Betsy Hodges for City Council

The Minnesota Independent recently ran a story on Betsy's relection campaign. Here are some highlights:

Incumbent Betsy Hodges is running with big-name endorsements from the DFL, Mayor RT Rybak, Rep. Keith Ellison, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken.

Hodges says that pressure on the city's finances is an issue she has been focused on. “The two biggest drivers of that pressure are cuts to Local Government Aid and the city's obligations to our closed pension funds,” she said. “Those two issues have been top priorities in my first term, and will continue to be priorities if I am re-elected.”

She says that the city and the state have to rethink Local Government Aid. “[LGA] is actually a revenue sharing program, and the City continues to send our sales tax, income tax, and some of our property taxes to the state and has gotten diminishing returns over time as the State has done their share less and less by cutting funding,” she said. “I am proud to have been appointed to the State commission on LGA, and through that process, starting this month, hope to generate a new vision of municipal funding in Minnesota and build the alliances and relationships necessary to make it happen. ”

Hodges also acknowledges that the city's pension obligations are a big part of the increase in property taxes. She says that the city must honor it's obligations but also find a way to reduce the pressure that pensions have on the city budget. “The conditions under which we make those payments are extraordinarily onerous to the Minneapolis taxpayer,” she said.

“The current situation requires painful choices,” she said. “Short cuts, cost shifts, and budget gimmicks aren't the answer. I have always supported budgets based on policy and principle, including wise long-term, results-based business planning.”

Hodges also promises to work with the Minnesota Airports Commission to work on reducing air traffic noise over the ward and to work with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to make sure local traffic improvements are done quickly and safely.