An appeal would mean another return trip to the city, an expensive proposition that already has cramped her campaigning style in the final weeks before the Nov. 3 election. Hill was set to fly in and out of Pittsburgh today so she could be back in Minneapolis for a Ward Three candidate debate Thursday at the University of Minnesota.

Pittsburgh was the site of a September meeting of leaders from the G-20 group of nations that drew sizable street protests — protests that Hill says she was only trying to cover as a journalist for Indymedia when police arrested her, damaged her camera and confiscated a video cassette.

Hill is on the Minneapolis ballot as a “Civil Disobedience” candidate. She was also arrested outside the Rage Against the Machine concert in downtown Minneapolis during the 2008 Republican National Convention (charges were dropped), and has coordinated several “End the Fed” demonstrations at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank.

Lisa Goodman

Conrad Sverkerson is a legendary figure at First Avenue. Conspicuous for his dreadlocks (although more recently sporting a Jewfro), the iconic rock club’s stage manager has spent more than two decades making sure shows go off without a hitch.

Now there’s a movement afoot (or at least one blog post) to land Sverkerson a job at another iconic Minneapolis locale: City Hall. The Minus Manhattan blog is encouraging voters to write in his name for the Ward Seven city council post currently held by Lisa Goodman.

The impetus for this campaign is the recent opening of Hennepin and First avenues to two-way traffic. The plan, which has been championed by Goodman, is supposed to spur business development along the downtown corridor. But First Avenue (the rock club) has complained that the new street design eliminates a critical area where bands (and beer trucks) load gear in and out of the venue. Now all the equipment will have to be lugged from a block away. Chris Riemenschneider deftly described the conundrum in the Star Tribune a couple of weeks ago.

A block might not sound like that far of a jaunt. But can you imagine lugging 10 cases of Summit beer, a $10,000 soundboard, a $15,000 case of guitars or the entire Wu-Tang Clan herbal supply that far through the snow and ice in February?

On top of that, the First Ave staff figures it will have to hire security workers to safeguard the equipment. Plus, it worries that touring bands might balk at the situation altogether and go somewhere else to perform.

But Goodman expressed zero sympathy for the downtown rock club. “Why should they get any preferential treatment?” she asked Riemenschneider.

Of course, to some the answer to that question is obvious: First Avenue is a cultural jewel that makes downtown Minneapolis a vibrant place worth visiting. Even if Sverkerson isn’t working the stage. Hooters and the Hard Rock Cafe can’t really make the same claim.

For more on the race: Ward Seven: Despite full campaign coffers, lawsuit clouds Goodman’s prospects

Sandy Colvin Roy, Brent Perry, Charley Underwood and Rick Nyhlen

In Minneapolis’ southeast corner, all candidates for the city council share concerns about saving small businesses and keeping big developers in check. But beyond this agreement, the three candidates vying for the seat now held by Sandy Colvin Roy offer distinct choices for Ward 12 voters.

Brent Perry is running with the backing of Socialist Action, “a nation-wide group of revolutionary socialists.”

“Capitalism has failed,” reads Perry’s campaign website. “You may be asking how much one city council member in one city can accomplish toward ending the global system of capitalism… [R]efusing to vote for the ruling class’s candidates, and instead voting for socialist candidates is a blow to the capitalist system.”

Perry says this election presents a good opportunity for a socialist. “Because of the economic recession, people are taking more of an interest in economic forms other than capitalism,” he tells the Minnesota Independent. “This election looked like a good opportunity to advance our politics.”

The advent of Instant Runoff Voting also prompted him to run. “The DFL often goes unchallenged in Minneapolis so I hope to use the opportunity of instant runoff voting to introduce people to a third party.”

But he also says that economic issues facing the people of the city are important, citing the high foreclosure and unemployment rates.

“Police brutality continues to be a problem,” adds Perry. “And I will seek justice for Fong Lee.” Fong Lee was shot to death by police on the city’s north side. Family members say he was unarmed at the time.

“To see that police corruption, one only has to look to the Metro Gang Strike Force,” he says.

Staunch capitalist Rick Nyhlen, running as an independent with the backings of the Republican Party and the Independence Party, offers a stark contrast.

He’s “concerned that Minneapolis is all for big business contractors, leaving the small businesses and citizens who care for our city with higher taxes and poorer services. Small business owners must be able to afford operating in our neighborhoods.”

He calls for transparency and an audit of city finances. “The questions, concerns and needs of Ward 12 residents are going unanswered. I will truly serve the people who get me elected,” he says.

As a general concern, Nyhlen says that the city cannot push road and bridge projects back in order to balance the budget. “These are basic public needs which need to be kept up,” he says. “Saving money now by not repairing them will cost us more later.”

He also says property taxes need to be kept low. “6.6 percent per year is too much without clear answers as to where it is going,” he says. “State cuts to Minneapolis, while not good for the city, are nowhere near 6.6 percent per year.”

