Currently serving as the Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner for District 2, Thompson would like to bring greater transparency and structural thinking to the City Council
“Believes her transparency and structural thinking distinguish her from others.”
So much irony. Thompson is one of 6 park board commissioners who shoved the Minnehaha Dog Park fence project down our throats last fall. This despite several people, including myself, requesting the board tap the brakes on the project until there was TRANSPARENCY and engagement with the dog park community. This despite over 4000 signatures on a petition opposing the board’s plans. The board had arranged funding for the project more than a year before they bothered to tell us we were getting a fence.
I remember Thompson saying something incredibly stupid at the October 1st meeting for the vote. We all say stupid things, so I suppose I can forgive her that. But I can’t forgive her complicity in the antidemocratic railroading of this fencing project.
As someone who uses that dog park, I have yet to meet another walker who supports the changes. We haven't spent much time talking about the park board for the newsletter, but their actions impact many residents. They deserve more attention.
Thompson here. I’m glad you can forgive me on certain phrases. I’m happy to discuss the dog park if you have concerns. I will admit the roll out was not ideal even as the board had to take action. Perhaps you already knew the land in question doesn’t belong to us. This was a point of communication that didn’t seem to reach most people. I had to disappoint my own friends on this one. It wasn’t an easy vote but it was something that legally was necessary.
Becka, “not ideal” is how one describes the ziplock on their bag of raisins being misaligned. What you and the other 5 board members did was a gross antidemocratic abuse of power. The failure to engage your key stakeholder wasn’t a bug, it was a feature.
I know a lot of people where unhappy about the Dog Park situation, but I just want to REMIND folks about one thing. This next election the CMs will hold their spots for FOUR LONG years. And while no one is going to tell me who to vote for, for any thing/ anytime, for THIS local election it is essentail that people do the deep dive on candidates and show up in the #s they did in 2021, not in 2023, when less than 1/3 of eligible voters did. I know a bit about community safety, as a retired probation officer in juvenile, and I am now joining up with others to try to GET the 3rd Precinct back into the area asap. Because I am heavily engaged in this, I know that I will NOT be voting for Chowdhury for another term...period.
Thank you for this interview. Very helpful. I am ward 12 voter. I hope CM Chowdhury will do an interview with you as well, if she wants to reach all voters in the ward not just her activist base. I'm still undecided at this point but leaning towards Becka Thompson after listening to this interview.
Still seems weird to run for city council in a ward you’re not currently living in. I get there is still time to move to qualify under the law, but the longer one waits, the more problematic it can be. Especially if you keep a residence outside of the ward or district. We just went through this for the state house seat in Roseville, so it’s pretty astonishing to see yet another person take a massive risk.
I go back and forth on this point. I'd like to see At-Large Councilors. Since their decisions affect the entire city, I think the value of them being from specific wards is often overrated. If the City Council were structured more like the Park Board or School Board—with a combination of at-large and district councilors—it would be an improvement.
Becka, as many probably know now, has an extensive family and life history in Ward 12. She is staying on the Park Board for a bit longer, to be of SERVICE, so that requires an address in N Mpls...for now, but she also stays part time in Ward 12. This also, has absolutely nothing, at all, to do with that situation that came out of Roseville?!
By comparison, CM Chowdhury had no history OR connection to Ward 12 prior to her decision to run in 2023, other then simply hearing that there could be an open seat for our ward. Further, by most reliable accounts, and we are not holding this against her, Chowdhury appears to live a good chunk of the time OUT of Ward 12, and OUT of Mpls, in a NW suburb of Mpls. So, people do float around a bit.
Didn't Chowdhury grow up in Ward 12? But that's not the point. This is absolutely similar to what happened in Roseville. The candidate rented an apartment in the district he was seeking to represent while maintaining a residence outside the district. I don't know what Becka's plans are, but is she going to keep her home in the north side and just rent an apartment in Ward 12 just before the deadline? I've seen social media posts from her suggesting that she'll keep her northside home like it's a cabin. If so, that creates a risk because if she wins, someone will likely sue. If there's evidence she's still living in the northside even though she has an apartment in Ward 12 (even if she sometimes "lives" there), a court is not going to by sympathetic. That's why it is a risk. If you want to run in Ward 12, then sell your home in the northside and move into the ward well before the deadline. It's not hard to do.
Those concerns are not valid, more so than with ANY sitting CM right now, in terms of where they ALL ACTUALLY live. The rules allow for a/ all candidates to provide proof of residency by a CERTAIN DATE, whether they own property, own no property, or more than one property, rent, live with family, etc.
This residency rule/ the deadline exists for all manner of practical reasons. The idea that someone would put up a comment on this string trying to suggest a candidate, OR a council member, should liquidate a FAMILY asset, so sell, is kind of bizarre. I am sure we have a few legal scholars around, so one would only hope they would think about ALL sitting CMs and ALL candidates before they keystroke away, on the road to working a spin.
