My Core Values

  • -Provide the public with detailed written meeting summaries

    -Host regular events to engage with the community

    -Move meeting times to the evening when more people can attend

  • -Lower the barriers to access public services

    -Level the playing field for people who rent

    -Invest in addiction resources and emergency housing

    -Protect funding for public media and fight for access to high speed internet

  • -Protect the history and culture of our entire community

    -Provide the truth (even when it is controversial) and communicate in good faith

I’m Sam Temple. It would be my honor to serve the community I love and do my part to usher it into the future.

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The County Board of Commissioners is an incredibly important body. They vote on public safety funding, social services funding, land use, transportation infrastructure, and county staffing. Federal and State services (dollars) are often funneled through the county. Millions of dollars in priorities are in the balance every year.

Most public meetings of both the City of Faribault and the City of Northfield take place in the evening. These are the two major cities in Rice County, trying to make meetings accessible to as many people as possible. Both cities also televise meetings and have recordings available online. Written meeting notes detail discussion and questions raised by elected officials and community members.

Rice County is an outlier, despite being the larger government and representing more constituents than either of those aforementioned cities. The County Board of Commissioners meet at 8:30 AM, usually on a Tuesday morning.

This neglects the working class of Faribault. It neglects parents who either need to provide childcare or go to work in order to afford childcare. It neglects the countless people of Faribault working paycheck to paycheck who, even if they really wanted to take the morning off to attend a meeting, don't have paid personal days or aren't told their work schedules in advance.

It is negligent to not enact simple, common-sense measures already practiced by other governments in Rice County. More must be done to keep everyone in Faribault informed and engaged.


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It would be my honor to represent Faribault’s 3rd District on the Rice County Board of Commissioners— a vitally important position.

When you vote on November 8th, vote for transparency and respect. I hope you will elect me to serve Faribault as our Rice County Commissioner.

Help Get Out the Vote

We have a serious issue in Rice County. People don’t know what their Commissioners do— and that’s why these elections are rarely competitive. This is a very important role in our community. We need to energize voters and get them passionate about taking part in local democracy.

Can you help?