Charley Underwood, a local peace activist who’s running as an unendorsed DFL candidate, also believes that the city budget needs some work.

“The city is broke,” he says, and the burden is shifting in the wrong direction, through tools like inspection fees and assessments.

“It’s driving local businesses out of business, and people are getting taxed out of their homes,” he says.

He also says the city is moving too far away from neighborhood control, and he opposes abolishing the Board of Estimate and Taxation and the Park Board. He characterizes both issues as ways of hiding city problems from the public view.

“The shifting of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program out of neighborhoods is an example,” he says. “It’s designed to hide just how bad things are getting in our neighborhoods because it provides for less of a voice at the local level.”

He continues, “People at the city can make cuts and those consequences wouldn’t be immediately known.”

He decries the defunding of other neighborhood programs such as the McGruff houses and the Citizens Emergency Response Teams. “All of the things that would empower neighborhoods are going by the wayside and I am very concerned about that.”

He says city funds for stadiums and huge tax breaks for big developers are wrong for the city and that’s why he wants a seat on the council. “Somebody needs to be there to say, ‘Where are your priorities?’ Why are we giving money to big developers when our neighbors need help?”

Underwood praised Instant Runoff Voting. “I think it’s going to be very good not only for the city but also the state of Minnesota. I really hope it spreads.”

Plus, he hopes for more civil elections as a result: “It doesn’t pay to be nasty during campaigns with IRV.”

Incumbent DFLer Sandy Colvin Roy says property taxes are her number-one concern. She says she repeatedly hears from residents about their fear that continuing tax increases “will force them out of this city.”

A large portion of the city’s only light rail line runs through the heart of the ward, and upgrades are needed to handle vehicle traffic around the line, she says. “We do have a major problem with traffic crossing Hiawatha Avenue, due to signal changes for LRT that were not accompanied by the necessary investment in upgraded equipment when the LRT project was built.”

And, as other candidates have mentioned, development in the ward is a key issue. “Development, when the economy returns, must be managed to fit the community’s vision of itself as well as the property owners’ goals,” says Colvin Roy.

Colvin Roy says that voters should return her to the council because of her experience with the budget and her plans to create more jobs.

“My experience with the budget, both how to put it together to match our community’s values and then how to stick with the plan during the many decisions that are made week after week, will be crucial to bringing down taxes,” she says.

Employment is another issue for Colvin Roy “I am also committed to creating more jobs in the city,” she says. “Two methods are tying jobs for local residents to city assistance for development, something already done successfully several times, and matching local job training to emerging green-energy technologies.”

She says she has been working to educate constituents on Instant Runoff Voting so voters will know what to expect and that electoral success under the new system is the same as the old. “[It] still rests primarily on communication with voters through months of door-knocking and conversations, on door steps and at community events.”

Colvin Roy leads the money race, having raised $11,170 by the pre-primary deadline. Perry raised $288.21 and Nyhlen, $273.05. Underwood hadn’t raise anything, but had $4,657.32 on hand.

This is the twelfth in a 13-part series on Minneapolis City Council races.

The full series:

Ward One: Five seek open seat in northeast Minneapolis
Ward Two: Gordon, Aigbogun and … no DFLer
Ward Three: Hofstede tries to hold off four challengers
Ward Four: Trio of challengers take on political dynasty
Ward Five: Crime and economic development dominate North Side race
Ward Six: South Minneapolis contest draws crowded field of contenders
Ward Seven: Despite full campaign coffers, lawsuit clouds Goodman’s prospects
Ward Eight: Glidden faces four rivals in south Minneapolis
Ward Nine: Schiff, Bicking vie again
Ward Ten: Four candidates vie for Uptown council seat
Ward Eleven: Three vie for Benson’s South Minneapolis seat
Ward Twelve: Colvin Roy faces three challengers
Ward Thirteen: The independent ward could see fireworks in November

DFLer John Quincy (top) is running for retiring council member Scott Benson's seat (below). Photos unavailable for candidates Gregg Iverson, David Alvarado.

With the announcement that two-term City Council member Scott Benson would be retiring later this year, Minneapolis’ southernmost ward became one of only three in the city to have open seats. Three candidates — two DFLers and one Republican — are vying to represent Ward Eleven, which encompasses much of the Diamond Lake area.

“Given that Scott Benson was not seeking re-election, I saw the opportunity to offer my experiences and skills to the process,” said John Quincy, the DFL’s endorsed candidate for the seat. “I am excited to work in collaboration with other city, county, metro-area and state officials, as well as community organizations to creatively make Minneapolis a safer, sustainable and more livable city for everyone.”

Quincy says the ward and the city face tough times. “There are a number of ongoing challenges that we are all facing, driven I am afraid by tight economics and limited resources,” he said. “I am interested in maintaining our quality of life in Ward 11 — including safe neighborhoods, great parks, schools and transportation options.”

He said that airport noise is a big issue for residents and that he hopes to work closely with the Minnesota Department of Transportation as several large-scale transportation projects, such as the Crosstown Commons and adding a lane to 35W, continue in the ward.

