Todd Reisenauer

Having spent 21 years in the software industry, working for large corporations to small startups, I understand the delicate balance and proper role the government must play when partnering and supporting private industry. The majority of my work history has been in a consultant role. My approach is to listen, seek to understand, look at the big picture before making recommendations. I believe my background and experience is a great fit for the North Dakota Legislature.

• Workforce Development. Helping to Retain and Recruit workers to North Dakota so businesses can continue to thrive and grow

• Supporting Public Education. I believe investing in our students is a catalyst to our economic engine

• Expanding the availability of affordable and quality childcare. I believe the scarcity of childcare is deterring many North Dakotan families from achieving their dreams, namely purchasing a home

Having grown up in Dickinson, North Dakota during the 1980's oil boom and bust, for me, sustaining economic growth is always the largest challenge facing North Dakota. This means finding solutions for lowering property taxes, thinking strategically on where targeted investments can be made to build more housing and help communities to grow. Setting budget priorities and long-term planning are essential.

Yes. I believe investing in our workforce is critical to economic growth and vitality. This is an area where we can achieve an immediate return on investment in utilizing public tax dollars. With that said, these programs need to be managed locally and have community stakeholders on board, working closely to align business and resident expectations to ensure success.

I have spent 8 years of my career working in the Fargo software startup community. I have witnessed firsthand how grants, tax credits and other incentives have directly impacted entrepreneurs to fulfill their dreams in building successful businesses for Fargo and across North Dakota. Yes, I believe utilizing public tax dollars for targeted initiatives is a critical step towards establishing predictable and long-term private/public partnerships practices. However, as a legislator. I will push for clearly outlining spending priorities, setting expectations, upholding transparency and accountability in reporting back frequently on success/failures of these programs, to the public.

Access to quality child care is an area where the North Dakota Legislature can have an immediate and positive impact for business development and economic growth across the entire state. If we prioritize expanding childcare, this will give North Dakota families the opportunity to be two income households, at the same time easing workforce challenges for businesses.

Absolutely I support funding for key infrastructure initiatives. Public dollars invested in transportation, flood control, projects which help communities attract and retain residents are quick to see a return on investment. I believe the State government cannot function as a "be all" funding source, however large-scale infrastructure projects require state backing and support.

In my opinion, an area the state government can provide the most beneficial assistance to communities, organizations and businesses is around strategic planning. This entails helping communities build a vision of growth and improving quality of life. To do this requires stakeholder "buy-in" where a consensus can be difficult. Thinking big and taking risks often runs contrary to our prudent thinking. This is where effective leadership matters. I do see using the Legacy Fund as a strategic advantage for North Dakota and a means towards building a more prosperous North Dakota.

I strongly oppose the elimination of property taxes in North Dakota. I believe efforts such as Measure 4 would eliminate local control for funding priorities and critical infrastructure investments. As a state, we need to reform how property taxes are calculated, however eliminating them will lead to chaos for local communities, schools and businesses across the state.