Good morning, Minneapolis!

Thank you to everyone joining us today — in person, online, and from every corner of our great city.

At a time when Washington headlines often sow division and uncertainty, it's easy to lose faith in government. But here in Minneapolis, our job isn't to create chaos or fear — it's to deliver. Here, we move beyond slogans, we provide results.

Our job is to get things done. And by doing that, we prove that local government can work. And importantly, that democratic cities can work.

Now, we’re not naïve about the challenges ahead. We know there’s more to do. But we’re not waiting on someone else to step in — we’re doing the work. We’re leading. And in a time when people are told to expect less from government, we’re showing what’s possible when it works.

The state of our city is strong and growing stronger by the day. Look no further than last weekend. Our city is alive. Whether it was a festival, a gala, a block party or a birthday, people were out celebrating their neighborhood and believing in our city.

We’re rebuilding neighborhoods — not just with concrete and lumber — but with trust and partnership. And we’re governing in a way that’s honest and results-driven — even as dysfunction in other levels of government has become the norm.

So, let’s not mirror the madness. Let’s not respond to outrage with more outrage. Let’s counter Donald Trump — not with our own brand of chaos, but with our own brand of collaboration.

Let’s show that unity is possible and remind the country what government can look like when it works — when we show up, lifted by idealism while grounded in reality.

We won’t agree on everything — but we can agree on a whole lot more. And we can agree to recognize each other’s good work, even when we don’t see eye-to-eye.

I’ll start.

Council Member Robin Wonsley believes that strong cities protect the unheard. She’s been a powerful advocate for working people, fighting to make sure they’re not left behind. As someone who’s succeeded through education, she wants to make sure others have that same opportunity.

Council Member Jason Chavez knows that our immigrant neighbors are part of what makes our city beautiful, and he cares deeply about his ward, in which we have a number of shared projects that benefit our shared constituents. He understands the environmental harms that have been done and he’s passionate about working to fix them.

Everyone has a role to play. My administration, Council Members, climate advocates, police officers, spiritual leaders, and small businesses all playing their part for the residents of Minneapolis.

Different roles. Same team. And that’s our team. Our City. Cooperating, toiling, and yes, occasionally arguing, but above all, doing the noble work of good governance for this great city.

This is the essence of local democracy — imperfect, sometimes messy, but always marching ahead and making progress.

We may not control the world or the White House, but here in Minneapolis, I promise: we got your back.

We’re here to respond to your emergency calls, clear your streets, to pick up your trash, and support and protect immigrant families — not just in words, but in court. And as we saw two weeks ago when a judge ruled in our favor and blocked Donald Trump from targeting cities that don’t uphold his agenda — - the law is on our side, and we're going to win.

We also stand with our immigrant neighbors and entrepreneurs in partnership.

Abe Demmaj is the Minneapolis dream personified. After migrating from Ethiopia more than 30 years ago, he worked hard to start a business right here on Lake Street. That business became successful and ever since, Abe has been an inspiration and a mainstay on this corridor.

As you heard earlier, his business was nearly lost in the 2020 unrest and pandemic. But instead of giving up, Abe believed in Minneapolis, believed in himself, and made it his mission to help revitalize this exceptional community.

With the City’s Developer Technical Assistance Program, Ownership and Opportunity Fund, and a lot of community support — Abe realized a dream. Today, we're standing in that dream realized: the Abyssinia Center with several local business owners, including some that will be the next Abe Demmaj and the next in line to achieve the Minneapolis dream.

That dream, felt here in Uptown and across the city, is built through a direct correlation between hard work and success, with a local government partner along for the journey.

And this is what it looks like when local government works.

Community Safety and Reform

When people feel safe in their homes, on their streets, and in their neighborhoods — that’s when cities succeed.

There’s nothing more fundamental than your right to be safe and feel safe.

And in 2025, we’re not just talking about safety — we’re cultivating it. Over the last several months, the data shows Minneapolis is becoming safer:

• Violent crime is down.
• Carjackings are down.
• Gun violence is down.
• And homicides are down.

This progress is the result of coordinated, data-driven work across our Office of Community Safety — uniting police, firefighters, 911 dispatchers, violence prevention teams, and community partners around a common goal.

