WARD 7
Vying for this position are Katie Cashman, Kenneth Foxworth and Scott Graham.
KATIE CASHMAN
Please introduce yourself.
I’m a policy professional, sustainability advocate, and community builder who has a decade of experience in public service and showing up for my community. Minneapolis has complex challenges and we cannot continue to have costly, band-aid solutions. We must get to the root of issues, especially for unsheltered homelessness, to ensure that people have shelter & culturally-competent resources to prevent encampments and give people a stronger path to housing affordability and stability.
As a council member, you are responsible to both your ward specifically and the city as a whole. How will you manage priorities that may be competing at times?
Accessibility and responsiveness to Ward 7 residents is my priority, but many issues affect all residents of Minneapolis. When one area of Minneapolis is facing challenges it affects the rest of the city. For too long we have marginalized communities that need to be prioritized with investments. We have neighborhoods in Minneapolis that face disproportionate amounts of crime, pollution, homelessness, and housing unaffordability that need to be confronted for our city to reach its potential.
The city council approved the court-enforceable MPD consent decree. What is the role of the city council in overseeing the implementation and compliance with the decree and what are 2-3 initiatives that you will support to improve public safety and affect police misconduct?
City Council’s role in public safety is to pass a city budget that funds proven strategies for violence prevention and crime reduction. We can expand our options for emergency response by fully funding the behavioral crisis response (BCR) team. I strongly support stronger accountability and oversight systems through the consent decree along with robust data collection and transparency around the police union contract. I believe these are key initiatives to reform our public safety system.
What are specific strategies for housing people who are currently unhoused and creating affordable, sustainable housing opportunities for the future?
We need to expand our shelter options and increase availability of 24/7 shelters. I strongly support culturally specific, low barrier shelters like Avivo Village that provide a full spectrum of chemical and mental health services, career education, and employment services. We will keep having encampments form and spending millions to clear them until Minneapolis gets serious about a housing-first approach and expanding & maintaining our deeply affordable housing options.
KENNETH C. FOXWORTH
SCOTT GRAHAM
Please introduce yourself.
My wife Susie and I live west of Cedar Lake in Bryn Mawr and have been part of Minneapolis’ Ward 7 community since 1998. I have been a residential realtor for 25 years and own my own brokerage called Uptown Realty. I have been very active in the DFL party holding leadership positions such as senate district and congressional district chair. My top priority on council is to ensure the safety of everyone in Minneapolis. Safety underpins most everything else we want to accomplish for our communities. We need to transform our police department’s culture, hire more officers, and continue to support alternative responders like our Behavioral Crisis Response team and violence de-escalators.
As a council member, you are responsible to both your ward specifically and the city as a whole. How will you manage priorities that may be competing at times?
The needs of Ward 7 will always be my top priority, but all 13 council members serve to create a thriving city at-large. Strong constituent services is an important way I will focus on Ward 7. I want to elevate the conversation on city council and mute the factionalization I see there now. I am ready to reach out to and work with all 12 other council members and our Mayor to help build a thriving city. By ascribing best intentions to other council members, and working to respectfully collaborate with them, we can accomplish a lot, even if we have perceived political differences.
The city council approved the court-enforceable MPD consent decree. What is the role of the city council in overseeing the implementation and compliance with the decree and what are 2-3 initiatives that you will support to improve public safety and affect police misconduct?
Council needs to approve budgets that fully fund continuous improvement in the public safety realm and assure MPD’s compliance with the DOJ’s consent decree. We should appreciate the DOJ’s experts giving us a court-enforceable roadmap for meaningful reforms. I support stronger accountability mechanisms for officers who break the law or procedure. Creating a police department that is capable of attracting recruits is central to our success. Having officers that live in our communities is important, as is hiring more BIPOC and women officers. I have high expectations of our public safety system and personnel.
What are specific strategies for housing people who are currently unhoused and creating affordable, sustainable housing opportunities for the future?
