Why are you running to be the next Council member representing Ward 7?
Paula Chesley: In March 2020 I moved close to Hennepin, behind the Walgreens. It was a completely different neighborhood than it is now. I’ve seen the decline first hand. I’ve seen how it has impacted my neighbors. I’m a block captain so they contact me with issues. People have had their apartment buildings broken into three times in one month. I wanted to get more involved, so I joined the East Isles Neighborhood Association and formed a safety walking club. There are many issues in Minneapolis that need urgent support, and I don’t think the current Council is prioritizing them. That’s why I have stepped up, to do even more. I want to do more to revitalize Uptown and Downtown and focus on public safety.
Elizabeth Shaffer: The main reason I’m bringing my name forward is because I think there is a real need on the Council for a reset. We saw it on the park board in 2021-22. I feel like there’s a disconnect from the governing that’s happening with the practical on the-ground impact for residents. I feel we need to cast an inspiring vision that is different from what we have now. It’s a burden we all carry. Core city services are a strong police force and nonviolent responders.
Katie Cashman: I feel like I've made a lot of good progress in my first year on the Council. There's a lot of projects that I'm undergoing that are multi-year projects that I want to see through. There's still a lot of work to do when it comes to public safety, Uptown revitalization, traffic calming and traffic safety in the city. Generally, just restoring pride in Minneapolis and recovering from the past few years.
What do you believe are the top priorities of Ward 7 voters?
Katie Cashman: I think things have shifted since Trump took office. I would've answered that question differently last year. But now I feel like things are a little bit more heightened as it relates to human rights, civil liberties, and democracy in general. But still, the underlying priorities are improving public safety, improving housing development, improving economic opportunities and job opportunities in the city and improving our public spaces. Those tend to be the top issues for voters.
Paula Chesley: In the Lakes area, it is definitely public safety. Other top priorities are affordable housing and homelessness. Fixing Uptown and Downtown.
Elizabeth Shaffer: Number one is our safety. Yesterday I was at a community event with 25 people at Fox Alley coffee shop and a gentleman told me he just wants to be able to walk from his condo down Nicollet to the river, into the restaurants near the Guthrie, without being fearful. Residents want to be able to take advantage of this beautiful city and many don’t feel as though they can because of safety concerns. Second, I would say it is for consumers and businesses to have engaging options. Right now, I know a lot of neighbors do not shop in Minneapolis; they go to Saint Louis Park.
What differentiates you from the other candidates seeking the DFL endorsement?
Elizabeth Shaffer: I know the voice of Ward 7. Over my last three years [on the Minneapolis Park Board] I have based my representation on listening and trying to dialogue with all viewpoints. I do this and then make decisions based on the voice of the community. I’m not afraid to dig into complex problems that need to be solved, I don’t hold them at arm’s length. I follow up on issues. I keep people informed on issues about which they are concerned. I’m not saying there is only one voice for Ward 7, but I’d say my style of representation is based on listening and representing the community.
Katie Cashman: I'm the most experienced candidate. I've been in this role for a little over a year, and there is a pretty steep learning curve. It is not easy to get onboarded as a Council member. There was a big gap between when former Council Member Goodman left and when I came on. Even just transferring email accounts, phone numbers, office, and orienting yourself and being able to deliver for people. Having relationships at City Hall and knowing how to pass legislation are important. I authored over a hundred resolutions last year. I authored six ordinances, most of which passed unanimously. I've done the legislative work. I understand the role and have built strong relationships across the city and across the ward. I think Ward 7 values experience. The last Council member we had for a quarter century. It's nice to have a Council member who knows what they're doing. It definitely benefits constituents to have someone in this seat with experience.
Paula Chesley: Katie Cashman is the incumbent and has a voting record and a record of how she does things in the ward. I would distinguish myself in terms of how I would show up in the ward and different votes that I would take. My focus, energy and attention would be different. I would be more responsive when people contacted me. I would listen to all stakeholders. Sometimes Katie has taken months to respond to people who have reached out to her, or not at all. My focus on businesses in Uptown and public safety would be different. The police contract is only a steppingstone. I would work with businesses that want to help promote recruitment for the MPD. I will encourage regular meetings between the community and police to build trust and foster a sense of community. I will bring fresh energy and perspective. I travel on Hennepin every day. I see what the issues are.
Uptown has seen a lot of businesses leave and vacant buildings. What is your plan to revitalize the area? Is there more the city could be doing to keep and attract business to the area?
Katie Cashman: Absolutely the city could be doing more. It's frustrating that the city doesn't do place-based economic development. Really, until this year when me, the mayor and Council Vice President Chughtai went in together on Uptown Investments in the 2025 budget. This year, I think there's going to be a lot of investment in this space. So Vibrant Storefronts is one program that I'm really excited about and hoping to get off the ground in Uptown. The vacant storefronts on the corner of Lake and Hennepin, those property owners have the opportunity to participate where an arts organization will be able to use their property. And the city pays for it for two years. I believe that Uptown really needs a broad stakeholder visioning process, which is why I budgeted for a technical assistance panel for Uptown, which is just a fancy way of saying that we'll create like a master plan for Uptown to guide development in the coming years. And it'll involve property owners. It'll involve residents, business owners, different stakeholders in the area to decide what is the future of Uptown going to be.
Paula Chesley: I would like to see a Business Improvement District created. There also needs to be in creased safety, more police presence and neighborhood ambassadors. A Business Improvement District would allow there to be curating of businesses in the area, similar to what you see in a mall. I would like to see state funds help get this started, at least for the first few years, to avoid any tax increases.