Quincy also speaks strongly about social justice. “As a married white male, I recognize the privilege I hold in this system. I will continue to be a strong advocate for racial and economic justice,” he says on his campaign website. “From the families who have fallen victim to predatory lending, to the families which do not have equal access to rights and responsibilities of my own, I will take a strong stance and hold firm in my belief in equity for all.”

His campaign is also working to educate residents about the new Instant Runoff Voting system (also known as Ranked Choice Voting) that’ll be used for the first time in November’s election. “My campaign has embraced the IRV/RCV as an opportunity to reach out and educate residents on what to expect,” he said. “Change is hard for many of us, but being prepared and engaged is how we are addressing the reality of a different system.”

Quincy won the DFL endorsement handily in April with more than 90 percent of the vote on the first ballot.

In that ballot, he beat out Gregg Iverson, who only garnered a handful of votes but remains in the race for the Ward 11 seat.

Iverson’s priorities if elected include reducing taxes, which he says can be reduced by more careful spending, and he says environmental concerns and housing issues “will have my constant, watchful eye.”

He’ll also be watching the Minneapolis Police Department. “Police must be better trained to avoid lawsuits stemming from excessive use of force,” he said.

In 2005, Iverson ran against council member Benson, who up until then was unopposed. He sees the role of city councilor as a logical progression in his political career.

“I am running to finish a life of public service,” he said. “I am a Vietnam veteran serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1967 to 1971. I was a public school teacher from 1973 to 1986 and a state employee at the Minnesota Department of Transportation from 1986 to 2006.”

He added, “Now I am retired and can give full time service to the City of Minneapolis.”

Not a fan of Instant Runoff Voting, he said, “If you liked the Franken/Coleman [recount] you will love IRV.”

Another candidate in the race is David Alvarado, a Minneapolis cab driver. “I see a lot of things in this city that other people don’t” while driving a cab. “I’m just a concerned citizen,” he said about running for the seat. “I want to make a difference. I want to make a change in the city.”

He running as an unendorsed Republican, but he says “I’m running as a conservative first, a for the people second and for the party third.” And added that the DFL party has held dominance in the city for too long.

“We don’t need an outside entity running the city’s parks,” he said of Three Rivers Park district. He favors local control over the city’s park board. Alvarado also says he opposes any attempt to regulate trans fats in the city saying it is detrimental to the restaurant and food service industry. “We also need to keep property taxes lower and get the nanny state out of people’s pockets.”

In the money race, neither Alvarado nor Iverson submitted pre-primary reports. Quincy has raised $10,210 during this campaign cycle.

Of the campaigns, only Quincy has a web presence, though Alvarado says a website for his campaign will be launching in the next few weeks.

This is the ninth in a 13-part series on Minneapolis City Council races.

The full series:

Ward One: Five seek open seat in northeast Minneapolis
Ward Two: Gordon, Aigbogun and … no DFLer
Ward Three: Hofstede tries to hold off four challengers
Ward Four: Trio of challengers take on political dynasty
Ward Five: Crime and economic development dominate North Side race
Ward Six: South Minneapolis contest draws crowded field of contenders
Ward Seven: Despite full campaign coffers, lawsuit clouds Goodman’s prospects
Ward Eight: Glidden faces four rivals in south Minneapolis
Ward Nine: Schiff, Bicking vie again
Ward Ten: Four candidates vie for Uptown council seat
Ward Eleven: Three vie for Benson’s South Minneapolis seat
Ward Twelve: Colvin Roy faces three challengers
Ward Thirteen: The independent ward could see fireworks in November

Betsy Hodges, Kris Broberg, Joseph Henry

Minneapolis’ Ward 13 has an independent streak: In a DFL-dominated town, it hadn’t elected a Democrat to the city council in a dozen years. Then, in 2005, DFLer Betsy Hodges won the seat. Now candidates Kris Broberg, who is endorsed by two parties and supported by a third, and unendorsed DFLer Joseph Henry are hoping to capitalize on that independent spirit to unseat Hodges.

Ward 13 encompasses the southwest corner of Minneapolis, from the west edge of Lake Calhoun south to Lake Harriet to the Minneapolis-Edina border. With low poverty rates, it’s comprised largely of single-family homes and residents with above-average incomes.

Reform Party candidate Steve Minn, who won the seat in 1993 and 1997, is lauded by the Independence Party (formerly the Reform Party) as its first victorious candidate — well before former Gov. Jesse Ventura. Minn left the seat early in 1999, forcing a special election where independent “DFL expatriate” Barret Lane took office in an upset against DFL-endorsed candidate Karen Wilson.

Lane retired in 2005, opening up an opportunity for Hodges to take the seat for the DFL after being the only non-DFL spot on the council for more than ten years.

Candidate Broberg hopes this history of independent voting will make the district competitive during this fall’s election. Broberg has the backing of the Independence Party and the Republican Party. He’ll be listed as an Independent on the ballot in November, and this is not his first foray into politics.

