Highlights from the Mayor's Proposed 2016 Budget

 

Via an August 26, 2015, e-newsletter from Mayor Betsy Hodges:

Dear Friend,

   Two weeks ago today, I proposed my 2016 budget to the City Council. Last year, during my first budget address, I reflected upon a quote from Vice President Joe Biden that I have used as a guiding principle for many years, “show me your budget and I’ll show you what you value.”

I followed that good advice again. We put together a budget that both reflects and harnesses our values so they guide our growth into the future.

We have entered a time when we are being asked to face and meet the changes of the 21st century. We must not only match, not only meet, but we must precede the challenges these changes create with innovation, vision, and the bone-deep knowledge that to become the city of the future we must be a city that leads and weathers the transition and is in it for the long haul.

Being a 21st-century city means we transform our work to meet the needs of the people and economy of the new century. So, I presented a budget with significant investments in public safety, affordable housing, sustainability, better basics from the city and economic growth.

And we did this all while making significant cuts, strategic budget decisions, and transformative investments which will cause the City portion of taxes to go down for two-thirds of Minneapolis homeowners.

Here are some highlights from my proposed budget:

• $13 million in investments in affordable housing largely spurred by the Mayor’s Cradle to K cabinet’s proposal to focus on housing as a strategy to ensure a healthy start for kids. This includes investments in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, $1 million flexible dollars to help create affordable housing options for large families, and targeted rental assistance for families leaving shelters.
• $10 million for the City’s portion of the 10th Avenue bridge rehabilitation.
• $400,000 to accelerate Minneapolis’ conversation of City-owned streetlights to LED technology. The funding will implement approximately 900 LED fixtures which will save about $113,400 a year over their life cycle and pay for itself in three and a half years.
• Raising the sworn compliment of police officers to 862 while funding a recruit class and ongoing community service officer classes.
• Funding for 30 TechHire Initiative scholarships that will provide women and people of color with job training to meet employers growing demand for a workforce educated in technology skills.

More spending investments are listed below if you have the time to read on. You can also read my full speech here.

I cannot conclude without offering my deepest thanks to you. Thanks to your vision. Thanks to your support. Thanks to your desire, like me, to transform Minneapolis into one of the leading global cities of the 21st century.

Sincerely,
 
Mayor Betsy Hodges
City of Minneapolis