Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation Candidate Questionnaire

Phil Willkie

Email: PhilWillke@earthlink.net or 612-822-0522

Web site: www.philwillkie.org

Endorsements: None

David Wheeler

Email: vote4wheeler@visi.com or call 612.730.6112

Website: www.vote4wheeler.com

Endorsements: None

DeWayne Townsend

Email: DeWayne4BET@gmail.com or call 612-724-7010

Website: www.dewaynetownsend.com

Endorsements: AFSCME

James E. Swartwood

Phone: 612-822-7910 Website: www.NewDignityParty.org Endorsements: New Dignity Party

R. Michael Martens

Email: martens4bet@gmail.com or call 612-377-5496

Website: www.Martens4BET.com

Endorsements: Independence Party, Republican Party

Carol Becker

Email: mplswonk@gmail.com or call 612-722-4288

Website: www.carolbecker.net

Endorsements: DFL Party, AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Building Trades, Stonewall DFL, Victory Fund, DFL Feminist Caucus, AFSCME, Minnesota Women's Political Caucus, Womenwinning and the DFL Latino Caucus.

What's one burning issue that's prompted you to run for this position (25 words):

Wheeler: In tough times, we must work to responsibly reduce the growth of property taxes, which are not based on ability to pay. They are regressive.

Willkie: I am running to draw attentions to the perils of the charter proposal.

Townsend: There are two burning issues: 1. I favor an independent Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) which I believe can not exist without the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET). 2. I was asked to run by the incumbent, Carol Becker.

Swartwood: I am concerned about the apparent lack of financial discipline in Minneapolis city government and believe I can help exert pressure to bring spending back in line.

Martens: The lack of a viable internal audit function. Hennepin county has 10 auditors; Mpls. has 1! Control property tax increases. The residents of Mpls., cannot afford to have their property taxes double every 10 years as Mayor Rybak is doing with the city council's support.

Becker: I love my city and want the best for it. We are in serious financial trouble, and I have a deep knowledge of public finance.

List three specific things you would like to accomplish in office (50 words):

Wheeler: 1. Increase openness, accountability and public involvement as described below.

2. Make the case for Minneapolis with allies across Minnesota to restore responsible budgeting at the State, so State problems are not simply pushed down onto Cities.

3. Never stop working to get the most value for our tax dollars.

Willkie: I'd use my position to help mediate a new relationship between the City Council and the Park Board. I'd seek to have the former library seat on the board transferred to the Park Board. Finally I support beefing up the internal audit.

Townsend: 1. Be considered fair in my reasoning for setting the property tax levy.

2. Raise awareness of the BET by the general public.

3. Encourage the return of balance to the board: addition of another (MPRB) member or, my dream: to set up the Neighborhood Community Engagement Commission (NCEC) as an independent board with a seat on the BET.

Swartwood: I want to restrain the growth of property taxes, initiate internal audits of Minneapolis city functions, and be a voice against wasteful spending.

Martens: (No answer given)

Becker: More resources for internal auditing to help ensure we have clean government; additional funding for capital projects, specifically street repair and park maintenance, as we are falling substantially behind in both areas; and a better balance in funding between the City and the Park Board.

Do you support or oppose the charter referendum proposal that would replace the current makeup of the Board of Estimate and Taxation with the City Council? Why? (150 words)

Wheeler: Because it's important to build a positive relationship of trust between the Board of Estimate and Taxation, Park Board, and City Council, I am not using my campaign to advocate for or against the amendment. But I do reject the fear mongering of certain groups who would have voters believe that the fate of our City depends on either the elimination or the continuation of the Board of Estimate and Taxation as an independent body. Such extreme arguments are often self-serving. The fact is this: the work of the Board is very important and, if there are still at-large seats, I can do the job well. My progressive "people first" values and my experience with municipal finance are the right background for this job. In tough times, we must work together in a fiscally responsible manner for the good of all citizens, instead of jockeying for power and control.