Broberg was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul as a member of the Ron Paul coalition. Despite that, members of the Ward 13 Green Party overwhelmingly backed him in a straw poll last week, Broberg says.

“I won the straw poll because I have made the effort to reach out to people of all parties, including Greens, and find common ground, we agree on many issues especially those surrounding local politics,” he said. “I like the ten values of the Green Party. Obviously I don’t agree on everything, and they don’t agree with me on everything, but this year people are fed up with the status quo in the city of Minneapolis and are looking for alternatives.”

He continued, “I am skeptical of both major parties when it comes to issues of war and peace. They both like to use the military to fight their own wars and they both like to spend a great deal of money.”

And finances are a big part of his campaign. Quoting a section of Hodges website, he said, “‘Minneapolis has its fiscal house in order.’ I couldn’t disagree more. According to the city’s own budget, they will at a minimum double our property taxes by 2018. According to my opponent, it could double that rate of increase if you factor in the city’s pension liabilities.”

Broberg is a smaller-government candidate. “Government at all levels is out of control and becoming an adversary to the people rather then a tool of the people to organize society. I want to represent the people and devolve the power from government back to the individual.”

DFLer Henry, an Iraq War veteran, is running to bring a veteran’s voice to the city council.

“We have a large veterans community in Minneapolis, and we have our own issues,” he said. “You have to have been through what veterans go through to truly understands those needs.”

He says military experience will be an asset to the council. “[In Iraq], we really had to learn to complete a mission even if we didn’t have all the tools we needed.” He says that lesson is important when dealing with a strained city budget.

Other issues that Henry promises to work on if elected include traffic, crime and preserving the culture of the city by making it easier for mom-and-pop businesses and harder for big chains.

He says he is concerned about traffic in the ward, and expressed concern over snarls caused by construction on Lyndale Avenue and the Crosstown Commons. “We need to make sure these projects get done safely and as quickly as possible,” he said. “I know it’s a state issue, but we can use the city to put pressure on the state.”

On crime he said, “We need more community policing as it builds those relationships with the neighborhood, and we need to get police out of their cars and onto the street corners.

If he’s elected, he’d like to see a pay cut for all council members. “City council members make $74,000, which I think is a little excessive, as is the $400 a week car allowance. I think we should put compensation more in line with the median income of the city,” he said.

He added, “I’m not a career politician. For me it’s a one-time thing.”

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.

Hodges leads in the money race, having taken in $24,703 before the primary. Broberg netted $6,255 and Henry did not file a report before the primary deadline.

This is the seventh in a 13-part series on Minneapolis City Council races.

The full series:

Ward One: Five seek open seat in northeast Minneapolis
Ward Two: Gordon, Aigbogun and … no DFLer
Ward Three: Hofstede tries to hold off four challengers
Ward Four: Trio of challengers take on political dynasty
Ward Five: Crime and economic development dominate North Side race
Ward Six: South Minneapolis contest draws crowded field of contenders
Ward Seven: Despite full campaign coffers, lawsuit clouds Goodman’s prospects
Ward Eight: Glidden faces four rivals in south Minneapolis
Ward Nine: Schiff, Bicking vie again
Ward Ten: Four candidates vie for Uptown council seat
Ward Eleven: Three vie for Benson’s South Minneapolis seat
Ward Twelve: Colvin Roy faces three challengers
Ward Thirteen: The independent ward could see fireworks in November

Incumbent Lisa Goodman is challenged by Michael Katch and Jeffrey Alan Wagner in Minneapolis' Ward Seven city council race.

But Goodman has also been dogged by a lawsuit filed by developer Bradley Hoyt and his company, Continental Property Group. The suit alleges that the City of Minneapolis, primarily through the actions of Goodman, violated Hoyt’s rights by conspiring to thwart a proposed housing development in the Lowry Hill neighborhood.

Last week Hennepin County District Court Judge Stephen Aldrich ruled that the city had indeed violated Hoyt’s right to procedural due process. In the order Aldrich specifically singled out Goodman’s actions and email correspondence in stopping the development.

“She was clearly involved in an effort not only to assist to organize and mobilize neighborhood opposition to the project, but also to sway the opinions of her fellow council members,” Aldrich wrote. “Such actions were improper and impermissible for the someone acting in a quasi-judicial capacity.”

A hearing to establish what damages the city might be on the hook for is slated for later this month. Hoyt’s lawsuit states that’s he’s seeking $23.6 million in compensation.

The ruling has clouded a re-election campaign that would almost certainly have been a cakewalk. The Ward Seven representative has long held a reputation for throwing sharp elbows at City Hall, and the lawsuit has provided fresh evidence for that characterization.

Goodman won’t talk about the case, citing orders from the city attorney’s office. But she vigorously defends her tenure on the council. She argues that the dire economic situation currently facing the city requires experienced hands at City Hall.

