

WHAT I'VE ACCOMPLISHED
My first term on the Board of Estimate and Taxation began with a commitment to openness in government. I supported proposals by colleague Samantha Pree-Stinson to make the board more accessible and the public’s voice stronger. We now webcast board meetings and they’re archived so that city residents can see how we make decisions on taxes and borrowing. Any resident or property owner now also can attend any board meeting to comment on any item on that day’s agenda. These steps were overdue.
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I’ve also questioned city finance officials in detail on city finances, especially when they present quarterly financial reports, budgets and proposed levies, and borrowing proposals. It’s a habit I picked up as a reporter—be relentless in asking questions to get all the facts out before making a decision.
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Speaking of decision-making, I’ve working hard to carry out my pledge to strike a balance between the needs of the city and the ability of people like you to pay the bill. I’ve proposed cutting the mayor’s proposed levy some years, and supported it in others. I consider a range of economic factors in that decision.
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One tough vote I made was to support the mayor’s 2025 property tax proposal. I told him that my price for doing so was for the city to embark on a serious and sustained look at ways to raise revenue aside from property taxes. Both he and Council President Elliott Payne committed to such study. Too often the property levy acts as a shock absorber for spending increases by the city. One proposal I support is to extend downtown’s liquor and restaurant taxing zone to include all of the North Loop’s bars and restaurants. That means that the owners of these businesses will have a level playing field instead of some having to bill for the tax and others not.
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I also think that Minneapolis needs to examine the pros and cons of instituting some form of locally based tax on income. This tool is used by more than 5,000 cities, counties and other local jurisdictions in both red states and blue. This would require approval by the Legislature but I’m willing to go to bat for any workable proposal, especially one that hits only high earners. Although the BET doesn’t vote on city spending, I’m supportive of an outside review of city spending, something recently done in St. Paul.
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I supported restoring property tax support to the city’s public housing agency, starting in 2024. This will allow the renovation of thousands of public housing units that have deteriorated because federal renovation funds have been inadequate. I believe in taking care of existing assets first. The tax also will help the creation of a limited number of new units in small clusters.
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We saw the Fed boost interest rates during the pandemic. Early on, I proposed a novel approach that would have saved the city some of that interest cost. Some city projects like utility work are funded year after year by a combination of borrowing and cash from your sewer and water bills. My proposal would have moved some future borrowing forward a year to beat the Fed’s rate increases, shifting an equivalent amount of accumulated cash to the following year to compensate. That’s complicated, and would have required City Council concurrence, but would have saved the city substantially. Unfortunately, this innovative thinking fell one vote short of winning Board approval.
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I’ve also led a push to restore the board’s only staffer. When a longtime staffer retired in 2019, board members serving then tried to cheap it out by seeking to employ a highly qualified finance professional at half-time pay and no benefits. That produced rapid turnover and a loss of institutional memory. As the board that keeps an eye on city finances and votes on your taxes, we need a full-time staffer to help us with the analysis. I’m pleased to report that we’ve now authorized hiring such a person.
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I’m also advocating two charter amendments. One would add a seventh member to the board, elected by you the public. The reason for that is that we’re now the only elected board in Minneapolis with an even number of members, meaning we lack a tiebreaking vote. The other proposal would simply rename the board as the Board of Debt and Taxes—reflecting more accurately our two powers.
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Finally, I’m happy to report that credit rating agencies have seen fit to give Minneapolis their highest ratings. All three have granted us an AAA rating—a rare feat for a city. That’s a tribute to the Finance Department and to the policymakers who heed its recommendations. I’m proud to be part of that.