Working with partners like Avivo, Aeon, Common Bond, Beacon and Simpson Housing, we can continue to develop deeply affordable housing with on-site supportive services like trauma-informed mental health therapy and drug and alcohol treatment, among others. Harnessing the power of federal grants and subsidies to create this housing is essential. Shelter beds are a short-term solution; longer term housing is necessary. The homeless community is diverse; the forces that drive people into it are wide ranging. The opioid epidemic is a profound driver of homelessness and cannot be fixed by only providing a home, but that is where we must start. Mental health and substance abuse treatment are at the core for many of our homeless neighbors.
WARD 8
Vying for this position are Andrea Jenkins, Soren Stevenson, Bob Sullentrop and Terry White.
ANDREA JENKINS
SOREN STEVENSON
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Soren Stevenson. I’m a renter, a policy advocate, a survivor of police violence, and the DFL-endorsed candidate for City Council in Ward 8. I know – and community voices have said loud and clear – that Ward 8 needs more community safety, more accountability for MPD, dignified and attainable housing for all, and environmental justice to ensure that all our neighbors can live healthy lives on a healthy planet. The City Council has the legislative authority to pass ordinances to meet our basic needs, but it has not done that. I’m running for Ward 8 City Council to create a kinder, safer Minneapolis. I will fight alongside my community and neighbors to bring our shared values to City Hall and make our shared vision a reality.
As a council member, you are responsible to both your ward specifically and the city as a whole. How will you manage priorities that may be competing at times?
As an elected official I will be accountable to both my ward and the city. In relationship with my neighbors through community organizations, and with current council members, my job will be to develop progressive policies that fundamentally transform the balance of power in our city, away from wealthy elites and toward those whose voices are marginalized in city hall. That means translating our shared values into policies and programs that put workers and the environment first, prioritize people over profits, and create safety, care, and abundance for all of us. I will work closely with my constituents, my staff, and community organizations to always prioritize our shared values and vision.
The city council approved the court-enforceable MPD consent decree. What is the role of the city council in overseeing the implementation and compliance with the decree and what are 2-3 initiatives that you will support to improve public safety and affect police misconduct?
The consent decree signed by the City is an important first step towards the crucial transformational change to policing that our communities need. I know that the community needs to be in the driver’s seat of overseeing the implementation and compliance in this process. On the council I will push to make sure that, at every step of the way, the City is giving regular public updates to the community. However, the changes mandated by the consent decree are only a part what we need. Establishing a comprehensive public health approach to public safety is my top priority. I will prioritize fully funding and supporting the Behavior Crisis Response team and initiating a pilot program to create responses specific to domestic violence instances.
What are specific strategies for housing people who are currently unhoused and creating affordable, sustainable housing opportunities for the future?
Homelessness is a solvable problem. Encampments are the natural result of decades of policies that were designed to maximize profits, not prioritize people. If we’re going to be serious about ending encampments, we need new money and new public housing units. That’s why I’m committed to helping enact a public housing levy. In addition, we need to invest in supportive housing solutions like Housing First and shared housing solutions like SROs. We need to produce a variety of publicly and community-owned options that support folks to live independently and with dignity throughout the city. To facilitate the creation of more community-owned, permanently affordable housing options, I will work to pass a Tenant Opportunity To Purchase Act.
BOB SULLENTROP
TERRY WHITE
WARD 10
Vying for this position are Aisha Chughtai, Bruce Dachis, Greg Kline, and Nasri Warsame.
AISHA CHUGHTAI
BRUCE DACHHIS
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Bruce Dachis, but most everyone calls me Buzzy. I live in the LynLake area with my wife, Rebecca, and my step-daughter, Madison. I also have two adult children, Adam and Ali. I am running to represent Ward 10 on the Minneapolis City Council because our current crime levels are unacceptable. Residents should feel safe and secure in their homes and on our streets. I am running to make that a reality for all. I was born and spent my entire life in the Twin Cities. Aside from my primary roles as a husband and a father, I am a small business owner who has operated businesses in the Uptown area since 1984. Public safety is the foundation of any thriving city. Unsafe communities not only hurt residents but businesses as well.
As a council member, you are responsible to both your ward specifically and the city as a whole. How will you manage priorities that may be competing at times?
