Finding a Green Way to Govern

Mission Statement I will work for a Minneapolis where everyone has decent housing, meaningful career and employment opportunities, high quality schools, rich cultural experiences and a safe, healthy environment within which to enjoy our lives, raise our families, and find happiness for ourselves and others. I will work for a Minneapolis where each of us has the freedom and opportunity to reach our individual potentials while caring for one another, improving our environment and promoting social well-being. I will focus not only on our immediate needs, but also on the future we want for ourselves, our children and for generations to come. I will strive to make Minneapolis demonstrate – to ourselves and the world – how the people of a large city in a large metropolitan area can live, work and play in harmony with nature and with each other. I will take responsibility for the decisions I make and the actions I take to fulfill my commitments and responsibilities as an electe...

2017 Approved Budget. On December 7, the City Council passed what I believe is a responsible, responsive and future focused budget for next year. It was passed (12-1) with several small but noteworthy changes from the budget proposed by Mayor Hodges earlier this year. I thank the Mayor for presenting us with a good proposal, and my colleagues for the thoughtful, cooperative work they did to improve it. The total budget is $1.3 billion, a 7.7%, or $94.7 million increase from the 2016 adopted budget of $1.2 billion. This includes our general fund, water, sewer, and storm sewer utilities plus convention center, and other special revenue funds. As part of the budget we approved a 5.5% increase in the total amount of property taxes we will collect in 2017. This brings the total property taxes to over $310 million dollars. This funds 24% of the overall budget. Looking at the big picture, of the total 1.3 billion, roughly 26% goes to Public Works, 14% to capital improvements, 12% to Polic...