Young Lawyer Part of New Crop Eyeing City Government Position

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud City Council election is attracting new and young candidates to the race later this year.

One of those attempting to enter the political arena for the first time is 28-year-old lawyer Michael Peterson. He tells KNSI News that his potential tenure on the council would be defined by service to his constituents.

“A lot of times, people come to meetings, but they feel hopeless about it because they don’t think that anyone is going to listen to them. So, if I’m a council member, I will give heavy weight to what my constituents want.”

Peterson intends to revitalize downtown while remaining an advocate for residents. He cites his current career as a lawyer as proof that he can be a powerful representative for others.

It has been a staple of St. Cloud State of the City addresses from Mayor Dave Kleis for years, the need to get more people involved in local government. Kleis has made the case often, including during his weekly web videos. Peterson says Kleis’ words and the example of former president Teddy Roosevelt inspired him to run.

“I was reading a biography of Theodore Roosevelt again, and he was talking about the Parable of the Talents and how no amount of private duty would make up for someone’s civic duty. So, inspired by this, I went onto the website and there I saw one of Mayor Kleis’ weekly two-minute messages, and he said we need more community participation, especially people for boards and commissions.”

The Parable of the Talents is a passage in the Bible that encourages people to use their abilities to improve society as a whole. Candidates can officially file to run for council between May 21st and June 4th.

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