Having lived in the Minneapolis area my entire life, I have seen the most effective council members demonstrate a focus on constituent service for their residents and businesses in the ward. In my career as a small business owner for the past 40 years, what has worked for me is addressing small and manageable tasks well, which creates a foundation and puts procedures and relationships in place to handle emergencies and longer term strategic planning. I do not view a city council position as a platform for rhetoric and radical political change. The best councilmembers address the simple responsibilities of being a councilmember, constituent service requests, and business needs in our ward.
The city council approved the court-enforceable MPD consent decree. What is the role of the city council in overseeing the implementation and compliance with the decree and what are 2-3 initiatives that you will support to improve public safety and affect police misconduct?
The role of the City Council is to help to make sure that the consent decree is enforced and the police department is compliant. We must have a fully staffed police department to increase public safety. We also need to address what roles civilians can play in helping improve public safety by giving the police relief on calls that don’t require an armed response. Police misconduct cannot be tolerated. Depending on the offense there must be some sort of discipline that could include being dismissed from the police department.
What are specific strategies for housing people who are currently unhoused and creating affordable, sustainable housing opportunities for the future?
We need to ensure that the finances of housing development remain sound to preserve the incentive for housing developers to invest in Ward 10, and Minneapolis Rent Control is not the answer. Additionally, we must remain committed to reducing our City’s climate impact. It will take a large investment from the City, 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.
GREG KLINE
No website listed
NASRI WARSAME
WARD 13
Vying for this position are Bob Carney Kate Mortenson, Zach Metzge and Linea Palmisano.
BOB CARNEY
No website listed
ZACH METZGE
Please introduce yourself.
Born and raised in Minneapolis, I am fourth generation ward 13 resident. I have led campaigns and organized movements that have created lasting change. I have worked deeply with community and in the capitol as a legislative aide, with major policy wins such as the Beyond Bullying Bill. I have made a career out of standing against injustice and will continue to fight for the needs of the people.
As a council member, you are responsible to both your ward specifically and the city as a whole. How will you manage priorities that may be competing at times?
By continuing to do the work I have been doing. Deeply connected to BIPOC communities outside of ward 13 and as a Linden Hills neighborhood council member, I am staying connected to community. First and foremost are the concerns of ward 13 residents, taking their voices to city hall and fighting for their needs to create a greater ward 13 while helping to build a better Minneapolis.
The city council approved the court-enforceable MPD consent decree. What is the role of the city council in overseeing the implementation and compliance with the decree and what are 2-3 initiatives that you will support to improve public safety and affect police misconduct?
I will support the use of two moderators as US attorney General Merrick Garland stated is necessary here in Minneapolis. I will help move forward with overseeing that the MPD follows the orders in the consent decree to help create a public safety system that actually works. I support the Behavioral crisis response team and support fully funding them and other mental health services in the city.
What are specific strategies for housing people who are currently unhoused and creating affordable, sustainable housing opportunities for the future?
We need to enact a housing first program. The way the Frey administration has handled homelessness is not only inhumane but extremely ineffective. Over the last four years Minneapolis has spent eight million tax payer dollars on evicting homeless encampments. We need to get our most at risk residents off the streets. Additionally we need to deeply invest in affordable housing, with gentle density and creating pathways to home ownership such as a tenant option to purchase.
KATE MORTENSON
katemortensonforcitycouncil.org
Please introduce yourself.
I’m a 17-year neighbor in Ward 13, where my family raised three kids. In addition to leading Minneapolis to record-breaking results as CEO of the Men’s Final Four Host Committee, I’ve worked closely with Mayors, Council Members, residents and the private sector, to shape a better City on many issues, from combatting poverty, to job creation and economic inclusion. I’m a Governance expert and outspoken voice for effective Gov’t. My Priority’s: Crime Reduction and Increased Safety, Improved Planning and delivery of Core Services like road maintenance and snow removal, and Sensible Public Works Projects that balance our interests in transportation alternatives with our need for vehicle access to businesses and services in our communities.
As a council member, you are responsible to both your ward specifically and the city as a whole. How will you manage priorities that may be competing at times?
