Chapter Two:


This chapter brings to the front of my mind the Credit River Money Decision and how the township jury was so maligned by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Along with this story is Jerry MAAS, long time clerk of the Township and his resignation letter:


Letter: Maas explains reasons for withdrawing from Credit River clerk race

Submitted by Lori Carlson on February 16, 2010 - 2:19pm.



To the Credit River Township Board and residents:



As you are all aware, township elections are to be held on March 9, and I have again filed for the position of clerk. When it came time to file for re-election this year, I had a number of thoughts on whether or not I should seek to continue in this position; there were several reasons for my uncertainty.

First, and foremost was the fact that a large number of residents had, and still do, support me and my personal feeling is that that carries with it a responsibility on my part to honor that support.

Secondly, I felt that I had a good idea of what the position involved and that I was doing a pretty good job at fulfilling the requirements of that position. I also felt that with 11 years of experience on the board and as clerk that this was valuable to the township.

However, in the last few months, the requirements of this position are taking their toll on my physical and emotional well-being. I will be 69 years old this summer and, yes, things begin to crop up when age begins to set in. This is a demanding, detailed and stressful position. For example, I’ve calculated that over the past 11 years. I’ve attended over 150 five-hour meetings on the first Monday of every month and then had the responsibility to transcribe those proceedings in the form of meaningful minutes. That works out to over seven months of one’s life where your evening has been spent at the town hall.

Recognizing that I was reaching the limit physically, I contemplated filing for the supervisor’s position, thinking that the time requirements might be less and my experience might still be drawn upon. I waited until the final day to complete my filing. I had sought the advice of a number of my friends and associates, and each recommended that I seek re-election as clerk.

The recent allegations by a Credit River resident point out that feelings are running deep on certain issues, particularly the question as to what form of government should be adopted.

Personally, I have not taken a position on the subject of incorporation, not that it makes a difference because the clerk does not vote on the issue. My only desire has been that the board gets enough information to facilitate a good decision. The other allegations made date back two to three years, and while there is a plausible and reasonable explanation for each, I don’t feel that arguing out such detail in the newspaper will accomplish anything at this time.

I find that I am now unable to carry on this campaign while continuing to perform my ongoing, day-to-day duties and still contribute to other areas of my life. My family has advised me that they just can’t see me giving my life over to this work anymore and point out that we don’t know how much time we will be able to enjoy together and wonder why I would put this position in front of being with them. I have three grown children and 11 grandchildren who very much wish that I would spend my remaining years close to them.

At the same time, I am also finding that this election process is costing me long-established friendships that I do not wish to jeopardize, especially when one realizes that I do not have an active vote in the decisions that affect the future of the township, only my opinions

When one considers that the basic functions of the clerk consist of oversight over the township records, filing papers, recording and compiling minutes and publishing and “tacking” notices to the town information board, one begins to realize that many people can perform these duties very admirably. As many of you are aware, I have extended my role by emphasizing communications with the residents on my own time and, while appreciated by a large number of my constituents, this has been met with considerable opposition on the part of a few and, quite frankly, it’s not worth it for all of the reasons previously listed
Underlined there, it would seem that some people were attacking Jerry simply for proposing the alternatives to incorporating the Township into the State.