Issues

"I wish I could make promises about what the City will do in the next four years. I cannot. What I can promise is to represent our shared values and never lose sight of our City's brighter future."

We value Fiscal Responsibility

Now more than ever it is important that we maintain a budget process governed by policy and principle, a process that ensures every dollar of our hard-earned property taxes are used wisely. We must continue to develop budgets based on long-term business planning.

As a member of the Ways and Means/Budget Committee Betsy worked to find new ways to save our property tax dollars and create efficiencies, including:

  • fighting for reforms for our unaccountable and expensive pension system
  • finding ways to pay off debt on the Target Center
  • instituting more stringent budget protocols for the police and other departments to avoid surprising budget shortfalls

We value the Character of our Neighborhoods

Southwest Minneapolis has a unique and thriving mix of residential homes and small business nodes that we wish to thrive as excellent places to live, play and work.

As a Council Member (and neighbor!) Betsy:

  • successfully changed the City's zoning code to link home size to lot size, preserving neighborhood character while still supporting investment in our neighborhoods.
  • worked with neighborhood organizations to create and implement neighborhood development guidelines
  • created a business directory for the ward, helping local business owners work with each other to strengthen their presence in the neighborhood

We value a Great Education for our Kids

While the schools are governed by the School Board, we need to continue to partner with them inside and outside of school to make sure our kids get what they need to thrive.

As a member of the Youth Coordinating Board, Betsy worked with colleagues, youth, and with government and private sector partners to:

  • create opportunities for young people to work
  • coordinate out-of-school-time options
  • create and implement a plan to end youth violence in Minneapolis

We value Safe Neighborhoods

Every Minneapolis neighborhood needs to be a place where we can walk freely at night. Betsy worked with neighbors, the police department, and colleagues to:

  • prioritize public safety in every budget, bringing the number of officers on patrol back up to the 2003, pre-state-aid cut level, including successfully advocating for more officers in our precinct
  • inform neighbors about how we can all participate in increasing the safety of our neighborhoods, holding the first ever Ward 13 Public Safety Fair as well as working with individual blocks and block clubs

We value Quiet Skies

In 2006, the City prevailed in its historic lawsuit against the Metropolitan Airports Commission, fighting the airline and the MAC to keep their promises to reduce the effects of airport noise for thousands of Minneapolis families. Betsy was part of the policy team that helped guide the lawsuit settlement negotiations with the MAC, maximizing the area covered for noise mitigation and creating a fund that would cover as many Ward 13 homes as possible. Betsy will ensure on-going mitigation is done properly and fight further airport expansion.

We value Clean Water and Air

Healthy waterways and green spaces are crucial to a vital Minneapolis. We must continue to fight for lakes we want to swim in, healthy trees in our boulevards and parks, and creeks and rivers free of pollution. As a city, we have long led the way on preserving our resources.

As a member of the Transportation and Public Works Committee, Betsy:

  • successfully advocated for the organic waste hauling project in Linden Hills, now growing to other neighborhoods
  • found resources to address localized flooding issues
  • supported city efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, including cost-effective green roofs, city fleet upgrades to an electric vehicles, LEED standards for new City buildings, and ongoing capital and operations improvements to the City's water treatment facilities and systems

 

We value Transportation Choices

We want to get where we're going without sitting in traffic for an hour, which means supporting rail, bus, bicycle and pedestrian transit options in addition to roads.

As our Council Member, Betsy:

  • advocated at the legislature for funding for transit, including the Central Corridor Rail line and Bus Rapid Transit for 35W
  • was part of the team who fought for the new 35W bridge to be rail-ready
  • reduced her car trips by over 100 in the last twelve months through using the bus and the train, biking, walking and car pooling

We value Working and Playing well with Others

For Minneapolis to thrive, we need to solid relationships with our partners in the City and at the County, State, and Federal level.

As Chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Betsy:

  • authored and helped pass a resolution that increased communication and cooperation with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Minneapolis Public School Board of Directors
  • advocated for the City at the State Capitol, and visited local and state leadership around the state to build alliances
  • increased the City's partnerships with Minnesota's congressional delegation, resulting in increased Federal funding for local projects