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Remington won't run again for Minneapolis council
He's the third and latest Minneapolis City Council member leaving voluntarily.
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Ralph Remington announced Monday that he'll step down after one term on the Minneapolis City Council.
Remington's announcement brings to three the number of council members who are leaving the job voluntarily. Paul Ostrow and Scott Benson earlier announced plans to leave after their terms expire this year.
The news was something of a surprise because Remington had signaled he'd run for mayor if incumbent R.T. Rybak had not sought another term.
He said in an interview that one reason he's stepping down is that two high priorities for his 10th Ward have advanced: A development plan for the Uptown area has been completed, and another for the Lyn-Lake business area is in progress. He also supports rail transit in the Midtown corridor.
"I don't want to look at this job as a civil service position," he said. "I have my own life to move on with."
Meg Tuthill, a longtime resident and business owner in the Lowry Hill East neighborhood, has been seeking DFL endorsement for the post. Also considering a run is Doug Kress, an aide to Council Member Lisa Goodman. He polled 44 percent in a 2001 bid for the seat but would need to move to run because his home has been redistricted to the Eighth Ward.
The 46-year-old Remington said he hopes to find work either in politics or the arts. He has worked as an actor, theatrical producer and arts administrator, and sometimes brought a dramatic flair to his speeches.
He gained the most publicity by proposing a ban on wild animals in circuses, a proposal that lost by one vote but resulted in increased regulation of circuses. More recently, he won council approval to regulate the placement of news racks. He also plans to offer an ordinance that would ban trans fats at many food establishments and require calories to be listed with menu items. He drew a rebuke in November from one of his ward's neighborhood organizations after supporting a revamping of the relationship between City Hall and neighborhoods.
He cast the only council vote against the appointment of Tim Dolan as police chief after assuming a citywide role in speaking for minority-group residents in policing matters. "Obviously I was trying to be a voice for African-American residents since there's only two blacks on the City Council," he said.
The 10th Ward DFL endorsing convention for council is scheduled for April 18.
STEVE BRANDT
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