Timothy A. Sanders (born 1982) is an American politician serving as the mayor of Blaine, Minnesota, since 2021 and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 37B, which included parts of Anoka County, in the northern part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, from 2009 to 2017, having decided not to seek reelection in 2016.

Early life, education, and career

Sanders grew up in a military family on Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, earning his B.A. in political science with a minor in history. Sanders worked as an intern for former U.S. Representative Jim Ramstad in his Minnetonka office.[1][2] He is also a commercial insurance representative for Fireman's Fund Insurance Company.[2]

Minnesota House of Representatives

Sanders was first elected in 2008, succeeding first-term Representative Scott Kranz, who moved out of the district. He was reelected in 2010, 2012, and 2014.[3] He did not seek reelection in 2016.[4]

Blaine elections

In 2020, Sanders was elected to a four-year term as mayor of Blaine, Minnesota, and assumed office on 1 January 2021,[5] replacing retiring mayor Tom Ryan.[6]

Controversies

Nonprofit mismanagement: Refocus Recovery

According to an investigation by KARE, Sanders is alleged to have engaged in nonprofit mismanagement, fraud, and illegal billing of taxpayer dollars meant to help people in addiction recovery as president[7] and executive director[8] of Refocus Recovery.[9] There is an active investigation into Refocus Recovery by the Minnesota Attorney General and the Human Services Inspector General.[10]

In May 2024, KARE reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating Refocus Recovery, writing: "After KARE 11 reports of alleged Medicaid billing irregularities, multiple sources confirm a federal probe of Kyros and Refocus Recovery."[11]

Personal financial dealings: the Ball Park

According to the Minnesota Reformer: "The mayor of Blaine is an investor in a baseball-themed restaurant [The Ball Park] going up near a planned massive sports entertainment district that may include a taxpayer-subsidized minor league baseball stadium." Residents have questioned whether Sanders has a conflict of interest, and say the restaurant project won approval in March with little public notice while a now-vocal council opponent was out of town.[12]

References

  1. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart.
  2. ^ a b "Sanders, Tim A. - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". www.leg.state.mn.us.
  3. ^ "Election Reporting". Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  4. ^ "Rep. Tim Sanders opts not to seek re-election". Twin Cities. 2016-02-26. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  5. ^ "Mayor Tim Sanders and Councilmembers Jason Smith and Chris Massoglia". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  6. ^ Kieffer, Paige. "Blaine Mayor Tom Ryan steps down after decades of service". hometownsource.com. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  7. ^ "Business Filing Details". mblsportal.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  8. ^ "Refocus Recovery Becomes Official 501(c)3 Nonprofit, Providing Expansion Opportunity For Their Free Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Training". Yahoo Finance. 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  9. ^ "KARE 11 Investigates: Missing records, fraud allegations, and a flawed state investigation". kare11.com. 2024-02-08. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  10. ^ "KARE 11 Investigates: State investigating addiction recovery company Kyros". kare11.com. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  11. ^ "FBI investigating Twin Cities company and nonprofit | KARE 11 Investigates". kare11.com. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  12. ^ Winter, Deena (2023-11-22). "Blaine City Council rocked by allegations the mayor has a conflict of interest in sports project • Minnesota Reformer". Minnesota Reformer. Retrieved 2024-03-03.

External links