Election Reveals Two Minneapolises BY CAM GORDON Nov. 3 was election eve. Minneapolis was wrapping up one of its most expensive and divisive campaign seasons in recent history. The city was on the cusp of possibly electing its first male Black mayor as Omar Fateh, DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton…
Frey Budget Further Tips the Scale BY CAM GORDON The power struggle in city hall continues in the 2026 budget. Not only are there the usual disputes over the police budget, but now Mayor Jacob Frey’s recommendation to cut funds to the City Auditor has both staff and council members…
BY CAM GORDON The city’s failure to effectively respond to encampments made headlines again in September. Shootings at or near two southside encampments on E. Lake St., one at Stevens and the other at 27th Ave., resulted in 13 people being shot and injured. One of them, Jacina Oakgrove, died…
BY CAM GORDON Time for Local Electeds to Step Up and Lead Community pressure to close the downtown garbage burner continues to grow and county and city officials continue to talk and write about it. Both the Hennepin County Board and the Minneapolis City Council have formally voted to support…
BY CAM GORDON Following his state of city address this spring, Mayor Frey is due to release his proposed city budget by Aug. 15. Now the city council has responded with their priorities. The budget, which is likely to be close to $2 billion, may be the most consequential decision…
BY CAM GORDON New concerns about city contracts with private and nonprofit groups surfaced in June. With over $589 million budgeted for contractual services for this year, more than the city will pay in salaries and wages for all city employees, taxpayers may want to take note. On June 2,…
BY CAM GORDON On May 6, Mayor Jacob Frey delivered the annual state of the city speech. During an election year, like this one, when a mayor is running for reelection, like Frey is, the speech is often used not only as a time to reflect and set the stage…
BY CAM GORDON The role of special interest money in Minneapolis is growing. A new — mostly rental property owner-funded — independent expenditure political committee (IEPC) is here. They call themselves We Love Minneapolis (WLM) and, according to their first campaign finance report, they raised $132,890 and spent $115,833 in…
BY CAM GORDON While the city has struggled to create the truth and reconciliation process it committed to nearly 5 years ago, one small Southside group is making progress of its own. On March 22, the Reclaiming Edmund Boulevard Coalition and Ward 12 Council Member Aurin Chowdhury hosted a meeting…
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…