Terry, people will ask whether she is compliant with the residency requirement—fair or not. In fact, they already are. Selling her current home isn’t necessarily the only solution, but she will need to address Ward 12 voters’ concerns and demonstrate that all residency matters have been resolved.
There is a deadline/ a requirement to prove residency for all candidates. They either hit THAT date or they don't..so are in compliance or not. If not, their name will not appear on the ballot. No controversy there. Whether some would wish this candidate would end her service on the Park Board sooner than later, so that residence change can happen sooner, BEFORE the deadline, is a separate issue, for residents to evaluate and weight.
No, Chowdhury did not grow up in Ward 12, AND she lived many of her school age years outside of Minneapolis. She saw an opportunity, and so she moved into the Ward 12. That is all.
A regular on Next Door, someone who is in the trenches and apparently a rep for the DSA aligned City Council candidates, was urging people not to support, and especially at the caucuses, FIVE CANDIDATES for City Council who SHE said did not live in their wards. None of it was true, but simply placed on Twitter/ X by this person to CREATE doubt to try to eliminate opposing candidates for her/ their preferred group. It is ALL strategy, albeit an undemocratic and dirty one.
Folks are allowed to own more than one place, finish up work, as Becka is doing with the Park Board, as long as the permanent, full time residence is in the ward by a certain date, meeting the statutory requirement.
Eternal shit stirrer "MPLS for the Many" posted a map showing 4 candidates currently do not live in the wards where they are running with this narrative to open up the thread 🧵
"Mayor Frey’s two Super PACs - All of Mpls and We Love Mpls - have each endorsed four candidates who are now running in wards different from the wards where they voted in 2024.
Why?
They couldn’t find candidates in those wards to run against popular incumbents."
Yep...Part of what they are going to do, what they are about. I have my own personal experiences with this group, but this may not be the right place for it. The problem with their approach to this local election is that ultimately people understand what exactly is happening..." so play dirty and at the end..just left dirty."
That sounds exactly like what CM Chowdery did. Has a condo here in Ward 12 but, as I understand it, lives most of the time in Robinsdale. Moved here to run because she had heard that CM Johnson wasn’t going to run again. All this is pretty nitpicky. What matters to me, and I hope to the voters, is who is the most knowledgeable and qualified, and has the integrity to represent us on the council. Which is, obviously, Becka Thompson.
Refreshing. Her leadership is needed on the City Council.
“Believes her transparency and structural thinking distinguish her from others.”
So much irony. Thompson is one of 6 park board commissioners who shoved the Minnehaha Dog Park fence project down our throats last fall. This despite several people, including myself, requesting the board tap the brakes on the project until there was TRANSPARENCY and engagement with the dog park community. This despite over 4000 signatures on a petition opposing the board’s plans. The board had arranged funding for the project more than a year before they bothered to tell us we were getting a fence.
I remember Thompson saying something incredibly stupid at the October 1st meeting for the vote. We all say stupid things, so I suppose I can forgive her that. But I can’t forgive her complicity in the antidemocratic railroading of this fencing project.
Sorry, would not vote for that behavior.
Hi, Thank you for bringing up this topic:
https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/barrier-at-minnehaha-dog-park-dividing-community-members/
As someone who uses that dog park, I have yet to meet another walker who supports the changes. We haven't spent much time talking about the park board for the newsletter, but their actions impact many residents. They deserve more attention.
Thompson here. I’m glad you can forgive me on certain phrases. I’m happy to discuss the dog park if you have concerns. I will admit the roll out was not ideal even as the board had to take action. Perhaps you already knew the land in question doesn’t belong to us. This was a point of communication that didn’t seem to reach most people. I had to disappoint my own friends on this one. It wasn’t an easy vote but it was something that legally was necessary.
Becka, “not ideal” is how one describes the ziplock on their bag of raisins being misaligned. What you and the other 5 board members did was a gross antidemocratic abuse of power. The failure to engage your key stakeholder wasn’t a bug, it was a feature.
I know a lot of people where unhappy about the Dog Park situation, but I just want to REMIND folks about one thing. This next election the CMs will hold their spots for FOUR LONG years. And while no one is going to tell me who to vote for, for any thing/ anytime, for THIS local election it is essentail that people do the deep dive on candidates and show up in the #s they did in 2021, not in 2023, when less than 1/3 of eligible voters did. I know a bit about community safety, as a retired probation officer in juvenile, and I am now joining up with others to try to GET the 3rd Precinct back into the area asap. Because I am heavily engaged in this, I know that I will NOT be voting for Chowdhury for another term...period.
Im not sure what you mean by this but I am happy to unpack if you are ever inclined. Email my park board account: bthompson@minneapolisparks.org
Thank you for this interview. Very helpful. I am ward 12 voter. I hope CM Chowdhury will do an interview with you as well, if she wants to reach all voters in the ward not just her activist base. I'm still undecided at this point but leaning towards Becka Thompson after listening to this interview.
It was a very good interview. I’m more confident about her as a candidate. I’m a ward 12 voter too.
