and business developments producing over $1.5 million in property taxes. The 1,000-seat Burnsville Performing Arts Center opened in January 2009 to a sold-out first theater run, with the Arts Center projected to yield $3 million in property taxes within five years.  Burnsville's Diamondhead Educational Center has developed a partnership with St. Paul's Concordia College to offer college classes to area highschoolers.

Harry C. Boyte, author and director of Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, has applauded Kautz for her partnership model of city leadership as opposed to a more traditional and distant customer service approach. Her partnership view sees residents as responsible agents with a creative voice and part in solving the city's problems. grasping its opportunities, and charting the future. It is thought that Obama selected Kautz for her input because he is working to apply a similar model to the nation and American citizens.

An Usual Path to City Leadership

One might wonder how Mayor Kautz came to this point in her career. She received an undergraduate degree in the Weekend College Program in Theology in 1982, with a psychology focus, and became one of the first women to serve as a paid professional minister within the Catholic Church, as a pastoral minister.  She received her masters degree in counseling psychology from the Alfred Adler Institute of Chicago, Illinois.

Energetic and expansive in her thoughts, she decided to apply what she had learned about how people think, believe and function as individuals and groups to business and organizations. She became an entrepreneur, founding Growth Dynamics, Inc. in 1988 with a mission to foster continuous improvement within individuals and organizations through heightened awareness of self and human potential. She has also served as the Executive Vice President for the Hartford Group, Inc. a real estate development corporation. She brought these skills in human and organizational growth and paradigms of development to the City of Burnsville when she first ran and was elected in 1994.

City Accomplishments
Strong financial management has been a hallmark of Mayor Kautz’ leadership.  The city’s financial management plan, adopted in her first term, has resulted in two bond rating improvements – the first in 1997 and the second in 2001.  An Infrastructure Trust Fund Plan adopted in 1996 now enables the city to adopt a “pay-as-you-go” approach to infrastructure replacement – eliminating the need for bonding.  The city’s debt has declined from $100 million in 1994 to $45 million today – a 55% drop.  While many cities are struggling to fund road replacements, Mayor Kautz proudly reports that Burnsville has reduced its property tax rate each of the past five years while increasing its infrastructure replacement program.

An active proponent of local youth, Mayor Kautz designated that a seat be available to youth representatives on many city boards and commissions.  An innovative youth center – called the GARAGE – was constructed in 1994 at an old city maintenance building.  Run by its own youth board, the GARAGE is now nationally acclaimed for its music programs and its innovative events dealing with methamphetamine use and underage drinking.  Over 35,000 youth attended GARAGE events last year. 
 
The city's natural resources have also been one of her priorities. Over 300 acres of land have been placed into conservancy status during her tenure and $27 million has been allocated to a 15-year program of improving the city’s many water bodies. Rain-garden projects and several other low impact development practices have become regular features of the Burnsville’s landscape.  Currently, the Council has been working on comprehensive goals, objectives, and best practices for the environment that will make Burnsville a model sustainable city. A “green fleet” plan has been established that will transition city vehicles and equipment to greater energy efficiency. Lighting in municipal building was long ago replaced with low-energy light bulbs while signal lights within the city are transitioning to LED lights.  A methane collection facility extracts methane from the City landfill and converts it to energy that powers about 3,500 homes.

She co-founded the Minnesota Regional Council of Mayors in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area and sits on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority and serves as Chairman of the Board and is also on the Suburban Transit Association board.  She is consistently being called upon to speak on behalf of Transit and Transportation initiatives and funding.

Though she has accomplished much professionally, surmounting numerous obstacles and turning around many challenging city situations, she has overcome personal struggles as well. She has twice battled with cancer and won, and helped her husband take on the illness as well.

Beyond Burnsville

Recognizing her strengths, the U.S. Conference of Mayors elected her as second vice president, and in June 2010, she may be selected to be the president. Until then, she will, no doubt, continued to be consulted by the Adminstration and other mayors as she steers the ship of the city of Burnsville.