Pro-labor challengers surge in Mpls Park races
Days before the Nov. 4 election, a wave of union‑aligned challengers has captured most DFL endorsements in Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board contests, a shift driven by last year’s 20‑plus‑day workers’ strike. All nine seats are on the ballot as the Park Board faces a strained budget—nearly 18% of city property taxes fund parks and about 80% of its revenue comes from those taxes—prompting leaders to consider reduced rec center hours, fewer trash cans and higher fees if revenues fall.
Elections
Local Government
📌 Key Facts
- All nine Park Board seats (six districts, three at-large) are up for election; more than a dozen candidates are running.
- DFL endorsed Michael Wilson and Amber Frederick (at‑large), Jason Garcia (District 4), Ira Jourdain (District 6) and Dan Engelhart (District 1); incumbent Tom Olsen is the only endorsed incumbent in a competitive race; Districts 2 (Charles Rucker) and 3 (Kedar Deshpande) are unopposed.
- Park finances: nearly 18% of city property taxes go to the Park Board, which relies on that source for about 80% of revenue; Superintendent Al Bangoura’s team is weighing cuts and fee hikes amid falling commercial property values.
📚 Contextual Background
- In 2009, the city of Minneapolis implemented ranked-choice voting that allows voters to rank up to three candidates; if no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest-performing candidates are sequentially eliminated and their votes are reallocated to voters' next-highest choices until a candidate achieves 50%.