“I believe that stability on the city council during this time of financial uncertainly is really, really important,” she says. “We need people who can offer up solutions short of tax increases, and I am one of those people.”

Ward Seven is dominated by downtown Minneapolis, but also includes the adjoining neighborhoods of Kenwood, Lowry Hill and Bryn Mawr. The district incorporates neighborhoods of extreme wealth and stark poverty. At the time of the 2000 census, the median household income in Kenwood topped $100,000, while the equivalent figure in the ward’s Elliot Park neighborhood was just $18,000.

Goodman serves as chair of the city council’s Community Development committee and cites her work on downtown development issues as a hallmark of her tenure. In particular she’s proud of plans to re-open Hennepin Avenue to two-way traffic and efforts to spur development in the area surrounding the new Minnesota Twins stadium. She repeatedly harps on the need for public-private partnerships in order to bolster business at a time of economic malaise. Goodman also cites renovations of the Kenwood and Lake of the Isles parkways as proof of her effectiveness.

“It’s one thing to talk about all the fabulous things you can do,” she says. “I have a track record of doing them.”

Goodman has attracted two challengers. Michael Katch is a familiar face to City Hall denizens. In recent years he’s been a ubiquitous presence at city council meetings and committee hearings, and a regular contributor to the MPLS Mirror web site. It’s not his first foray into electoral politics: In 2006, he challenged state Rep. Willie Dominguez in the DFL primary, losing with 33 percent of the vote. This time he’s running with endorsements from the Republican and Independence parties. In the past, Katch says he’s worked as a trader at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange and as a taxi cab dispatcher.

Katch has a long litany of criticisms regarding the incumbent, starting with the Hoyt lawsuit. He argues that it’s emblematic of Goodman’s penchant for rewarding patrons and punishing those who oppose her agenda.

“Anytime that we have elected officials that are setting their own interests over and above the interests of the community it’s generally a big deal,” he says.

Katch is also upset that Goodman spearheaded an effort to eliminate sandwich-board advertising from downtown, believing it will hurt small businesses that can’t afford more expensive forms of marketing. In addition, he’s disturbed that Goodman supports eliminating the Board of Estimate and Taxation, a decision that will be put before the voters in November. Katch argues that the council needs to return its focus to the nuts-and-bolts of municipal governance.

“Fill potholes, resurface the streets, provide police and fire service,” he says. “It’s not one of those organizations where you’re going to make breathtaking decisions about our morality. You have to do those things that people count on every day to live their lives.”

Goodman’s other challenger, Jeffrey Alan Wagner, doesn’t have a traditional resume for a politician. He works as a baggage handler for Delta Airlines at the airport and runs a video-production company. The Loring Park resident attended his first city council meeting last Friday and says he initially jumped into the race on a lark after drinking too much alcohol on the day of the filing deadline.

“Do you have to be able to spell Minneapolis to be a city council member?” he laughs.

Wagner has not raised any money or sought any political endorsements. But the 42-year old insists he is running a credible campaign and argues that the taint from the Hoyt lawsuit has rendered Goodman unelectable.

“You know what dude? Sometimes you need a lunatic in office,” says Wagner.

At the least he will bring some unique ideas to the contest. Wagner plans to lobby for a 10-percent reduction in city council salaries. If such a cut isn’t adopted, he vows to donate 10 percent of his salary to the nonprofit group Sharing and Caring Hands.

Wagner wants to expand bar operating hours to 4 a.m. in the downtown district. He also intends to keep a keg of beer in his office at all times so that constituents can drop by for a cold one and discuss issues. “I can’t drink all the time, obviously, but they can,” he says.

Goodman says the criticism of her 12-year tenure at City Hall is misguided. The incumbent argues that she simply takes time to educate herself on the views of her constituents and then defends their interests vigorously.

“I have no intention of running for anything else,” she says. “I’m not trying to curry favor with anyone. I’m trying to represent my constituents.”

For instance, Goodman points out that she voted in favor of the smoking ban despite being personally opposed to it.

“Why did I vote for the smoking ban?” she asks. “Because that’s what my constituents wanted. That’s how I approach the job.”

She further argues that the ban on sandwich boards in downtown was a common-sense solution to navigation problems for people with disabilities on the busy corridor. In addition, she argues that abolishing the Board of Estimate and Taxation will lead to more accountable representative government.

“No one knows who their board of estimate representative is,” she says. “They’re not accountable.”

As for that $100,000-plus bank account, Goodman says she’s simply being a prudent politician.

“I don’t think any incumbent should take anything for granted,” she says. “It’s important to get your message out.”

This is the sixth in a 13-part series on Minneapolis City Council races.

