Housing affordability and access to mental health services are areas of continued focus for me.”

Washington County Commissioner Karla Bigham

Visit www.karlabigham.com for additional information.

Cottage Grove, Minnesota- Washington County Commissioner Karla Bigham announced today she is seeking re-election to the Washington County Board of Commissioners for District 4. Bigham is in her sixth year of experience as a Washington County Commissioner, serving from 2015-2018 & 2023-present. The district includes the communities of Cottage Grove, Newport, St. Paul Park, Grey Cloud Island Township, Denmark Township, and Precinct 14 in Woodbury. Karla has previously served in the Minnesota Legislature, serving in both the Minnesota Senate and Minnesota House.
A lifelong resident of Washington County, Bigham is a graduate of Park High School in Cottage Grove. She received her Bachelor's Degree as a Paralegal,,with minors in Sociology and Political Science, from Winona State University. She has also obtained a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota. Karla and her husband, John Stechmann, live in Cottage Grove with their two rescue dogs.
As for service in a commissioner role, Bigham boasted that “Washington County has the 2nd lowest property tax rate of counties in the metro area. I am incredibly proud of the hard work to keep property taxes low while providing valuable services for public safety, mental health, and snowplowing.”
Reflecting on the accomplishments of the past few years, Bigham highlighted the recent improvements at Ravine Regional Park and St. Croix Bluffs Park along with the upcoming renovations at Park Grove Library and Point Douglas Park as things that will benefit residents for years.
Bigham also drew attention to the county’s embrace of the Food Scraps program.
“South Washington County has embraced the Food Scraps Pickup Program, a convenient, cost-efficient way for our residents to reduce what goes in their garbage bins while effectively reducing what goes into our landfills,”
Bigham stated. “I will continue to deliver road and other infrastructure improvements for our communities.” Bigham also noted housing affordability and access to mental health services as areas of continued focus.
“Housing affordability and access to mental health services are areas of continued focus for me.” She added, “Cuts in funding from the federal and state government are fundamentally changing how counties are providing essential services that people use to live their lives.”
Bigham closed out her candidacy announcement with a promise to listen. “I look forward to earning the votes of residents of District 4 and having many conversations throughout the campaign,” she said.
Visit www.karlabigham.com for additional information.