Tom Erdmann (Deephaven City Council, Minnesota, candidate 2024)

Tom Erdmann

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Deephaven City Council

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Indiana University, 1980

Personal

Profession

Business consultant

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Tom Erdmann ran for election to the Deephaven City Council in Minnesota. Erdmann was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Erdmann completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Tom Erdmann provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2024:

• Bachelor's: Indiana University, 1980
• Profession: Business Consultant
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Connecting Deephaven

Elections

General election

General election for Deephaven City Council (2 seats)

Tom Erdmann and Emily Scherschligt ran in the general election for Deephaven City Council on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Tom Erdmann (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Emily Scherschligt (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Erdmann in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Tom Erdmann completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Erdmann's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Thirteen years ago, my family relocated from a neighboring town to Deephaven, driven by our desire to live in a verdant and welcoming village with easy access to parks, beaches, work, and schools. We sought a neighborhood where residents actively engage with one another, foster connections and build a strong sense of community. Deephaven embodies this spirit, and we feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to call it home.

I am running for city council because I envision a Deephaven that continues to grow and thrive for future generations. We are blessed with the geographical advantages of water, parks, and green spaces, alongside excellent schools, and a high level of personal safety. That said, I believe there is always room for continuous improvement.

My wife, Juli, and I live in the Cottagewood neighborhood and take pride in our two grown children, Tom and Abby, who reside in San Francisco and New York. I enjoyed a 35-year career at Cargill in various trading, operations, sales, strategy and business development roles, and now consult for the food and beverage industry. I have actively volunteered in Deephaven, serving on the Cottagewood Community Foundation, leading Cottagewood Store Lawn Sales, and serving on the Deephaven Parks Committee for over six years where I currently chair the committee.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Balancing fiscal responsibility with the support and enhancement of city services: While nobody particularly enjoys paying taxes, careful financial management is essential to maintaining our quality of life. We need to continue to:

  1. Provide strong support to our Police, Fire and Ambulance services 2. Refresh our road and storm sewer infrastructure. Our roads need particular attention as we recover from years of deferred maintenance.

  3. Maintain and improve our park systems and programs to encourage use by Deephaven citizens of all ages.
• Maintaining and enhancing our parks, beaches, and marina as we work to expand and improve our walking and biking routes through Deephaven: Our public spaces belong to all of us, and I am committed to promoting their use by residents of all ages. Every resident should have safe access to schools, parks, and beaches for pedestrian and biking activities.
• Protecting Deephaven's unique character during property remodels and replacements. Our housing will continue to be refreshed in the years ahead. This change can revitalize neighborhoods and create a stronger community for years to come. There are good rules to inform this process. Variances to zoning ordinances should be the exception, made for the benefit of the community, not for individual convenience.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

There are many opportunities for residents of all ages to participate in our community. I believe local government has a responsibility to hear, encourage and support citizen volunteers and find ways to parter with them as they make our city a great place to live. Our neighborhood groups, garden clubs, social clubs, sports organizations, safety teams, and educational groups come together to create a vibrant community with a proud tradition. Our volunteers play a critical role in making our city a great place to live, and this resource deserves strong support from city leadership.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

1) Personal integrity is critical.

2) Government leaders must keep an open mind to a variety of ideas and opinions, even those different from my own
3) I believe everybody has a RIGHT to share their opinion, but they have the RESPONSIBILITY to listen to others.

4) Facts are not opinions, and opinions are not facts. It is critical to understand the difference.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

1) Listen and keep an open mind

2) Make the best decisions possible for the benefit of Deephaven residents.

3) Be personally accountable and hold others appropriately accountable.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was five years old when JFK was assassinated. I remember going to the school gymnasium to watch his funeral procession on the school’s single black-and-white TV. At that age, I didn’t understand the significance of the event, but I could feel that all the adults around me were solemn and sad. So many people were crying. Eventually, life returned to normal.

Fast forward to July 16, 1969. I watched the first images from the moon on another black-and-white TV. Everybody in my world, especially the adults, were proud and happy. Everyone wanted to be an astronaut! Looking back on those years, I’m struck by the resilience of humanity and of our communities. From the dark days of November 1963 to the remarkable achievement of landing on the moon just six years later, we found a way to move forward.

Even today, amid grief and dysfunction, we continue to witness incredible achievements and acts of compassion. In our darkest moments, we still find the light and strength to move ahead. Just as we did then, I am confident we will continue to find recovery and hope in the future.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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