Minneapolis City Council Member Ward 7 Choose 3
As local legislators who sometimes have executive power, council members can propose ordinances, set administrative policy, and authorize the budget proposed by the mayor. They oversee all city activities, including city services, programs, licensing, and public safety. Mayoral appointments to city government typically require council approval. Learn more here: https://www.lwv.org/blog/voting-local-matters-why-vote-city-councilSee a complete list of Minneapolis City Council candidate forums at https://lwvmpls.org/2025-candidate-forumsIf your candidate didn’t fill in the guide below, visit the Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing site to find contact info. If you reach out, ask candidates to complete their Vote411 Voters Guide from the LWVMN!
Biographical Information
telephone
6128494074
Facebook (Full URL)
http://www.facebook.com/cashmanforward7
Campaign Twitter Handle
@cashmanforward7
Campaign Email
info@katieforcouncil.org
Why are you seeking a City Council seat and what are your qualifications?
I'm running for re-election to the City Council to keep fighting for residents to have dignified housing, improved and expanded public safety, frequent and safe transit, and a clean energy future.
This includes more funding for crime prevention and investigators, expanding our bus, bicycle, and pedestrian networks so all travelers can get around our city easily and safely, investing in affordable housing solutions, and building out green energy systems.
On the Council, I've led with progressive values while being collaborative and willing to compromise—being the only member to author legislation with every other member—and responsive—listening to constituent views and solving the highest number of constituent cases of any Council office.
If you are elected, what will be your top two priorities as a City Council member?
One of my top priorities is fighting the threat of the Trump administration to our budget and neighbors. Cuts targeted at our city threaten all of our priorities—from public safety to climate resilience. I will fill the gap by continuing to advocate for bringing state funds to Minneapolis, pushing for incentives to develop vacant buildings, and finding more ways to diversify revenue.
I am also focused on housing. Access to safe, affordable housing is key for solving our homelessness crisis, addressing many of our public safety problems, and more. I want to pilot more social housing solutions here in Minneapolis, as well as continue to improve zoning and other regulations to allow more building and density.
How do you propose to increase the availability of and access to affordable housing for both renters and people seeking to buy their first home?
The number one thing we can do to make housing more affordable for renters and homebuyers is to increase the amount of units available through both private and public investment. I am proud to have authored and passed legislation with Councilmember Rainville to expedite the conversion of offices to housing units, leading to the creation of thousands of new units in downtown Minneapolis. We can also fix zoning and other regulations to allow more density of family units—including near schools. And when private developers aren’t doing enough, we can also pilot and invest in more publicly-supported housing initiatives like land trusts, coops, and more.
What steps would you take to improve climate resilience in your Ward, particularly in areas prone to flooding, heat islands or lacking green space?
In 2024 I worked to pass historic franchise agreements with our energy utilities. The fees from that agreement are being used in programs to retrofit and weatherize buildings in the Green Zones and low-income neighborhoods. I support increasing that funding by $10-20million next year.
We can combat heat islands by growing our tree canopy and reducing the amount of exposed pavement in our urban center. I support expanding our transit system and active transport infrastructure to reduce both vehicle miles traveled and the need for parking downtown. We also need to be clear in our advocacy to the State to promote plans to replace highways with slower, cleaner, and less pavement-intense transportation solutions.
What role, if any, does the City Council have in supporting and monitoring the effectiveness of community groups who are working to improve public safety, prevent disturbances and the need for emergency services? Please explain.
While in Minneapolis the Mayor has sole operational control of the Police Department and other public safety services, the Council continues to have the role of budgeting and oversight. We have exercised that power in the recent past by scrupulously reviewing contracts and renewals to contractors that have not met standards for performance and as partners to the City.
The Council can also work to clear the backlog of unsolved and uncharged cases by increasing our funding for civilian investigators—with the added benefit of freeing up police officers to address other priorities like emergency response. And we can further expand our alternative responder staffing to make sure each 911 call gets the quickest, most helpful response possible.
