Dear neighbor,
We Won!
On Thursday, June 11th the Minneapolis City Council voted 13-0 to REJECT the special assessment that we were facing in George Floyd Square - a $636,000 bill that would have pushed some of our neighbors out of our neighborhood. Together, we participated in what may have been the first group objection to a special assessment ever.
How We Got Here
On May 13th CANDO held a meeting to talk about upcoming construction projects and to hear about the tax impacts. We learned that our neighbors were facing bills of up to $47,000 (called special assessments) for the road reconstruction. PPNA and BNA sent out email blasts with information on how to object. CANDO staff and volunteers knocked on 62 doors and obtained 33 signatures, encouraging people to attend the June 4th hearing to submit their objection in person. So many of our neighbors spoke up at this hearing - thank you for your courage and leadership! The testimony shared at the public hearing as well as the many written comments submitted by our neighbors were powerful and moving [Public Comment Files 1 and 2].
By working together, we ensured that our representatives had the evidence to fight for us. Council Member Stevenson and Chavez - thank you for fighting for a solution.
Over these past few weeks we have stood together against unfair assessments, challenged the status-quo of displacement, and ensured our voices are heard by those who are making decisions about us - without us.
This decision proves one thing - our voice is powerful when united.
It is both an honor and a privilege to stand by your side.
Respectfully,
Lane Brown | they/them
Co-Executive Director, Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO), lane@thecentralneighborhood.com