The City needs to prioritize hiring and retaining quality police officers and creating more pathways to hiring a diverse police force. The City Council needs to do everything possible to enable that. We need to get rid of bad cops, no excuses. I will be supportive of approving budgets for our police department, but that support is tied to high expectations. I believe Chief O’Hara is committed to transforming our police department and I look forward to working with him and our new Commissioner of Public Safety, Todd Barnette.

Not every 911 call requires an armed officer to respond. We must expand and build upon law enforcement alternatives like the Behavioral Crisis Response Team. Working with Hennepin County for more social workers must be a priority. I will continue the work of the City to have violence interrupters as a key part of our public safety infrastructure. We need a multifaceted approach with a diversity of professional disciplines to address crime and facilitate greater safety for all residents. Public safety underpins most everything we want to accomplish in Minneapolis and must be priority number 1.

The City of Minneapolis must continue to offer inclusive economic opportunities so residents can prosper and advance their lives. This means providing a full array of services. From youth programs to employment training and support for small businesses, Minneapolis must carry on and strengthen its investment in its communities and people. The City should continue to invest in guidance and resources for small and homegrown businesses to flourish and expand, as well as resources for those looking to start a business. Well-equipped residents and thriving businesses are a winning recipe for our city.

I am concerned about the economy of downtown and how a decline in the property tax base, as office towers appeal their valuations due to high vacancy rates and changing business models, could shift the burden onto homeowners and renters, whose property taxes are already high. We need sound fiscal management of city resources and the ability to access state and federal support as we navigate a difficult economy. I bring a small business owner’s perspective to the table.

The City needs to continue to grow its strong investment in affordable housing. The City Council must support yearly budget increases for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, and the Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing Preservation Fund. We also need to continue to tap into state and federal funds to bolster this investment.

To support the preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) and mitigate short term market instability, the City can provide direct assistance targeting low-income households that rent. The City can also support long term NOAH viability by working to keep affordable units in the same owners’ hands through mechanisms such as grants for maintenance upgrades and access to property management resources.

We need to protect our existing affordable housing and ensure that more is being built. Rent control is a complex tool that can have unintended, negative consequences for renters. I am opposed to implementing a rent control policy in Minneapolis.

I support:

– Holding accountable landlords whose conduct leads to additional instability for tenants. We cannot tolerate gouging.

– Expanding rental assistance and providing eviction protections.

– Investing in City programs that promote affordable housing development and preservation, like the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Stable Homes, Stable Schools.

We need to serve people experiencing homelessness with compassion. Housing, jobs and social services are important parts of an integrated response to our unhoused residents. Working with Hennepin County, the City can provide the integrated and wraparound services that people need to move from unsheltered to homes. We should expect all city employees, including police officers, to act with dignity and compassion when coming in contact with encampments.

From Uptown to Downtown, we need revitalization. The people who live, work and play in these areas need the City to work with them to ensure safety and vibrancy. We need to consider creative ways to encourage people to re-engage with these parts of town, to encourage businesses to open or stay open, and help heal the wounds that Minneapolis has suffered the past few years. I will work with small business owners, business associations, residents and neighborhood associations to assure strong and vibrant neighborhoods and shops.

Everyone in our city deserves to feel like their voice is heard and their needs are valued. We need leaders at City Hall that are intentional in their inclusion of diverse voices and voices unlike their own. The City Council must weigh the needs of historically marginalized and underserved communities, especially those of our BIPOC, immigrant and LGTBQ populations, in every policy decision. I will listen to and seek out people with a variety of backgrounds, viewpoints and lived experiences in an effort to make the best decisions for all of Ward 7 and Minneapolis.

Although the City Council doesn’t have direct jurisdiction over reproductive health care, I will work to defend every individual’s access. I believe that inclusive reproductive health care should always be legal and protected in Minnesota. I am relieved and elated that the DFL Legislature and Governor Walz delivered on the Protect Reproductive Options (PRO) Act to codify protections for abortion and full access to reproductive health care. I applaud the work of Councilmember Lisa Goodman and the passage of the Clinic Protection Ordinance, as well as Mayor Frey’s Executive Order protecting patients, health care workers, and volunteers from legal action related to reproductive healthcare within the City of Minneapolis.

We must remain committed to reducing our city’s climate impact and investing in sustainability. It’s going to take a large investment from the City, in tandem with significant state and federal money, to meet Minneapolis’ climate goals. I am fully supportive of the City’s recently adopted Climate Equity Plan. Pragmatic and impactful initiatives like insulating and weatherizing homes, expanding our tree canopy, and expanding EV charging infrastructure are among the actions we must prioritize to combat the climate crisis. In Ward 7, we can lead the way by investing in new technologies like electric cars and rooftop solar. We need to work toward a zero waste circular economy, and the City needs to lead in pursuit of this goal.

Everybody deserves to be who they are and love who they love. I support the LGBTQ protections that have been won to this point, but know that many members of our Minneapolis community still face discrimination. The City should do everything in its power to protect, strengthen, and expand protections and opportunities for our LGBTQ community.

Constituent service is a critical component of local government, and I pledge to maintain the highest level of service for Ward 7 residents.