Our City Council needs to get the basics right. The city government has control over land use, permitting, and first responders. It is time the Council focuses on those core powers to address the  issues of our city..

I am running because I believe Council Leadership has lost sight of the core functions of city governance.  The breakdown in understanding has led to political infighting to the detriment of Ward 1 and the city as whole.  It is time for a council member who can focus on fundamental responsibilities to drive real progress. We need to relieve pressure on the housing market, so homes are affordable and achievable. We need a smarter, more effective approach to public safety, so everyone feels safe in their neighborhoods, on their streets, and in their homes. And we need a more connected Northeast, where getting around our community is simple and reliable.

Is Council Leadership making it easier to find a place to live?

The city council can take concrete steps to encourage new development. This can be done by making it easier for individual property owners to add auxiliary units to their property, working with housing providers to ensure new housing units are a good fit for Northeast, and other simple changes that will increase housing supply.

Increasing supply is the only way to bring down costs. The current strategy by Council Leadership is to demonize housing providers and put more restrictions in place. 

Is Council Leadership making you feel safer in our city?

The City Council has the ability to enact reforms to ensure our public safety services are fully functional and working to protect the residents of Ward 1. Instead of doing that, Council Leadership has decided to focus more on political slogans and picking fights. This has resulted in staffing shortages across the board for our first responders. Council Leadership is allocating resources from first responders to poorly conceived pet projects. The fire department is not meeting its staffing minimum requirements, resulting in delayed response times. The police departing is not meeting its staffing minimum requirements, resulting in unsafe streets. 

It is time the City Council gets serious about ensuring our first responders have the tools they need to keep our streets safe. I want common sense solutions that ensure we all feel safe in our communities. Political slogans aren’t going to accomplish that. Pragmatic leadership will.

Is Council Leadership improving public transport?

Through its role in land use, the City Council can take a leadership role in working with regional partners to ensure our community is well connected. A strong advocate for the needs of local residents is the only way to ensure that we have a better transit system in Northeast Minneapolis.

Ward One continues to be a car dependent ward, resulting in more congestion and air pollution. The way to fix our transit system is by having a Council Member that is willing to stand up to the Met Council and advocate for whole street design with local bus routes.

Transportation should not be seen as a stand alone issue. Housing and transit are intrinsically linked. We need more housing while also ensuring our public transit systems and road systems work to accommodate the need of more organic housing within Northeast Minneapolis.