BY CAM GORDON Is the city’s once widely acclaimed violence prevention work falling apart? In February, concerns of mismanagement prompted city council members to propose temporarily moving some violence prevention programs out of the city’s Neighborhood Safety Department to the county. After meeting strong opposition, that idea was tabled, but…
BY CAM GORDON This month, the city council, mayor and two large utility companies are poised to sign agreements that will give CenterPoint and Xcel exclusive rights to be the city’s natural gas and electricity providers for 10 more years, with options to extend it another 10. When the gas…
BY CAM GORDON Another city election year is here. Campaigning has already started, and at least two independent political committees are already raising money to influence the results. Since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010 – which enabled unlimited expenditures by special interest groups – wealthy donors have been…
BY CAM GORDON This fall, many Southside homeowners received their truth-in-taxation estimated property tax notices for 2025 and discovered they are going up again. The 2025 city budget is set to be approved on Dec. 10, and council members are looking at ways to cut costs and find new funding…
BY CAM GORDON Is it possible that the city’s new Executive Mayor – Legislative Council charter change is making it harder for our city government to function well? That certainly appeared to be the case in October, when Mayor Jacob Frey, the council majority, city attorney and other department leaders…
BY CAM GORDON Power struggles over how to respond to encampments came to a head in September, following two fatal shootings near southside encampments. “We need to put a stop to these,” said Mayor Jacob Frey, referring to the encampments, following the second shooting death on Sept. 18. Outdoor camping…
BY CAM GORDON [Please see Editor’s Note at end of Cam’s Corner.] The Green Party of the United States held their convention in August and selected former Southsider, Rudolph “Butch” Ware III, to be their candidate for vice president in 2024. Jill Stein, the Green Party’s presidential candidate, announced Ware…
By Cam Gordon Minneapolis is falling behind in addressing its racist past. In October of 2020, following the police killing of George Floyd that previous May, the City Council and Mayor unanimously approved establishing a truth and reconciliation process. Then, the focus was clear. The staff report, presented by Joy…
BY CAM GORDON Linda Tirado is dying. On May 29, 2020, author, journalist and photographer Linda Tirado was injured by a police officer while covering the civil unrest in south Minneapolis. In a lawsuit she filed later, she said that a police officer shot her in the face with a…
BY CAM GORDON Many people are celebrating the recent rideshare legislation that was signed into law in May. Elected officials are congratulating themselves and others for the new law that is expected to give drivers a 20% raise in pay, protection from unjust deactivations, and stronger insurance provisions. “The drivers…
BY CAM GORDON This November, Minneapolis voters may have to decide whether to move the city elections to coincide with state and federal elections. On April 17, a Minneapolis Charter Commission workgroup voted to recommend holding public hearings on a charter amendment to move city elections from odd-numbered years, when…
BY CAM GORDON Do you know the name of your Metropolitan Council member? Do you know their priorities? Do you see them at community meetings or reaching out in other ways to talk to you and your neighbors? Chances are, you don’t. Some people have been trying to change that.…
BY CAM GORDON The new term of the Minneapolis City Council is off to an ambitious start. They have hit the ground running with a new meeting space, new leadership, and a long list of new legislation that a few months ago would have looked impossible to get passed. They…
BY CAM GORDON Part 2 (continued from “Mr. Smith goes to City Hall,” Southside Pride, January 2024) On July 7, 2023, just a few weeks after Brian K. Smith retired from his position working in City Hall, I met and talked with him about his experiences. Last month in this…
BY CAM GORDON Part 1 – The Rise Last year, the city of Minneapolis saw an exodus of staff in two of its smaller and newer departments: Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and Performance Management and Innovation. Both lost all their staff in 2023. One of those who left was…