Still seems weird to run for city council in a ward you’re not currently living in. I get there is still time to move to qualify under the law, but the longer one waits, the more problematic it can be. Especially if you keep a residence outside of the ward or district. We just went through this for the state house seat in Roseville, so it’s pretty astonishing to see yet another person take a massive risk.
I go back and forth on this point. I'd like to see At-Large Councilors. Since their decisions affect the entire city, I think the value of them being from specific wards is often overrated. If the City Council were structured more like the Park Board or School Board—with a combination of at-large and district councilors—it would be an improvement.
Becka, as many probably know now, has an extensive family and life history in Ward 12. She is staying on the Park Board for a bit longer, to be of SERVICE, so that requires an address in N Mpls...for now, but she also stays part time in Ward 12. This also, has absolutely nothing, at all, to do with that situation that came out of Roseville?!
By comparison, CM Chowdhury had no history OR connection to Ward 12 prior to her decision to run in 2023, other then simply hearing that there could be an open seat for our ward. Further, by most reliable accounts, and we are not holding this against her, Chowdhury appears to live a good chunk of the time OUT of Ward 12, and OUT of Mpls, in a NW suburb of Mpls. So, people do float around a bit.
Didn't Chowdhury grow up in Ward 12? But that's not the point. This is absolutely similar to what happened in Roseville. The candidate rented an apartment in the district he was seeking to represent while maintaining a residence outside the district. I don't know what Becka's plans are, but is she going to keep her home in the north side and just rent an apartment in Ward 12 just before the deadline? I've seen social media posts from her suggesting that she'll keep her northside home like it's a cabin. If so, that creates a risk because if she wins, someone will likely sue. If there's evidence she's still living in the northside even though she has an apartment in Ward 12 (even if she sometimes "lives" there), a court is not going to by sympathetic. That's why it is a risk. If you want to run in Ward 12, then sell your home in the northside and move into the ward well before the deadline. It's not hard to do.
Your concerns are valid. Becka must address the issue if she wants the support of residents of Ward 12.
Those concerns are not valid, more so than with ANY sitting CM right now, in terms of where they ALL ACTUALLY live. The rules allow for a/ all candidates to provide proof of residency by a CERTAIN DATE, whether they own property, own no property, or more than one property, rent, live with family, etc.
This residency rule/ the deadline exists for all manner of practical reasons. The idea that someone would put up a comment on this string trying to suggest a candidate, OR a council member, should liquidate a FAMILY asset, so sell, is kind of bizarre. I am sure we have a few legal scholars around, so one would only hope they would think about ALL sitting CMs and ALL candidates before they keystroke away, on the road to working a spin.
Terry, people will ask whether she is compliant with the residency requirement—fair or not. In fact, they already are. Selling her current home isn’t necessarily the only solution, but she will need to address Ward 12 voters’ concerns and demonstrate that all residency matters have been resolved.
There is a deadline/ a requirement to prove residency for all candidates. They either hit THAT date or they don't..so are in compliance or not. If not, their name will not appear on the ballot. No controversy there. Whether some would wish this candidate would end her service on the Park Board sooner than later, so that residence change can happen sooner, BEFORE the deadline, is a separate issue, for residents to evaluate and weight.
No, Chowdhury did not grow up in Ward 12, AND she lived many of her school age years outside of Minneapolis. She saw an opportunity, and so she moved into the Ward 12. That is all.
A regular on Next Door, someone who is in the trenches and apparently a rep for the DSA aligned City Council candidates, was urging people not to support, and especially at the caucuses, FIVE CANDIDATES for City Council who SHE said did not live in their wards. None of it was true, but simply placed on Twitter/ X by this person to CREATE doubt to try to eliminate opposing candidates for her/ their preferred group. It is ALL strategy, albeit an undemocratic and dirty one.
Folks are allowed to own more than one place, finish up work, as Becka is doing with the Park Board, as long as the permanent, full time residence is in the ward by a certain date, meeting the statutory requirement.
Eternal shit stirrer "MPLS for the Many" posted a map showing 4 candidates currently do not live in the wards where they are running with this narrative to open up the thread 🧵
"Mayor Frey’s two Super PACs - All of Mpls and We Love Mpls - have each endorsed four candidates who are now running in wards different from the wards where they voted in 2024.
Why?
They couldn’t find candidates in those wards to run against popular incumbents."
Yep...Part of what they are going to do, what they are about. I have my own personal experiences with this group, but this may not be the right place for it. The problem with their approach to this local election is that ultimately people understand what exactly is happening..." so play dirty and at the end..just left dirty."
That sounds exactly like what CM Chowdery did. Has a condo here in Ward 12 but, as I understand it, lives most of the time in Robinsdale. Moved here to run because she had heard that CM Johnson wasn’t going to run again. All this is pretty nitpicky. What matters to me, and I hope to the voters, is who is the most knowledgeable and qualified, and has the integrity to represent us on the council. Which is, obviously, Becka Thompson.