Media Narratives about our city government have been unflattering lately, but this was a great reminder of all the caring and thoughtful people working to meet our needs.

Did you know we have two full-time veterinarians tending to impounded or surrendered pets? Hundreds of stories like this.

members of CLIC watch a presentation on a proposed animal control facility

cover page of a presentation packet sitting on photographer’s lap

Really enjoyed sitting in on the Capital Long-range Improvement Committee’s proposal meeting. CLIC is an appointed committee that guides our investment priorities.

Departments presented proposals for things like street redesign and buildings, including the controversial MPD training facility.

Happy Tax Day, Minneapolis! Normally, I would mark the occasion with some simple appreciation for all of the wonderful, essential things that our tax dollars fund. But the world is weightier these days and so here is what came up for me as this notable civic occasion approached. In political circles, “affordability" is the hot buzzword. Politicos like it because it speaks to the universal anxiety that Americans are feeling over their struggle to make ends meet and to create a stable life for themselves and their families. The phrase works for both parties because Republicans can promise affordability through tax cuts and a stronger economy, while Democrats can promise it through targeted redistribution and subsidies for healthcare and other basic necessities. In both cases we accept the world more or less as is, and we hope for tweaks that will help us scratch out a living.

I will break here with the affordability consensus and admit that I hate how this word has become a stand-in for all of our social ills. At a time when so much about our society feels broken, I am deeply frustrated by the relentless acceptance of a status quo that is failing us; failing our sense of community; failing our planet. My interest in taxes began with my belief that the challenges we are suffering from as individuals are collective in nature. We could all use more money, but no one individual can buy themselves clean air, safe streets, or a strong community. We afford these things through our collective work — and our collective dollars, paid in taxes.

This is especially true in Minneapolis today. From unsheltered homelessness to good schools to functional infrastructure, the challenges we face are collective in nature. Even the rise in our property taxes has to do with our ability to create healthy, appealing neighborhoods and to build the housing and commercial spaces that will sustain a strong tax base. If we want solutions to these challenges and opportunities, we need to accept that city leaders must break from the status quo and put Minneapolis first. At the same time, I share widespread concerns about our ability to rise to the occasion, meet our collective challenges, and use our dollars wisely. But that is all the more reason these questions demand our focused attention.

My interest in running for a seat on the BET was premised on my belief that we must not abandon the project of a stronger and more impactful city budget. In the months ahead, we will have a chance to examine these questions with eyes sharpened by our months on watch. We will discuss our city’s next levy increase and the burden it will have on families as well as the services and protections our investments can offer. I hope you’ll join us in that conversation with the sense of hope and high standards that we all deserve. Happy Tax Day.

Happy Tax Day, Minneapolis!

Despite the tragedy of how many of our tax dollars are being used right now, I still believe in the power and importance of our city budget and I’m hopeful we can use it to care for those in need and build stronger communities for everyone.

Some more Tax Day thoughts:

Another unsatisfied customer.

If you are not livestreaming the presentation of the city’s alternative revenues study you are missing a barn burner.

This is like the Oscars-Super Bowl-Met Gala for me and Steve Brandt.

www.youtube.com/live/OiB7t5r...

A successful valuation challenge shouldn't impact anything at sale time.

Huge day for me.

Very excited to be a part of today's joint meeting of the City Council and BET (officially named MegaBoard).

We'll be diving into this excellent report on alternative revenue options. Attend in person at the Public Service Center or watch online at 2pm 🎉🎉🎉
lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/Age...

Any rubreddit you'd recommend I post it in?

I dabble in Reddit but never quite got the hang of it. Everyone is anonymous, is that right?

I agree on that and so did everyone I talked to on the campaign trail.

Naturally this is my tax statement, not my assessment. Apologies, but the sentiment still applies.

That was a lot of updates, but I will dive more into each in the months ahead. Thanks for reading /fin

We know floor plates are too large and investors will take short-term losses for long-term gain, even if they hurt the neighborhood.

As a city, we need to be more active about understanding and resolving the challenges and destructive cycles that have been plaguing Uptown for too long. 10/

That should include enhanced planning efforts to improve the pedestrian experience and an in-depth study of how commercial real estate practices might be contributing to vacancy.

We cannot continue to point fingers while the status quo deteriorates. 9/

Continued struggles in Uptown continue to generate headlines and concerns from neighbors. I live near and love Uptown but worry about low foot traffic, a growing unsheltered population, and generally deteriorating vibes.

I believe the city needs a hands-on approach. 8/

There are lots of great ideas about how to create a more vibrant livable city. In the months and years ahead I am excited to help push forward conversation about social housing, land value taxation, strategic upzoning, and more.

All of which dovetails with another topic I am tracking... 7/

I'm excited for this conversation but ultimately believe the best solution to a stronger budget is more neighbors to help us share the costs.

That means an emphasis on density, housing development, and urban appeal. 6/

The shift to residential property is one reason the city is considering alternative revenue sources, which will be the topic of a report Guidehouse Research will present to a joint BET and City Council meeting this Wednesday (4/8) at 2pm.

Meeting & Report: lims.minneapolismn.gov/Board/Agenda...

5/

Graph shows the total value of commercial and industrial property from 2017 to 2026. It starts at $10.7 billion, reaches $13.2 billion in 2023 and falls to $9.7 billion in 2026

Graph shows Minneapolis' total tax capacity shifting away from commercial property and towards residential from 2017 to 2026

As expected, commercial values have continued to fall, as shown in pic 1.

The bad news is that this shifts the burden onto residential homes (pic 2), but the good news is that this decline reflects many high-profile heavily discounted sales of downtown real estate that we already knew about. 4/

As a reminder, property taxes are not based solely on the value of your home, but on your share of the entire tax base. SO, if properties elsewhere fall, yours could rise even if your valuation stays flat.

Which brings me to the City Assessor's report, which was presented before BET last month 3/

First up: If you own a home, you probably received your 2026 property tax assessment, which applies to taxes payable in 2027. Mine is shown below.

My taxes stayed flat because sales in my neighborhood were low and small homes like mine aren't as hot on the market as some other home-types. 2/

Tax Enthusiasts!

It's been a difficult few months in Minneapolis, but the weather is turning and that means budget season is on the horizon. That will bring challenges, but also opportunities to build the city we want and deserve.

Here are some things I am tracking as your loyal BET VP 1/

My computer screen when I saw this 😂

Awesome visiting with @blindeke.bsky.social and his wonderful City Finance students! Grateful for brilliant, thoughtful people like him bringing up the next generation of city leaders.

Bonus to see Al’s (unsurprisingly) decked out in solidarity with our fallen siblings murdered by ICE 👊

Lots of emotions and questions following Homan's announcement. But the thing I keep coming back to is this:

We cannot go back. We must take this moment, reflect on the power we discovered, and build a city that is stronger, more caring, and more connected.

A city that can do this can do anything.

Barn burner. Crowd goes wild.

A powerful ceremony to honor Renee Good today at Powderhorn Park including touching words from her surviving family.

Minneapolis will remember her sacrifice and try to live up to her example.

Amidst so much chaos and heartbreak, it was a joy to convene my precinct’s caucus last night. We gathered as neighbors to share our values and make collective decisions about how to put them into practice. We even shared some laughs.

Thanks to the good people of 8-2 for such a lovely evening.

If evicted, those who evade capture may become unhoused, which will cost all of us more in the long run. That is unacceptable and we can avoid it.

@governorwalz.mn.gov please, prevent this calamity. Protect our neighbors. You can be a hero to thousands. Instate an eviction moratorium now.