The full series:

Ward One: Five seek open seat in northeast Minneapolis
Ward Two: Gordon, Aigbogun and … no DFLer
Ward Three: Hofstede tries to hold off four challengers
Ward Four: Trio of challengers take on political dynasty
Ward Five: Crime and economic development dominate North Side race
Ward Six: South Minneapolis contest draws crowded field of contenders
Ward Seven: Despite full campaign coffers, lawsuit clouds Goodman’s prospects
Ward Eight: Glidden faces four rivals in south Minneapolis
Ward Nine: Schiff, Bicking vie again
Ward Ten: Four candidates vie for Uptown council seat
Ward Eleven: Three vie for Benson’s South Minneapolis seat
Ward Twelve: Colvin Roy faces three challengers
Ward Thirteen: The independent ward could see fireworks in November

Ward 10 candidates Meg Tuthill, Kim Vlaisavljevich, Dan Alvin. Not pictured: Matt Dowgwillo

Ralph Remington, who represents Minneapolis’ Ward 10, announced his retirement in January, leaving an open seat that four candidates are attempting to fill. The ward encompasses much of densely populated Uptown including the East Isles, East Harriet, Lowry Hill East, ECCO and CARAG neighborhoods.

“I just feel like these jobs should have a shelf life,” Remington told the Southwest Journal at the time. “And I didn’t come into the City Council to stay for 12 or 15 years. That’s just not me.”

He did explore a run for mayor, but when current mayor R.T. Rybak announced he would seek another term, Remington bowed out.

Four candidates are currently vying for the seat he’ll be vacating.

Meg Tuthill is the DFL-endorsed candidate and has some pretty impressive endorsements including the DFL Feminist Caucus, Stonewall DFL, Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council, Teamsters Joint Council 32 DRIVE, Sierra Club, MN Women’s Political Caucus PAC, and womenwinning.

Tuthill got the DFL nod after beating the frontrunner, Matt Filner, on the second ballot, despite Filner’s big name backers which include U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, two state senators, five state house representatives and three city council members.

Tuthill, who’s lived in the ward for 30 years and runs Tuthill’s Balloon Emporium at 25th & Hennepin, is a longtime neighborhood activist. “I am a founding member of not only a neighborhood association, but a business association as well,” she said. “The first recycling program in Minneapolis was started in the back of our business at 24th and Dupont in 1970.”

She said the previous city council member didn’t focus enough on local issues, citing Remington’s support for anti-war resolutions and circus animal bans.

“[A council member’s] job is to look at local issues, things that affect the day-to-day living in the city of Minneapolis,” Tuthill told the Southwest Journal. “Issues that should be handled at the state and federal level should be handled at the state and federal level. Things we can have some impact on should be handled at the City Council.”

Asked if she feels the DFL endorsement is enough to win in a DFL-dominated city, Tuthill said, “I have to earn their trust and confidence like anyone else. That’s why I am out door knocking every night after I close Tuthill’s Balloon Emporium. I am getting a great reception at the door from voters. This energizes me to work even harder.”

Also running for the open seat is Kim Vlaisavljevich, an independent with no party affiliation. An accountant by trade, Vlaisavljevich’s platform focuses a lot of attention on property taxes and city finances.

“A big piece of why I’m wanting to run is that I feel real passionately about prudent fiscal management,” Vlaisavljevich said in a YouTube interview. “It’s something I feel I have as a skill set and I would be happy to bring that skill set to the table.”

“I think some financial expertise on the city council would be of huge value,” she said. She disagrees with tax increment financing, saying that it leaves small businesses “not on even ground” with larger ones.

In an email to the Minnesota Independent, Vlaisavljevich said, “I feel my campaign is addressing the heart of the whole problem [of] finance and tax reform. It has a direct effect on everything that goes on in the community. My campaign is unique because I have a diverse political and social following.”

In terms of partisan politics, she said, “I have not been looking at this as partisan race. I am getting overwhelming support from people of all parties and social backgrounds. It’s encouraging to get emails and offers to help with the campaign. It seems the community is ready for people to represent them not political machines.”

Dan Alvin, a Green Party activist, has the backing of the Independence Party. “My platform is totally Green,” he said. “I really like the quality of the Independence Party candidates statewide, so I called them up. Their positions are about 90 percent the same as mine.”

Alvin said one issue he would follow as city council member is development in the ward — and specifically the talk of allowing a Trader Joe’s being considered in Uptown to get a liquor exemption. Alvin says OKing an exemption for a chain store is unreasonable and harms small businesses in the area.

“It’s not fair,”he said, to provide incentives to one business and not others. Alvin also said that property taxes are out of control and that the city needs to live within its means.

Alvin has a background as a musician and a chef focusing on natural foods. He’s been involved with the opening of Café Agri and was head chef at Ecopolitan.

Another DFLer, Matt Dowgwillo, has entered the race as well. Dowgwillo’s website lists transportation as a key issue, along with property taxes, safety and development. “I am running for City Council because I have the skills, contacts, ability, and drive necessary to create a better, safer, more sustainable community,” Dowgwillo wrote on his website. “My work with over 60 local small business owners, city permit departments, and local non-profits have broadened my understanding for the various issues that arise in any project.”