These trends matter, but that progress can be fragile. Just this past week, we saw horrific gun violence that took the lives of far too many. Arrests have been made and more are to come. But weeks like this underscore the importance of strong partnerships with other jurisdictions, and the urgency of rebuilding and strengthening our police force.

And we are.

We’re recruiting and hiring like never before.

• MPD applications are up 135%
• For the first time in years, we ended 2024 with more officers than we started with — including 76 new sworn positions added and 22 laterals
• And we’re on track to exceed those numbers this year, anticipating more than 600 sworn officers — a staffing level we haven’t seen in years.

Our department is also more diverse than ever — now with the highest percentage of minority officers on record. It’s a signal that our transformation is taking hold and people want to be part of this change.

And the stories prove it.

Take F. Snyder, a longtime small business owner in Minnesota. For years, he’s considered several law enforcement officers among his close friends. As he approached early retirement, he realized he still had something more to give. So, he joined the Minneapolis Police Department — committing to serve for the next five years, helping us close the recruitment gap and rebuild trust from within our department.

Then there’s Mymuna Sayid. She grew up in a small Minnesota town and knew early on she wanted to be a police officer — specifically to serve vulnerable communities. Before entering law enforcement, she worked in crisis response, risk assessment, and community care. After positive encounters with MPD officers, she knew this was the right department and the right mission for her.

We’ve built a public safety team that includes leaders across departments — working together to respond to and prevent crime. That’s why, when our public safety experts tell us what they need, we listen.

We can’t expect officers to prevent, investigate, and arrest without adequate staffing. Today, we still have fewer officers per capita than most any major U.S. city. And while we’re making progress, it’s worth noting 45% of new applications last year came through a recruitment campaign cut by a majority of Council, against expert recommendations.

So, as we enter a tough budget cycle, we must focus on the investments that matter most to our residents. That means giving our safety teams the tools they need to save lives and keep neighborhoods secure.

Because safety isn’t just about law enforcement. It’s also about relationships, problem properties, housing, and health. And it’s about using data to drive real outcomes.

We're doing just that. Through our Performance Management & Innovation team, we’ve developed nearly 400 key performance metrics. That means we’re not guessing — we’re measuring. We’re not just reacting — we’re anticipating.

These metrics help us take a more comprehensive approach to public safety because we know true safety is multifaceted. Metrics guide how we respond to crime, yes — but also how we prevent it, and how we build trust in the process.

Our Minneapolis Fire Department continues to deliver with that same commitment — responding to emergencies no matter the conditions. In March, at 3 a.m., in a snowstorm with 40 mph winds, 45 firefighters responded to a three-alarm fire in a vacant Southside building. They saved two neighboring homes — with residents inside — preventing serious damage and injury.

And speaking of emergency response — our 911 center is now nearly fully staffed for the first time since 2020, answering calls 10% faster than last year.

We’re also delivering on accountability. You may have heard about the backlog of police conduct review cases in our Civil Rights Department. As of today, 73% of that backlog is clear — and we're on track to clear it altogether in a matter of months.

Next year, we’ll open the Southside Community Safety Center — bringing multiple safety services under one roof — and making it easier for residents to access the right kind of help when they need it most.

And we’re also implementing the reforms in our state settlement agreement and federal consent decree — and we’re making real progress. Our first status report highlighted the strong foundation we’ve created — and the necessary investments we’ve put toward compliance. Our second report, coming soon, will show the tremendous progress we’ve made, including use of force, crisis intervention, and more.

So, to those who’ve called for police reform — those who’ve protested, testified, organized, and demanded better — thank you. Your advocacy is being translated into action.

This is what happens when people engage, and when local government listens. It’s not easy. It’s not fast. But it’s working.

Affordable Housing and Homelessness

Providing excellent government services also means providing people a foundation: a home. And in Minneapolis, our housing work leads the entire nation.

Since 2018, we’ve increased the production of deeply affordable housing by 8.5 times. That’s not just more housing in name — it’s more homes in deed, built for the people who need them most.

We’ve funded more than 4,700 new affordable housing units since 2018 — an average of 650 units a year. That’s more than four times the annual average from the seven years prior.

