[Mpls] Becker for the Board of Estimate

[C Becker]

My name is Carol Becker and I am announcing my candidacy for the Board of Estimate and Taxation.  

 

The Board of Estimate doesn't get a lot of attention.  But it performs two critical functions for the City of Minneapolis: it sets the maximum property tax levy and it sells bonds.  Bonds are how we borrow money to pay for things like the new Downtown Library, the sewer improvements made to reduce flooding, and to maintain the water treatment system.  

 

Yeah, I know.  It sounds like pretty dry and boring stuff.   But I am passionate about Minneapolis.  I love this City and I want to make sure it remains a great place to live and work.  And this will not happen if we do not have wise management of our money.  

 

The other reason I want to be your representative on the Board of Estimate and Taxation is that I am a "finance geek" and proud of it.  Want to know what TIF means?  I can explain using only my hands.  Why over the last five years, are most of us are paying substantially more in property taxes yet getting substantially less in services?  I will talk hours about this stuff!  (You have been warned.)  I have spent over fifteen years working in public finance.  I spent seven years working in the City Budget Office and attended many Estimate and Taxation meetings in that capacity. I still work in the area of government finance. I have a Master's degree in Public Policy with a focus on finance.

 

Want to know more about me? Here are the obligatory bullet points:

 

* Ten year resident of the Longfellow Neighborhood

* Member of the Oversight Committee for new Central Library

* Member AFSCME 668

* Board member of the DFL Feminist Caucus

* Active member of the Stonewall DFL Caucus

* Past member of the DFL State Executive Committee

* Likes long walks on sandy beaches (sorry, that is for my personal ad.)

 

I ask for your support for this position. Today, more than ever, it is important to have a sound fiscal basis for Minneapolis so we can continue to grow and flourish.  I believe that with my progressive values and being a finance geek, I can be a key part of keeping Minneapolis great.

 

For more information, feel free to call me at 612-722-4288 or via e-mail at Becker at scc.net.