Bridgewater Township

Moving to 5 Member Board of Supervisors

Mar 26, 2020

The Annual Township Election was held on Tuesday, March 10^th. The results are as follows:

Total votes = 63

Supervisor

· Kathleen Kopseng – 58 votes

· Erik Schrader – 1 vote

· David Albers – 1 vote

· Non-vote – 3 votes

Ballot question: “Shall option A, providing for a five-member town board of supervisors, be adopted for the government of the town?”

· Yes – 57 votes

· No – 6 votes

The ballot question passed and the Bridgewater Township Board of Supervisors will expand to five members. This change will have numerous benefits for the residents of the township. By adding two members, the Board can now form committees of two people to spread the work load and assist in getting projects done in a timely manner. The committees will be able to work independently and bring solutions back to the full board for implementation.

We are proceeding with planning for a special election on May 12^th. This election will determine who will serve in the two Supervisor positions until the following Annual March Township Election. Candidates wishing to file for the position of Supervisor, the filing period will open on Tuesday, April 21, and close on Friday, May 1. If you have any questions or if you wish to run for an open position, please contact the Clerk. If the Secretary of State determines that elections cannot be held, a notice will be posted on the township website: www.bridgewatertwp.org

Upcoming Events

April 8, 2020

CANCELLED Work Session

April 8, 2020 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Township Board of Supervisors meeting

April 8, 2020 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

April 15, 2020

Work Session

April 15, 2020 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

About the Bridgewater Community

Bridgewater Township is a small rural community located in the Northeast corner of Rice County, Minnesota, roughly 30 miles south of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The area was first settled in 1844, and Bridgewater was officially organized as a township by the Rice County Board of Commissioners in 1858. While living close to the cities of Northfield, Dundas, and Faribault — and major metropolitan shopping and entertainment offered by the Twin Cities — our residents enjoy the benefits of a rural lifestyle in a largely agricultural community.

Bridgewater Township is governed by the traditional township form of government. Patterned after the English town meeting style of government, township government embodies the ideal of grassroots democratic participation envisioned by the nation’s founders. In Minnesota, townships are the traditional rural unit of government. Minnesota has more townships than any state in the nation with 1,796 townships, and that form of government presently serves approximately one-fourth of the population of Minnesota. The board of supervisors is the governing body of the township, and is elected by direct ballot of eligible voters. There are currently three township supervisors who serve three-year terms. The township staff also includes a treasurer and a clerk who serve two-year terms.

The primary responsibilities of Bridgewater Township include: care of township roads, planning and zoning for the township, proper conduct of elections, and participate with other units of government (cities, counties, townships) to cooperate with planning issues. A unique feature of Bridgewater Township includes the orderly annexation agreements currently in place with the City of Northfield and the City of Dundas. These agreements were forged to help direct future growth in sensible ways.