New Year, New Leader - A Discussion with Ward 7 Council Member Katie Cashman

Article by Becky Fillinger, Photos provided

Katie Cashman has energetic goals to work collaboratively on the Minneapolis City Council. We talked to her about the motivation to run for office, key priorities and how she will gather input from her constituents in Ward 7.

Q:  Congratulations on winning the Ward 7 seat on the Minneapolis City Council. For those who may not know you yet, what motivated you to run for office? 

A:  I have been a public servant for my entire career, but it wasn’t until our 26-year Council Member announced she wasn’t running for re-election that I decided to run for office. I saw the opportunity to represent our Ward 7 community in a new way. I felt compelled to step up and help move our city forward and represent the future of Minneapolis, bringing more people into that conversation. Our community is eager for meaningful changes to our public safety model, eager for a plan to revitalize our local economy and eager for investments in climate resiliency. We’ve had a challenging few year in Minneapolis. Meeting this moment requires energetic and collaborative public leaders to get work done. I’m ready.

Cashman and volunteers gathered for a rally on Election Day before their Get Out the Vote efforts.

Q:  What are your top priorities for the first few months in office? 

A:  In my first few months in office, I’ll be focusing on providing top tier constituent services for the residents of Ward 7. It’s really important to me to build trust with community and to deeply understand the housing, public safety and public works issues that families and individuals face at the neighborhood level. This work will help me advance meaningful policy that addresses real needs. The city council recently passed a powerful 2024 budget and I want to help our city build up its capacity to equitably deliver on the budget as well. That will include additional community safety resources, great streets funds to support small business investments, clean energy investments through the green cost share program, municipal snow and ice clearing pilot projects and so much more. 

Q:  How do you plan to engage with and represent the diverse interests of our Minneapolis communities? 

A:  The diversity of the City Council represents the diversity of our city. I look forward to learning from my colleagues about how we can collectively address the challenges in our various communities. In Ward 7 it’s important for me to proactively seek input from all constituents. Renters, homeowners, elders, children, people with disabilities, immigrants and people of varied different lived experiences will be able to share their perspectives with me.

Q:  What is your collaboration style? How do you plan to collaborate with other council members to address the needs of the community? 

A:  I’m a very good listener and I value authenticity. I’ll always put Ward 7 first and will find ways to advance shared goals with other council members.

Q:  What steps do you intend to take to increase transparency and communication between the City Council and the community? 

As a Council member, it is important to work with the media to share stories with the public. I look forward to communicating the solutions we are bringing forward as a council and how Minneapolis residents can be involved. 

Q:  Wonderful – we look forward to helping you in that goal. How will you involve Ward 7 citizens in decision-making processes or seek their input on important issues?

A:  I plan to host office hours at Ward 7 coffee shops and will also doorknock in Ward 7 in neighborhoods and apartment buildings before big votes. I really loved doorknocking throughout my campaign as I met tens of thousands of people. Doorknocking is the best tool we have for gathering truly representative input. Many folks don’t email and call City Hall, so I have to find ways to solicit their input more proactively.

Q:  How may we follow your news in the new year?

A:  I’ll be launching an email newsletter where folks can follow along about City Hall happenings. I also love social media and will post about our progress at City Hall.