Betsy Hodges: ‘Think bigger and make it happen’
by Tesha M. Christensen
Questions drive the new mayor of Minneapolis.
Can we move the dial on equity? Can we this move the dial on
growing the city? Can we continue to make the city run well?
Mayor Betsy Hodges is still moving into her office on the
third floor of city hall, and frames are piled up along the wall. But these
questions have been written on the white board in her office to focus her
efforts.
“These are the questions I’ll be asking about everything we
do in this office,” remarked Hodges, Minneapolis’ 47th mayor and the second
ever woman to hold this position.
Hodges encourages others and herself to “think bigger and
make it happen.”
Along the way, she plans to ask who needs to know and when in
order to pull all relevant parties on board.
“Minneapolis is a great city, and I’m proud to be its mayor,”
stated Hodges.
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT WHERE INNOVATION HAPPENS
Mayor Hodges’ social change work began when she was in high
school, and blossomed in college. While attending graduate school in the mid
1990s at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Hodges made the conscious choice
to focus on local politics. A professor pointed out that the contact most
citizens have with politics occurs in the ballot box, and the majority of their
votes go towards small, local races.
“Local government is where innovation happens,” Hodges pointed
out. “That’s been the focus of my political work for the last 20 years.”
IN
PURSUIT OF SOCIAL CHANGE
As a little girl, Hodges’ dreams did not include politics.
She wanted to be a writer like her mother and grandmother or a lawyer. Then she
set her sights on psychology.
“It was when I was in college that I realized I wanted to do
social change,” Hodges stated. And she wanted to do more than merely study it
in the classroom.
Upon returning to Minnesota after college, Hodges became
involved in the Progressive Minnesota movement, beginning things by
volunteering for a phone bank in a school board race. Hodges worked on various
other campaigns, and served as chair of her neighborhood organization. Her
first elected position was to the Minneapolis City Council in 2005 representing
Ward 13.
Her drive to become mayor was a natural progression of
wanting to give something back to her community in a way that would help
people, she observed.
MAYORAL
AGENDA
Hodges was elected on a message of growing Minneapolis, continuing
to run it well, and eliminating the many gaps — in jobs, income, housing,
health and education, among others — that separate white people and people of
color in Minneapolis.
She will be working with a diverse city council. There are
seven new council members that includes three firsts: a Somali immigrant (Abdi
Warsame, Ward 9), a Hmong-American (Blong Yang, Ward 6) and a member of the
Latino community (Alondra Cano, Ward 10).
“I think it is a great group of people,” state Hodges.
“Everyone brings their own unique perspective from their wards.”
Hodges has also worked to pull together what may be the most
diverse staff of any Minneapolis mayor.
Hodges’ overarching goal is “One Minneapolis,” a city where
every person and every community is responsible for, and benefits from, each
other’s successes.
ON
SCHOOLS
Education played a large role in the election last year, and
it’s something Hodges intends to focus her efforts on. While the city has no
direct control over the school board as it manages itself, Hodges has already
started meeting with Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson and other school
representatives to start the conversation on education.
“Let’s see what we can make happen when we bring partners
together,” Hodges said.
The city does control programs for early childhood education
through its department of public health, and it is here that the city can move
the dial on education, according to Hodges.
The first educational gap kids face is in the two to
three-year age range, Hodges pointed out.
Key components of the Cradle to K initiative she unrolled
during her campaign include:
- Expansion of the Healthy Start program, which serves
low-income and vulnerable families with the skills, care, and resources to care
for pregnant mothers and infants, to cover all of Minneapolis
- Expanded access to stable, high quality, child-centered
childcare
- A Mayor’s Cabinet on Cradle-To-K, which will serve as the
hub for the community of dedicated stakeholders, ensure there are no early
childhood programming or coverage gaps, and facilitate resource-sharing
ON
TRANSIT
Over the next 10 years, Hodges envisions the city moving forward
on lightrail and streetcar projects. “They will not only move people to jobs,
but bring jobs to people,” she said.
Since the Hiawatha - Blue Line opened, the number of citizens
from low income areas in Minneapolis working at the Mall of America has
increased. The lightrail has given people access to jobs, Hodges said.
She pointed out that the Central Corridor line isn’t open
yet, but $7 million has been invested along the line. “It is a huge opportunity
for the city,” Hodges remarked.
“I think it will start to transform where people live and how
they live.”
According to Hodges, there are three main lessons the city
has learned from the Hiawatha - Blue Line to apply to the Green Line and others
that come after. 1) Make sure you get your lights timed right. 2) Zone the area
properly. 3) Be prepared for more riders than you think.
Hodges points to the Access Minneapolis plan that the city
council approved as the blueprint for the future.
Although the Southwest Lightrail line has run into
roadblocks, she remains hopeful for a good outcome. “We’re going to keep
forging ahead with the Southwest Lightrail,” she said.
38TH
ST. AND LAKE ST.
During her inaugural address, Hodges highlighted two local
areas.
“Imagine taking your out-of-town guest to the myriad
opportunities for recreation, dining and community along 38th Street,” she
said.
Hodges also pointed to E. Lake Street. It’s an area she
believes kept the city vibrant during the recession. Latino entrepreneurs made
important investments in the area where they live and work, and create a
cosmopolitan destination for food, shopping and culture.
Looking for a business opportunity? As a woman who stays away
from sugar, Hodges offers this suggestion: “I would like a salty snacks food
truck.”
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SIDEBAR:
MEET
MAYOR HODGES
- Grew up in Minnetonka, but has spent the last 16 years in
Minneapolis. “It’s a cosmopolitan city and you can meet your neighbors,” Hodges
observed. “It’s the perfect combination.”
- Married to
Gary Cunningham, vice president and chief program officer of the Northwest Area
Foundation and a member of the Metropolitan Council. They have two children,
four grandchildren, a dog and a slightly neurotic cat.
- Hobbies include writing and reading poetry
- Her favorite movie: “Die Hard”
- Occasional karaoke singer with a limited range
- Collects Wonder Woman memorabilia
This story printed in the March 2014 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.
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