Biographical Information
telephone
6125017435
Facebook (Full URL)
http://www.facebook.com/elizabethshafferformpls/
Campaign Twitter Handle
@none
Campaign Email
info@elizabethshaffer.com
Why are you seeking a City Council seat and what are your qualifications?
Minneapolis is at a critical point in its history and needs leaders who can restore confidence in local governance. As residents, we see the great opportunities and needs of our city and want a serious council that will invest its time and energy in a productive, meaningful manner. As the current Minneapolis Park Commissioner for District 4, I am proud to have represented Ward 7 residents the past four years. I have become a proven, trusted leader with a track record of listening to constituents, engaging in thoughtful debate, and helping turn the best ideas into policy. I am excited to bring this same leadership to the council and reset the tone of how we do politics in Minneapolis.
If you are elected, what will be your top two priorities as a City Council member?
Public Safety and Economic Vitality: Public safety isn’t optional, it's fundamental. Improving both actual safety and the perception of safety will be essential to revitalizing our economic core. A safe city is a healthy city. Economic vitality also begins with a city council that cultivates meaningful relationships with the business community and works collaboratively to develop policies that will drive greater investment. Specific ideas include: reviewing sales tax policy and its impact on business competitiveness, encouraging zoning and tax incentives for new development, increasing the presence of police and safety ambassadors on the street, promoting events, and encouraging in-office policies for downtown workers.
How do you propose to increase the availability of and access to affordable housing for both renters and people seeking to buy their first home?
The best way to increase availability and access is to increase supply. Over the past several years, Minneapolis has seen historically strong production, particularly of multi-family housing, but that is now trending downwards. The reasons for this are the uncertainty around rent control in our city and the national trends of higher interest rates and costs of building. We need to encourage zoning and tax incentives for new development, including commercial to residential conversions. We must communicate to investors we do not support rent control to avoid being equated with St. Paul. Public safety is also key – I’ve spoken to a number of developers who are reluctant to pursue new projects in Minneapolis because of safety concerns.
What steps would you take to improve climate resilience in your Ward, particularly in areas prone to flooding, heat islands or lacking green space?
Minneapolis leads the nation in green spaces and parks and we need to leverage and protect these natural assets with greater support and coordination across our various units of government. I currently serve on a joint committee of city, park board and watershed leaders working together to improve water quality and shoreline habitat in the Minnehaha Creek Watershed. We need to bring this approach to other crucial areas of overlap, like stormwater management. I support environmental justice efforts related to Green Zones. I support aging our urban tree canopy through assessing boulevard trees earlier in infrastructure redesign. We saved 70 trees in the Hennepin Avenue redesign by encouraging staff to assess the carbon value of each tree.
What role, if any, does the City Council have in supporting and monitoring the effectiveness of community groups who are working to improve public safety, prevent disturbances and the need for emergency services? Please explain.
The foundation of public safety is our city's first responders, yet does include coordinated work within the broader community. This includes private groups that are trying to advance the same goals; violence interrupters, educational and empowerment groups and various neighborhood safety walking groups. Since the murder of George Floyd, Minneapolis has substantially expanded its toolkit of public safety initiatives. Some reforms are working well, including the Behavioral Crisis Response units. Others, not so well, such as poorly-vetted violence interrupter contracts. The city should play an active role in supporting qualified private groups that meet a targeted need, but also diligently hold these groups accountable for results.
Biographical Information
Why are you seeking a City Council seat and what are your qualifications?
Candidate has not yet responded.
If you are elected, what will be your top two priorities as a City Council member?
Candidate has not yet responded.
How do you propose to increase the availability of and access to affordable housing for both renters and people seeking to buy their first home?
Candidate has not yet responded.
What steps would you take to improve climate resilience in your Ward, particularly in areas prone to flooding, heat islands or lacking green space?
Candidate has not yet responded.
What role, if any, does the City Council have in supporting and monitoring the effectiveness of community groups who are working to improve public safety, prevent disturbances and the need for emergency services? Please explain.
Candidate has not yet responded.