This is the third article in the League of Women Voters Minneapolis 2025 Democracy Series. Available at https://lwvmpls.org/democracy-series/
By LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS MINNEAPOLIS
In the November election, you will have the opportunity to select your representatives for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB). What responsibilities do these board members have? How might decisions made by these boards affect you? How can you make an informed decision on who to vote for so your choice of candidate aligns with your values and concerns?
MPRB and Minneapolis’s Award-winning Park System
MPRB is an independent governing body responsible for managing the city’s parks, recreational facilities, and green spaces. It operates separately from the City of Minneapolis, with its own jurisdiction and funding.
MPRB received the 2024 National Medal Award for excellence in parks and recreation, acknowledging that our park system is one of the best in the country. This fall, residents can cast their ballots to choose representatives for six park districts and three at-large-seats for MPRB. Your vote impacts who will govern, maintain, and continue developing Minneapolis’s park system.
MPRB was established in 1883 to oversee the development and maintenance of a park system spanning 7,059 acres. Did you know that Minneapolis’s park system has 185 parks, 102 miles of biking and walking trails, 22 lakes, a dozen formal gardens, and 49 recreation centers? Tucked in Theodore Wirth Park is the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary, the oldest native plant garden with over 500 species of native plants. There are also several golf courses, 20 miles of cross country trails, seven lakes for ice fishing and skating, and many trails for walking, hiking and snowshoeing.
Maintaining the lakes and parks is one aspect of the MPRB’s responsibilities, and it also sponsors programs for residents of all ages. For example, youth programs include skateboard instruction camps, tee ball leagues, open soccer in the parks, and after school programs for children. Senior offerings abound as well. Those ages 55+ can join organized groups for outdoor walking, pickleball, meeting with others for coffee and conversation, making ceramics, and playing card games.
Your Votes Matters
If you enjoy the City’s parks, lakes, and recreation programs, then who is elected to the Park and Recreation Board matters. MPRB’s 2025 budget is about $155 million, and the board representatives decide how to allocate this funding. Your vote for one of the six park district commissioners and three at-large-commissioners gives you a say in how this city resource is maintained and grows. Each elected official will serve a 4-year term.
If you want a say in the future of our parks and lakes – VOTE!
How do the candidates running for membership on this board envision the future of this city resource? The League of Women Voters Minneapolis (lwvmpls.org) sponsors forums where you can hear directly from the candidates about their visions and qualifications for serving on the park board.
Sources:
- Not sure which park district you live in? Visit https://vote.minneapolismn.gov/media/-www-content-assets/documents/Minneapolis-Park-and-School-with-All-Streets.pdf
- What is currently happening in different park districts? MPRB website lists current projects related to its 20-year neighborhood park plan. https://www.minneapolisparks.org/park-care-improvements/park-projects/current_projects/
- Learn more about park programming at https://www.minneapolisparks.org/activities-events/
Next month’s article will review the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET).
Behind the Decisions: What the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) Does for Minneapolis
by LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
This is the fourth article in the League of Women Voters Minneapolis 2025 Democracy Series. All articles will be available at lwvmpls.org/democracy-series/
In the November election, you will have the opportunity to select members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET). What responsibilities do these board members have? How might decisions made by these boards affect you? How can you make an informed decision on who to vote for so your choice of candidate aligns with your values and concerns?
Responsibilities of the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET)
BET may not be on your radar every day, but the decisions it makes affect you greatly.
This board decides the maximum cap on the total property tax dollars our city government can collect. This is called a levy. Before setting the levy, the board holds public hearings to hear Minneapolis residents’s opinions before this important decision is made. For 2025, the City’s overall property tax levy is approximately $511,000,000.
BET sets the maximum tax levies for several funds that come out of the overall tax levy. For example, the park board requests its funding from BET. Representatives from the MPRB present their budget requests to the BET, which includes their strategic plans for using the funds. BET considers this input along with other economic factors before allocating funds to the park board.
BET has authority on how the city borrows money for long-term investments. It approves the issuance of bonds to support capital projects requested by the City Council or the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. BET has the responsibility to coordinate financial policy between the mayor, city council, and other independent boards to ensure fiscal responsibility across city departments. BET monitors the city’s debt and credit ratings to maintain a strong financial position in Minneapolis.
Who is on BET?
In November, you will vote directly for two city-wide members of the BET, each to serve a 4-year term. There are four additional members on BET that include the mayor, the park board commissioner, city council president, and the city council member who chairs the committee in charge of the budget.
Notice the connections between BET and other offices up for election this fall: the mayor, two city council members, and park and recreation commissioner. Your votes in this election impact virtually every part of the city’s government.
Where can you get more information on the responsibilities of the BET and candidates running for the two city-wide seats so you can be an informed voter? As you gather information on the candidates and their responsibilities when serving on the BET, consider what qualifications you deem important to work effectively on the board in the best interests of Minneapolis residents.
SOURCES FOR ONLINE ONLY
- A list of current members of the BET can be found at https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/boards/bet.
- Check out the Minneapolis government website to read the BET’s mission statement website (https://stories.opengov.com/minneapolismn/published/-i4ZmiqyafR).
- A look at a recent agenda provides a picture of how board meetings are run (https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Board/MarkedAgenda/BET/4798)
- For a detailed list of the agencies the BET sets tax levies for go to: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/boards-and-commissions/bet/bet-role/.
- Check out the candidates’ websites to learn about their backgrounds and reasons for running for the BET.
- BET’s strategic plan for funds: (https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/FileV2/47522/2025-Budget-Presentation_Park-and-Recreation-Board.pdf)
Attend League of Women Voters Minneapolis forums or view the recorded videos to hear directly from the candidates. Check the website (lwvmpls.org) for dates and times for these forums.
Next month, the fifth article in our League of Women Voter Minneapolis 2025 Democracy Series will provide readers with basic information on the voting process from registration to the different ways to vote. This election will use Ranked Choice Voting and the article will provide information on how this voting system works.