In an email to the Minnesota Independent, he says, “Many of the younger democrats in Ward 10 really influenced me to run. I don’t necessarily disagree with Meg getting the endorsement, however, from what I’ve discussed with them and other council members, is that Minneapolis is, obvious by the 93 percent city council seat holding, very DFL,” he said. “What I can say is that I’ve failed horribly to find any of Meg’s real specific stances on anything that she plans to do.”

He continued, “Like her, I’m very progressive. However, unlike her, many people believe that I’m extremely capable of working WITH other people in order to accomplish goals.”

He says youth and technology are key components of his campaign. “Bottom line: I represent the youth, energy, and creativeness that is going to be necessary to bring Minneapolis into the next decade. The future of operations and politics, I believe, is one of collaboration and science and technology,” he said. “Our leaders must understand technology and how to harness it to make our city greener, more sustainable (both economically and ecologically), and grow jobs.”

Financially, Tuthill has a strong advantage in the race. So far this year her campaign has taken in $22,591.96, compared to Dowgwillo’s $2,630, Vlaisavljevich’s $2,037 and Alvin’s $25.

This is the third in a 13-part series on Minneapolis City Council races.

The full series:

Ward One: Five seek open seat in northeast Minneapolis
Ward Two: Gordon, Aigbogun and … no DFLer
Ward Three: Hofstede tries to hold off four challengers
Ward Four: Trio of challengers take on political dynasty
Ward Five: Crime and economic development dominate North Side race
Ward Six: South Minneapolis contest draws crowded field of contenders
Ward Seven: Despite full campaign coffers, lawsuit clouds Goodman’s prospects
Ward Eight: Glidden faces four rivals in south Minneapolis
Ward Nine: Schiff, Bicking vie again
Ward Ten: Four candidates vie for Uptown council seat
Ward Eleven: Three vie for Benson’s South Minneapolis seat
Ward Twelve: Colvin Roy faces three challengers
Ward Thirteen: The independent ward could see fireworks in November

Elizabeth Glidden and Greg McDonald, two of five candidates vying for the Ward Eight council seat

In 2005, the Ward Eight city council race was arguably the most hotly contested in Minneapolis. The primary featured 10 candidates — more than any other ward in the city. The principal reason for this electoral scrum: there was no incumbent candidate. A controversial redistricting plan had lumped council member Robert Lilligren into Ward Six with fellow incumbent Dean Zimmerman.

In the end, Marie Hauser and Elizabeth Glidden emerged from the crowded field to advance to the general election. Glidden, a civil rights attorney, then won the seat handily with 59 percent of the vote.

This year’s Ward Eight contest is slightly less crowded, but there are still five candidates running for the post. Glidden is seeking a second term, while challengers Gregory McDonald, David Regan, Jeanine Estime and Michael Cavlan are looking to oust her from the council.

There will be no primary election this time around, however, because Minneapolis is using instant-runoff voting for the first time, in which voters will rank their preferred choice of candidates. The change seems to have spurred many to take a shot at electoral politics. There are currently 53 candidates across the city running for the 13 city council posts.

“I think this gives more people an opportunity to have a say in the election,” says Glidden. “We know that you have dismal turnout at the primary. That’s where you’d often see this big lineup of candidates.”

Ward Eight is among the city’s most diverse, both economically and ethnically. It stretches from Lake to 50th streets and from Cedar to Lyndale avenues. At the time of the 2000 census, more than half of the residents were minorities. The median household income in the Central neighborhood was just over $32,000, while in Kingfield that figure was nearly $52,000.

In the ’80s and ’90s some parts of the ward, most notably Central, were notorious for gang violence and crime. But many residents believe that over the last decade the area has made significant strides in restoring calm to the streets. This success, however, has left some grumbling that Ward Eight doesn’t get its fair share of resources from City Hall.

“The relative peace we have over here compared to the north side is a very, very hard fought battle that’s being waged every day,” says Steve Washington, a juvenile probation officer and 15-year resident of the Central neighborhood.

“We’re quiet over here for a reason. It’s because we work at it. Yet we lose funding. The city pumps money into the dysfunction of the north side.”

Ward Eight certainly continues to have its share of problems. The area is among the hardest hit in the city by the foreclosure crisis. Through July of this year, 156 homes had gone into foreclosure. That’s the third highest total in the city, ranking behind only the wards on the city’s beleaguered north side. The plight of homeowners trying to stay in their residences has been highlighted in recent months by Ward Eight resident Rosemary Williams, who has refused to leave her home of nearly three decades even after being ordered to vacate the premises by Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies.

Glidden says the resulting abandoned properties littered throughout the ward are adversely affecting the quality of life for the remaining residents. She’s working to secure funds to help revitalize distressed properties and get them occupied once again.

“These are huge crime magnets,” she says. “They push down property values. They push down the livability of the neighborhood.”

Crime remains the most significant issue for many Ward Eight residents. McDonald says its the primary reason he’s running for city council as an Independence Party candidate. “My 12-year-old son won’t walk to the store by himself,” he says.

