Former Two Harbors city administrater named as fill-in councilor

• Roger Simonson

Two Harbors resident and former city administrator Roger Simonson will fill in for Chris Swanson, the recently retired City Councilor of Ward 2, until the November elections. Photo by Catherine Hannula.

Talk about it

A not-so-new face has joined the Two Harbors City Council.

Two Harbors resident and former city administrator Roger Simonson will fill in for Chris Swanson, the recently retired City Councilor of Ward 2, until the November elections. Swanson officially retired at the last City Council meeting on March 12. He would have served until 2014.

Simonson has served on the City Council before and worked for more than 40 years for the city of Two Harbors. He said he previously served as a clerk and then a treasurer for the city before spending his last 13 years as the city administrator before retiring in 1997.

Simonson said when it was known that the Ward 2 position was going to be open, he was urged to apply by his friends. He says he was born and raised here and so has a lifelong interest in making sure Two Harbors is thriving and a nice place to live.

“I live here. I raised my children here. I have no intention of moving,” he said.

Simonson said he is concerned about the conditions, economic developments, and the infrastructure improvements of Two Harbors. One his concerns include the status of the Lake View National Golf Course, which is owned by Two Harbors.

He says he is familiar with the golf course, having played on it since he was 10 years old. He says that he knows some regard it as an economic issue since it brings people to Two Harbors and that it’s not a clear-cut issue. Simonson also said the golf course is a financial struggle and he wouldn’t mind taking a hard look at it.

“It’s always had a hard time breaking even,” he said.

Simonson says he thinks well of all the current City Council members.

“I think they’re just fine,” he said. “They’re all doing work in what they believe is the city’s best interests.”

Simonson says his two daughters, who live outside of Two Harbors, just found out about his decision to be part of local government again. His wife is supportive of his decision to be a City Council member.

“I think she wants me to keep busy,” Simonson said.

Simonson said he has not come to a decision over whether or not he plans to run for the Ward 2 seat in November. For now Simonson says he’ll have to catch on up on the technology and the new terminology the City Council uses today, but he’s ready to get to work.

“I wouldn’t have applied [for the position], if I wasn’t looking forward to it,” he said.

Tags: two harbors, news