And we’ve backed up our values with real investment — multiplying our support for the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority by five times, bringing annual funding to $5 million. That means critical repairs to family homes, bringing long-vacant units back online, and fueling the largest public housing rehabilitation project in our city’s history.

These aren’t just numbers — they’re homes for real families.

And this investment is paying off. Minneapolis is one of the only cities in the country where rent growth has stayed below the rate of inflation. In fact, we were among the first cities in the U.S. to get inflation below 2% — in large part because we’ve added more housing supply at the right time and in the right places.

This didn’t happen by accident. It happened because we planned for it — with the Minneapolis 2040 Plan.

By allowing more housing types in more neighborhoods — especially along transit routes — we’ve already approved over 1,000 new homes on lots that previously allowed only single-family and two-family housing.

But our work isn’t just about building — it’s about supporting families, especially our students.

Through our Stable Homes Stable Schools program, we’ve helped over 6,200 students and their families with housing stability since launching the initiative in 2019 — and we’re now officially at every Minneapolis Public elementary school.

One of those students: a young boy who was living in a car with his mom. A car that didn’t lock — making it not only uninhabitable, but unsafe.

The boy was struggling in school — acting out and shutting down. But through SHSS, his mom was connected to rental assistance and a place to live. Overtime, the student’s behavior started to improve. He started opening up, focusing, and making friends at school. Because with a stable home, he could finally show up at school fully as himself.

But our work doesn’t stop there. We’ve also made significant progress in reducing encampments and connecting individuals to permanent housing and shelter.

Over the past several months, with Hennepin County and community partners, we’ve expanded shelter access and taken decisive steps to prevent new encampments from forming.

Today, the number of encampments in the city is down dramatically. While other cities across the country are seeing more and more people sleeping on the street, we continue to see a steady reduction of unsheltered homelessness year over year, now down 33% from 2020.

Thanks to our Homeless Response Team — now almost fully staffed — we’ve helped more than 270 people transition into stable housing and services just in the last few months — and we’ve seen emergency calls related to encampments drop by 80%.

All of this adds up to a safer, stronger Minneapolis — because we know that safe, stable housing is the foundation for everything else: better health, stronger neighborhoods, and real opportunity.

Economic Inclusion and Neighborhoods

Creating opportunity doesn’t just happen. These programs cost money, and they’re paid for through a growing and evolving city.

Growth can be seen when we passed $1 billion in construction value for the 14th year in the row. Evolution can be seen right here in Uptown — an area in the heart of transformation. Working together, and focusing on safety and small businesses, we're going to get the job done for Uptown. In the next year, we’re adding targeted business support, art grants, and additional law enforcement in the area.

And I want to make you two promises about the future of these neighborhoods.

First: you’ll start to see the buds of progress this summer — you may already have. When you see new businesses opening their doors, don’t just go once to feel good — go often. Make it a habit.

Go to the Uptown Theatre, regularly. Go to Mosaic Coffee, regularly. Go to Moona Moono, regularly. Hang out in your neighborhood and love on your city.

The second promise is this: Uptown’s evolution won't happen as quickly as any of us like. It won't be reactivated with one big burst, but a series of little bursts that generate momentum and make us proud.

That work is already underway.

This year, we launched a new corridor-specific strategy for West Lake Street — crafted with input from local businesses, artists, and residents. The goal is simple: make it safe, and help small businesses succeed.

You can already see that vision coming to life: public art is being installed across the area, we’re hosting new events, including Open Streets on Hennepin in September, and we just announced that dance education is coming back to every public elementary school in MPS and every Park and Rec building — including here in Uptown. Because creative opportunity is part of economic inclusion, too.

Through our Ownership and Opportunity Fund, we’ve helped more than 25 entrepreneurs — some here in Uptown — purchase their buildings and own the underlying real estate. That’s almost $13 million going directly into historically disinvested neighborhoods, creating lasting wealth.

This funding went to entrepreneurs like Amilton Murcia of El Guanaco Bakery & Café. After years of baking in El Salvador and dreaming big, his family has opened a thriving business here in Uptown — with nearly $300,000 in City support.

