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Minneapolis CPED Reappointment Gets Contentious, Despite Unanimous City Council Vote

On Friday, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to reappoint David Frank as director of Community Planning & Economic Development. Despite the consensus, the issue managed to spark the most contentious city council meeting of the last two years.

Last Wednesday, the Council heard public testimony on Frank’s reappointment. Some, including the Mayor, praised Frank’s performance; others expressed a desire for the department to do even more to address the city’s racial and economic disparities.

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MN House 60A Candidate Questionnaire

Early voting for the special primary election in Minnesota House district 60A has already begun. District 60A is located in Northeast Minneapolis. Primary election day for voters in 60A is January 21, 2020. The special general election for 60A is February 4, 2020.

Read responses from each candidate at the links below. Turnout will be extremely low. Your vote matters!

Mohamed Issa Barre – DFL
Piyali Nath Dalal – DFL
Amal Ibrahim – DFL
Jessica Intermill – DFL
Sydney Jordan – DFL
Sonia Neculescu – DFL
Saciido Shaie – DFL
Zachary Wefel – DFL
Susan Whitaker – DFL
Aaron Neumann – DFL

Aswar Rahman – DFL (no answers submitted)
Marty Super – Legal Marijuana Now (no answers submitted)

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St. Paul Makes Big Change, Despite Voting to Keep Things Mostly the Same

Yesterday was election day in St. Paul. Here’s the results. Five of seven seats on the City Council have returning incumbents. Rebecca Noecker (62%), Chris Tolbert (61%), Mitra Jalali Nelson (59%), Amy Brendmoen (53%), and Jane Prince (62%). All won by virtue of surpassing 50% of first choice votes after the election night count. Two seats remain up in the air.

In Ward 6, Nelsie Yang has what looks like an insurmountable 17 point lead (44-27%) over Terri Thao. In Ward 1, incumbent Dai Thao leads Anika Bowie 42-30%; Liz De La Torre is in third place with 19%. Final results might take a while: Ramsey County is scheduled to begin reallocating voters’ ranked choices on Friday.

Voters citywide came out in favor retaining St. Paul’s organized trash ordinance by a 63-37% margin. If organized trash was a candidate, it would have been the most popular candidate on the ballot last night.

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2019 St. Paul Voter Guide

From housing to streets to policing to trash–there’s a lot at stake in local elections. And if you don’t vote, some super-involved assholes will make all these decisions for you. That’s the last thing you want to happen. If you live in St. Paul make sure you vote next Tuesday, November 5. City Council and School Board is up for election. There’s also a referendum on organized trash collection.

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Endorsement: Vote Yes on St. Paul Trash Referendum

Organized trash collection is an improvement over the every-household-for-themselves approach that St. Paul had prior to the current system. The illegal dumping. People denied service. Trucks coming down the alley every day from different hauling companies. The people who want you to Vote No are the same people who defended that old system.

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Endorsement: Mitra Jalali Nelson for Ward 4 on the St. Paul City Council (and Pumpkin of the Year 2019)

In case you missed it, Mitra Jalali Nelson is the Wedge LIVE! 2019 Pumpkin of the Year. We encourage residents of St. Paul’s Ward 4 to send her back for a full term on the City Council. She was first elected just over a year ago in a special election.

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