By Sara StrongThe Luverne political scene is hearing a new, influential voice in Esther Frakes. Concerned about the current City Council’s actions to terminate joint dispatch and law enforcement agreements with the county, Frakes has started a write-in campaign in the North Ward. Her opponent is incumbent Tom Martius.Along with her campaign, Frakes is also leading a referendum petition that proposes the repeal of the Council’s decision to terminate its contract for law enforcement with Rock County effective Dec. 31, 2005."As citizens, we have the right to protest the Council’s decision to return to a separate police department," Frakes said. "As I see it, there is no way that two separate law enforcement units could offer the expanded services, such as the K-9 unit and the investigator, that we’ve had in place with the joint law agreement. My only agenda in heading up this referendum petition is to save joint law."The city has said it wants to continue negotiating a law enforcement agreement with the county, even though the contract was terminated.Frakes said that if the city hopes to reduce the cost of the contracts with the county, the level of services has to be considered. The city can’t offer to pay less than the services actually cost, yet expect the same services, she said. More to the campaignMartius said, "Competition is always good," of Frakes’ write-in campaign.He said he hopes the campaign is about more than law enforcement because the city handles much more than that.Frakes said she was inspired to run on the law enforcement issue, but that she is also ready to work for the city in other ways as a council member."I look forward to being supportive of cooperative ventures in the future between the county and city. I would also like to see Luverne expand and grow," Frakes said."I know I have a lot to learn but I have the time to research issues and serve the city."The referendum petition has a sponsoring committee of Frakes, Warren Herreid, Dianne Ossenfort, Annabelle Frakes and Gary Fisher.If the petition gets 200 signatures, the committee may serve it to the City Council, which would then have the option of reversing its vote to terminate the law contract or putting the issue on a special election ballot for voters to decide. It is too late to put it on this November’s election.Including committee members, 25 people are circulating the petitions. Frakes has collected 150 signatures herself to date.