Ward 13’s priorities are clear to me after knocking 1,000s of doors. Our concerns are the concerns of the City – we want leadership that has a vision for a city that is both Safe & Sound, and the ability to bring others along to a result. Safety from harassment and from crime benefits the whole City. Core services done well, – keeping our road infrastructure up to date and free of potholes, garbage and snow – benefits the whole city, planning sensibly for more density, and the effects of climate, same. On Council, we need these traits; leadership, accountability, and the ability to work across our differences. Choosing a sensible path forward, that we can all live with, will grow our confidence that government can produce results.
The city council approved the court-enforceable MPD consent decree. What is the role of the city council in overseeing the implementation and compliance with the decree and what are 2-3 initiatives that you will support to improve public safety and affect police misconduct?
A program of independent Monitoring for Compliance, is approved by Council in the Budget, to ensure MPD and the government enterprise follows the steps required by the Consent Decree. Council should carefully follow the reports of the Monitor(s) but not build expensive processes that duplicate and confuse this independent work. Here’s how I will proceed to improve public safety: 1. increase Behavioral Crisis Response to limit emergency (911) interactions between police and public when violent criminal activity is not occurring 2. improve pay and incentives for MPD, for higher levels of education, training, and professional development, 3. invest in Youth Success & provide connection between MPD and youth – through sports & paid engagement
What are specific strategies for housing people who are currently unhoused and creating affordable, sustainable housing opportunities for the future?
1. Currently City failures in basic services like road maintenance (both snow removal and potholes) are devastating to low-income residents, who are burdened by car repairs, tickets and towing when services breakdown. Recognizing the connection between these failures and the eviction crisis means we must IMPROVE performance of core City functions. 2. unsheltered homelessness is unacceptable and the City must act more urgently to provide sheltered options, with accommodations for pets, addictions, mental health and cultural preferences. People need REAL choices. 3. Create an emergency housing stock ordinance that exempts developments targeting 30% area median income (AMI) from the most costly prerequisites that aren’t life/safety oriented.
katemortensonforcitycouncil.org
LINEA PALMISANO
Please introduce yourself.
I’m Linea Palmisano, our City Council Vice President. This brief two-year term’s highlights thus far include passage and funding for the Minneapolis Climate Equity Plan, and our total government structure overhaul- this includes an improved and more robust structure for public safety. Constituents know me as an experienced, principled, and representative of our ward – a reputation I’ve earned through my work, not just my words. Next term’s priorities include data-driven public safety initiatives and improving basic services.
As a council member, you are responsible to both your ward specifically and the city as a whole. How will you manage priorities that may be competing at times?
We all run for office as individuals, but then we must come together across the city and govern as a body. My daily role in city leadership wrestles with complex impacts for our city in every decision, and how we participate in the context of the greater good and in our world. Every decision I make must promote data-driven, transparent, effective, and efficient city government. When confronted with difficult decisions and competing priorities, I have the courage to stand by my convictions and make decisions that serve not only 13th ward residents but everyone in our city.
The city council approved the court-enforceable MPD consent decree. What is the role of the city council in overseeing the implementation and compliance with the decree and what are 2-3 initiatives that you will support to improve public safety and affect police misconduct?
Our role is to make certain the goals and requirements of the consent decree are being fulfilled. I am committed to that work, and other necessary changes needed to ensure fair and just policing in our city. To hit those benchmarks, we have begun to fund and install new accountability systems and tracking, to make sure these reforms create lasting change. We also need our newly established Community Commission on Police Oversight to be supported and resourced in civilian review. In addition to tracking the department’s progress, I will continue to support efforts to increase MPD staffing and officer support. Last, but paramount- we must establish an improved relationship and trust between MPD and the community.
What are specific strategies for housing people who are currently unhoused and creating affordable, sustainable housing opportunities for the future?
I have and will continue to champion policies proven to be effective to increase affordable housing supply, such as the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Inclusionary Zoning Policy, Stable Homes Stable Schools, and 4d Affordable Housing Incentive Program. These policies support and increase the development of housing, which is critical to addressing homelessness in our community. Other strategies tailored to the unhoused include Avivo village, which are indoor tiny homes for the unhoused with very low barriers to entry, and the Single Room Occupancy Ordinance which allows people of very little means to rent a room in a larger facility, long-term.
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