Elizabeth Shaffer: The Downtown Business Association has some things they could provide, it’s worth exploring their model. A Business Improvement District for Uptown could be highly successful. I would also work with the business owners, people trying to make businesses work, and ask for their views. I want to know what I can do to support them. I don’t think small grants for things like new outside awnings will be enough. The problem is more structural. We have to figure out a way to keep it from being more expensive to do business in the city than it is in the suburbs. Safety is key. It was the main reason the Apple store closed. They hardly ever close a store, and I was told they couldn’t ensure the safety of their employees, they couldn’t trust who was going to come into the store next with a weapon. I would leverage the expertise of community and business leaders to solve these issues. They often find it difficult to engage the City Council.
The Minneapolis charter requires that there be 1.7 police officers for every 1,000 people. That is approximately 730 officers. In January 2025, there were 579 sworn officers. Do you support increasing the number of officers to be in compliance with the charter? How does Minneapolis get there?
Paula Chesley: I would like to see more than the charter minimum, but that would be a good start. It’s going to take time to build up. Additional recruitment is needed. I support methods like the one used at Colonial Foods, where they have created a little station in the store to encourage people to join.
Elizabeth Shaffer: Yes, I do support getting to that number and some say it needs to be even greater. We cannot take money away from recruitment budgets like what happened in the budget cycle last year. I think we have to encourage outreach in various communities about the opportunity to be in this career. I show my appreciation for those that are protecting our community.
Katie Cashman: I support continuing to recruit. I think next year, this year, 2025 we’re set to gain another 70 officers. At the end of last year, we ended up with like 11 more officers than we had at the beginning of the year, which was the first time in five years that we've had a net gain of officers at the end of the year. So, that's good news. And with more police officers, we can do more hot spot strategies where someone gets to know the community, gets out of their vehicle, it isn't like responding to 911 calls, but like doing an actual beat. That would be my vision for how, as the police department grows. Obviously, the Council doesn't have authority over operations of MPD, but we can support the budget asks that come before us. We can pass legislative directives to get information from them about certain programs. And with good relationships we can get targeted programs done. I'm also excited that we're expanding the civilian investigator non-sworn officers so that we have better case clearance on police investigations. Our case clearance rates are still low. I feel like it is important to restore trust in the police and that includes having an investigation followed through to completion. Cuts made to the recruitment budget were like those made in other departments. Recruitment efforts can be funded with existing budget dollars since the MPD has 200 roles budgeted that are not filled.
Do you feel Mayor Frey deserves a third term as mayor? Is there common ground you believe you can work with him on?
Elizabeth Shaffer: First, I don’t think anyone deserves their role. I think it’s something voters have to wrestle with, and look at the records of candidates. I definitely respect Frey and will definitely be able to work with him. However, I do not see myself as endorsing any mayoral candidate, maybe that will change. I’m trying to present my identity to the community and bring people together. We need to be able to listen to each other in a better way than what we’ve been doing. I have demonstrated as a park commissioner the importance of seeing my fellow elected as people, as mothers, fathers and sisters, within a broader context. I really believe our differences of opinion can be an asset.
Katie Cashman: The mayor and I have worked together on many, many things this year. One example, the office-to-residential conversions for housing downtown. The HERC [the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, also known as "the garbage burner,"] resolution and getting closer to zero waste and shutting down the HERC is another. However, I would like to see new leadership in the mayor's office. I think generally people are ready for change. When you have the same person in the office for so long, it starts to feel a little stale and you want to get some new ideas and new energy into that position. I have met with all the mayoral candidates. I appreciate that all three of the new candidates value what Council members have to say, which is something that I don't feel like the mayor's office always does. I will be supporting Emily Koski's race. To what extent is still to be determined. I think the democratic process requires going out there and talking to people and pitching yourself and seeing what issues are on people's minds and what continues to come up. So, I wouldn't take a firm stance right now because like I said in the beginning of the interview, with Trump coming into office things are changing very rapidly. New issues are emerging. I would not be surprised if we had civil unrest again this year. And it's important for a mayor to be able to rise to the occasion during a crisis.
Paula Chesley: I’ve met with him, and he’s been responsive when I have contacted him for constituent services. There is common ground where we can work together. I’ve reached out to all the mayoral candidates and want to work with whoever is elected. I’m open to collaborating with anyone. One example of how I’ve collaborated with people who had very different opinions was in the neighborhood association. There was disagreement on when to start safety walks. I brought people together and got them started within a month or two. Those safety walks are still happening. They have built a community and now people are more familiar with when to call 911 or 311 and they have met their police inspector.
What do you like to do in the summer when you have free time? Are there any other facts about you that you’d like to share that will help voters understand who you are as a person?
Katie Cashman: I come from a large Irish Catholic family. I’m one of seven siblings and have like an infinite number of cousins. I really appreciate community and being together, gathering, finding ways to get together as much as possible, which is what I love about my job, is that I get to work with people every day. And in the summer, you can definitely find me on Cedar Lake. I love to kayak, canoe and paddleboard. And it's really fun going down the channel on Cedar Lake and running into constituents.
Paula Chesley: I like to go to beaches with friends and garden. Last year I transformed my entire backyard into a food garden. I try to do edible landscaping as much as possible. Sometimes my entire weekend would be like farming.
Elizabeth Shaffer: I like to spend a lot of time in the outdoors in the summer. Well, in the winter too, but anything that’s a physical challenge kind of intrigues me. I’m a cyclist. I like to bike the Grand Rounds. I run and sign up for various races around the lakes. I’m also a long-distance hiker and have hiked the whole Superior Hiking Trail. I love spending time with my family.