McDonald wants the city to beef up inspections and target neglectful property owners. “They aren’t penalizing negligent landlords enough,” he says. “The police, every officer I speak with, their hands are tied.”

He argues that Glidden, a Kingfield resident, is out of touch with the concerns of poor residents in the area. “She lives in an upper middle-class Minneapolis neighborhood,” he says. “She comes from a completely different background from the majority of the people in Ward Eight.”

Cavlan has a different perspective: He believes cops are a large part of the problem. The registered nurse says he was motivated to run for city council in part by the heavy-handed security tactics during last year’s Republican National Convention and civil rights abuses by Minneapolis police officers. He wants a beefed-up civilian-review board to oversee the conduct of cops and believes that chief Tim Dolan should be fired.

“Chief Dolan has set a tone with the Minneapolis police where there is no accountability,” he says “There are sections of Minneapolis where the people are either afraid of the police or getting very angry with the police. We’re headed towards a confrontation in this city if we don’t get these people under control.”

Cavlan is a former Green Party activist, but grew frustrated with the party’s inability to present a credible alternative to the Democrats and Republicans. He’s now running as an Open Progressive and will be the first candidate representing the fledgling party to appear on the ballot. Despite this lack of electoral history, Cavlan believes that Minneapolis’ new ranked-voting system gives him an opportunity to win.

“I really do believe that instant-runoff voting is going to change everything,” he says. “Those of us who have these views and opinions are no longer marginalized.”

The motivations of other candidates on the ballot are tougher to surmise.

Regan registered to run as a Republican, but ascertaining much more information about him is difficult. The phone number filed with the city’s elections office is disconnected and he doesn’t appear to have a Web site.

Jeanine Estime is running as a Green Party candidate. The Haitian-born Powderhorn Park resident has lived in Minneapolis for more than 15 years. She works as an education assistant at her daughter’s school and has volunteered with the Powderhorn Youth Farm and Tubman Family Alliance. Estime’s web site describes her as “strong, visible, progressive.”

(Estime didn’t respond to two calls seeking comment.)

Glidden says criticism that she is out of touch with the ward’s poorer residents or unwilling to take action on thorny issues is unfounded.

“I have been a very hands-on person in working with neighborhoods and block clubs on crime and safety issues,” she says. “I have not just been someone who works on the big-picture policies.”

Washington, who previously chaired the Central neighborhood’s Weed & Seed anti-crime initiative, backs up Glidden. He notes that when a tornado recently ripped through part of Ward Eight, the city council member was immediately out on the streets assessing the needs of her constituents.

“Elizabeth gets on the ground and she makes relationships with people and she gets the job done,” Washington says. “Until Glidden does something extremely strange she’s earned the job.”

This is the first in a 13-part series on Minneapolis City Council races.

The full series:

Ward One: Five seek open seat in northeast Minneapolis
Ward Two: Gordon, Aigbogun and … no DFLer
Ward Three: Hofstede tries to hold off four challengers
Ward Four: Trio of challengers take on political dynasty
Ward Five: Crime and economic development dominate North Side race
Ward Six: South Minneapolis contest draws crowded field of contenders
Ward Seven: Despite full campaign coffers, lawsuit clouds Goodman’s prospects
Ward Eight: Glidden faces four rivals in south Minneapolis
Ward Nine: Schiff, Bicking vie again
Ward Ten: Four candidates vie for Uptown council seat
Ward Eleven: Three vie for Benson’s South Minneapolis seat
Ward Twelve: Colvin Roy faces three challengers
Ward Thirteen: The independent ward could see fireworks in November

The previous night, a group of supporters said they were asking for a criminal investigation against the former candidate and had yet to hear from Carlson.

“I’m very sorry for what I’ve said,” said Carlson.

“We do hope to refund the money to people who asked for it back. I never meant for this to happen like this, and I’m very sorry for everything that’s happened. My goal was to make life better for the city of Minneapolis, and I’m very sorry it turned out like this.”

Meanwhile, City Council member Cam Gordon, whom Carlson was attempting to unseat, told Star Tribune gossip columnist C.J. that he is hoping the whole ordeal is over.

“I’m ready to move on,” Gordon told C.J. “I don’t think we’re going to hear from him for a while. I think he probably had some good intentions and thought he was going to make a difference and get involved. It [the Daily story] made me feel a little bit sorry for the guy.”

Rainville was appointed to the post (then known as “alderman”) in 1975 and spent 22 years on the council, including a decade as its leader. The family’s political legacy has continued in the ensuing years: Her daughter, Barbara Johnson, is the current City Council president. Her nephew, Michael Rainville, is running for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

E. J. Dionne of the Washington Post referenced Rainville’s political legacy in a column last year. Here’s the Strib’s obituary. The flag at City Hall has been lowered to half-staff, and a moment of silence will be observed in her honor prior to the start of the City Council meeting Friday.