Then there’s our Cultural Districts funding, which has helped bring neighborhoods to life. On a freezing winter morning, East Lake Street became a gallery of stories. That’s when Eric Geiger — better known as HOTTEA — installed a piece called Stories in a vacant lot, stringing 9,000 strands of yarn across the space, each one inspired by local voices.

People came out — neighbors, passersby, families. They stood in the cold to see their stories waving in the wind. They talked, they reconnected — and that once-forgotten lot became a living memory.

And with the Lake Street Lift initiative, backed by $8 million from the State and the Graves Foundation, we’re bringing new life to the corridor — with events, marketing, and technical support for small businesses.

This is what it looks like when local government steps up. This is what it looks like when our city works.

Northside

And this work doesn’t stop at Lake Street.

On the Northside, it’s time to retire the tired narrative that this community isn’t safe. The Northside is alive and brimming with talent.

The truth is: the Northside is safer than it’s been in more than a decade. In 2024, we saw the lowest number of gunshot victims since 2014.

Winner gas station was once known as the most dangerous part of the city. Referred to as “Murder Station” with the presence of drug trade, gang violence, and trash — there were 38 people shot in the area in 2021 alone. This past year? There was just one.

That kind of progress isn’t accidental. It’s the result of deep coordination and trust — between neighbors and officers, the City and the County, the State, the Attorney General’s Office, and our U.S. Attorney’s Office.

But public safety isn’t just about getting bad activity out — it’s also about bringing good activity in.

And that’s exactly what we’re doing with our partners at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board — bringing fun, safe, and accessible recreation back to where it belongs: our parks.

And we’re not stopping at basketball and soccer. At Spark’d Studios in the Harrison Recreation Center — young people are producing music, designing clothes, coding, and gaming — building futures in real time.

Young people aren’t just learning skills — they’re using them to lead.

Take Ellis. They saw a gap in the world and decided to fill it — with good news. Ellis created The Little Things podcast, a show that highlights the positive stories happening across the globe. And they edit, produce, and record the entire thing on their own.

Or Luis — the first multi-instrumentalist to record and complete a full song from scratch at the Powderhorn studio. Guitar, bass, vocals — he performed every part himself.

That’s the kind of creativity and leadership Spark’d Studios is sparking all across our city. And by this fall, five studios will be up and running across the city.

On the Northside, we’re thinking big with developments like Upper Harbor Terminal — transforming the Northside’s relationship with the Mississippi. What was once a fenced-off, industrial site is a beautiful park and we're creating housing, commercial space, and a brand-new performing arts center led by First Avenue.

And on Plymouth Avenue, V3 Sports is reimagining what community investment looks like. With $1 million in City support, they’ve opened a world-class facility — which includes an Olympic-sized pool, fitness spaces for families, and a locally owned Soul Bowl restaurant right on site.

This is how democratic cities succeed: by investing in safety and services, uplifting neighborhoods, and creating opportunity where it’s long been denied. The Northside is rising. And we’re rising with it.

Downtown

Just like on the Northside, downtown Minneapolis is showing what’s possible when local government gets the fundamentals right.

The progress is real — and you can feel it.

Through our Downtown Action Plan, we’re reactivating our city’s core — making Nicollet Mall more walkable, energizing the Warehouse District, and converting empty office spaces into new homes.

We’ve tripled the reach of our Vibrant Storefronts program — subsidizing rent, transforming vacant spaces into hubs of creativity, and giving artists and entrepreneurs a real shot at success.

We’re opening new restaurants and hosting some of the biggest events in the country. In fact, Minneapolis has led the nation in downtown recovery post-pandemic.

Nearly 70% of downtown workers are back at least once a week (keep it coming) — but this isn’t just about people coming back. It’s about people choosing to stay. Last year, our downtown residential population surpassed 60,000 for the first time ever.

How many of you have heard of Edina? There are more people living in downtown Minneapolis. Heard of Minnetonka? There are more people in downtown Minneapolis. St. Louis Park? You guessed it. Apple Valley, Shakopee, Moorhead... you get the idea... there are more people living downtown.

So next time someone says downtown is dead — ask where that person is from. Odds are more people live downtown than in their entire city.

From Uptown, to the Northside, to Downtown — we're putting on a full-court press.

Climate Action and Public Health

When we say that Democratic cities work, this is what we mean: a government that gets the basics right — and still has the capacity to lead boldly.

