The League of Women Voters-Minneapolis released their 2021 Minneapolis Park Board of Commissioners candidate survey, a nonpartisan tool to help Minneapolis voters make informed decisions as they go to the polls beginning with early voting on Friday, September 17. The Minneapolis Parks Foundation, Green Minneapolis, and The Loppet Foundation collaborated with the League of Women Voters on the seven-question survey, which includes responses from 19 of the 23 individuals registered to run for the nine elected commissioner positions. Community members are invited to read the unedited responses on the League of Women Voters’ website at https://lwvmpls.org/parks-and-recreation-candidate-questionnaire-responses/.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is governed by an elected body of six district commissioners and three at-large commissioners who hold concurrent four-year terms during which they set policy, enact ordinances, and allocate funding for everything from tree-care to childcare, with lasting effects on the lives of everyone who lives in or visits Minneapolis and the region. It’s also one of few city park agencies overseen by independently elected officials. With an annual operating and capital budget of more than $100 million and a staff of approximately 550 full-time and 1,150 temporary employees, who steward nearly 7,000 acres of parkland and water and serve an estimated 30 million visits annually, electing Park Board commissioners one of the most important choices Minneapolis voters make.
About the 2021 Commissioner Candidate Survey
In recent years, the nationally acclaimed and locally loved Minneapolis Park System has been at the locus of significant community issues: Racial equity, public safety, the COVID-19 pandemic, taxes and funding, and climate change, among them. The 2021 Minneapolis Park Board commissioner candidate survey allows each candidate an opportunity to present their perspective in their own words and share how they’ll guide the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board – including their approach to the 20-year Neighborhood Park Plan and the 10-year Parks for All Comprehensive Plan.
Candidate responses are compiled in full, unedited on the League of Women Voters website, and organized by each of the six Park Board districts, as well as at-large seats. Voters will be asked to rank their choices for their specific district as well as their preferences for at-large commissioners. Voters interested in identifying their commissioner district can find a map at the Minneapolis Park Board’s website.