Over the past year, we’ve deepened our commitment to both community health and climate resilience. And in Minneapolis, we know you can’t have one without the other. Let’s start with climate. At the City of Minneapolis, we did more to combat climate change in 2024 than the last 10 years combined.

We’ve quadrupled participation in our Green Cost Share program — supporting more than 1,000 pollution-reduction projects that have helped residents and businesses cut energy costs and shrink their carbon footprint.

And just last week, we broke ground on a first-in-the-nation, city-owned biochar facility — an innovative way to remove carbon from the air, reduce waste, and improve our soil and urban canopy.

And as Trump tries to resuscitate a dying coal industry — we know our future is still green. Partnering with labor and community — we've trained more than a thousand people in emergency HVAC, renewable energy, and energy efficient work.

At the Minneapolis Convention Center, a new energy agreement has cut our carbon footprint by 85%. That’s real, measurable progress.

We’re investing in clean air, clean water, and clean energy — reducing over 12,000 tons of pollution in the last year and on track to save residents $300 million in lifetime savings while ensuring every neighborhood sees the benefits.

Public health is no different.

Our Health Department recently became reaccredited through the national public health accreditation — raising standards, improving coordination, and strengthening outcomes across the board.

We’re launching Minneapolis’s first-ever Mobile Medical Unit, delivering everything from addiction care to wellness checks in the neighborhoods that need them most.

This is what it looks like when a city takes care of both its people and its planet. And this is what it means to deliver results that matter.

Good Governance

At the heart of good governance is a simple truth: people need to see, feel, and trust the work we do. Not in theory. In practice.

City government doesn’t operate in hypotheticals. We operate in reality. We build trust by meeting expectations — and we build expectations by delivering on the basics.

And here’s the reality. In 2024 alone, here are a few examples of what we delivered:

• More than 2,000 potholes filled
• 44,500 permits issued
• More than $43,000 in back wages recovered for underpaid workers
• Care for more than 3,400 animals
• Over 261-thousand 311 calls received response

And this year, we’re going even further.

Our 911 system is now faster and more responsive than ever — thanks to smarter triage and targeted training.

We’re hiring faster too — processing and filling jobs nearly two months ahead of the national average — getting talent in the door and results on the street.

And Minneapolis is now one of only about 20 cities in the country to receive a AAA credit rating from all three major agencies. That means strong fiscal stewardship, smart budgeting, and long-term financial strength.

We’re also making government more accessible rolling out new digital tools for permitting and licensing, expanding language access for critical services, and securing labor agreements that raise wages, improve retention, and strengthen support for our city workers.

Conclusion

Minneapolis, when we say that democratic cities can work, this is what we mean.

From our neighborhoods — Uptown to the Northside, from Northeast to the Southside — Minneapolis is showing the country what’s possible when local government does its job.

To our City workers, thank you for your tireless efforts and for stepping up every day.

To our elected officials and partners, thank you for your collaboration.

And to the residents of Minneapolis — thank you for your trust, partnership, and shared belief in this city’s future.

We are in this together — and our work has only begun.

In the years ahead, we’re going to build on the foundation we’ve created.

We’re going to be strategic in finding every efficiency and make sure that your hard-earned tax dollars are both well spent and well saved.

We’re going to use every tool to make our streets safer and continue to bring in new community- oriented police officers to our department.

We’re going to build more housing for people that need homes, and we’re going to partner with our local business owners so they can run with a great idea.

We’re opening the doors on projects that will breathe new life into neighborhoods, like the New Nicollet project, reconnecting our city after 30 years. And we’re moving forward with a Democracy Center at the site of the former third precinct, helping us maintain our position as the “voting-est” city in the country.

But most importantly, we’re going to provide core government services and provide them well. So, in a time when dysfunction at the federal level grabs the headlines, When trust in government feels too far gone — Look here. Look local.

Look to the people building trust block by block, to the policies rooted in compassion, to the city that shows democracy not as an ideal, but as a daily practice.

We fix the streets. We house the families. We fund the future.

We deliver — because local government matters. Because when cities lead, people rise.

And here in Minneapolis — We don’t just say it. We live it. We got you — and our great city is rising. Thank you.