Willkie: I oppose the charter referendum because it would disempower the Park Board. The City Council would control the Park Board's budgets, endangering our parks to the political whims of City Hall. We need to preserve the current board which provides a balance between City Hall and the Park Board. The Board provides the public with greater transparency in deciding budgets, tax levies and issuing bonds. Turning all this to the City Council would let them be accountable for their own audit and shroud budget decisions in greater secrecy

Townsend: I oppose the referendum to transfer the duties of the BET to the city council. The city council needs checks and balances and the park board needs independent funding from the city. The departmental audits need a neutral source to receive and publish reports and residents need a platform to discuss the effect of taxes on their lives, a platform that is available for regular working folks.

Swartwood: No, I do not. Minneapolis city government needs an independent check to control spending through the need to gain permission to raise taxes. I do not trust the Minneapolis city council in its desire to consolidate power within itself in the name of increased efficiency. Rumors circulate about conflicts of interest involving developers and the city has recently faced or is facing several lawsuits concerning abuse of power by the City Council or individual Council members. This is not a good time for the same individuals to say: trust me more.

Martens: I oppose eliminating the BET: In my opinion putting the City council in charge of the internal audit function would be like putting the fox in charge of the hen house. Without the BET the City council & mayor could reduce funding for the Mpls Parks. Without the BET park supporters would have to elect a Park Board plus a majority of the City council to insure adequate funding.

Becker: I oppose it and am actively working to defeat it. The Board of Estimate is the only place that the City Council and Mayor and Park Board have to sit down and work together. They have to work together on three things: property taxes, borrowing money and auditing. It is vital that these two entities that inhabit the same city and provide municipal services work together. The only place that they HAVE to is the Board of Estimate. If the City Council takes over the Board, that will be lost. If you give all the control of the money to the City Council, you very quickly will not have an independent Park Board. We need an independent Park Board to be guardians of our City's most valuable resource, our park system.

If you support the charter proposal, why are you running for the board?

Wheeler: (No answer given)

Willkie: (No answer given)

Townsend: I do not support the charter proposal.

Swartwood: (No answer given)

Martens: (No answer given)

Becker: (No answer given)

Do you support or oppose beefing up the internal audit capability of the board staff? Why? (100 words)

Wheeler: While the State Auditor has a large presence in Minneapolis government, we also need to strengthen our internal audit function because we are understaffed for a city of our size. But there's no budget for additional staff in 2010. Everyone I've spoken to about this, including Mayor Rybak and eight Council Members who have all endorsed my campaign, agrees the need is there. But the dollars are not. I do not expect the City to hire new auditors while many other employees are getting laid off. An effective solution will take time, money, and leadership. I will bring that leadership.

Willkie: I support beefing up the internal audit and simplifying the text so citizens could more easily understand it. We need to double the staff. We need to look at tax levies and how they impact residences facing foreclosures (impacting whole neighborhoods) and senior citizens on fixed incomes.

Townsend: At this point I would support the "beefing up" of internal audit capability. If folks think the BET is poorly understood they need to try to figure out the city budget. Department audits on a regular rotation I think would be a big help in public understanding of the Minneapolis discretionary funds budget. Public discussion and input regarding the budget is extremely low and it would be a great help if residents had the ability to enter into budgetary discussion, but to do that they need access to understandable data. The BET is the logical portal to that data.

Swartwood: Yes, we need to hire another internal auditor or two to bring auditing of city government closer to the auditing standards maintained by Hennepin County. Where has the money gone? There arc too many unanswered questions, especially in the development area. City Council members are too involved in the process and may have conflicts of interest.

Martens: The internal audit function must be strengthened. A City with poor or no internal controls is referred to as a city, people would work for what they could steal from the city. Minneapolis is much closer to that situation than I am comfortable. Minneapolis needs at least 4-5 auditors

Becker: Yes, and I made a motion at our last meeting to do so, although I was defeated. Clean government doesn't happen - it happens because we work at it. We currently have one auditor for a $1.3 billion dollar budget, where most similarly-sized organizations have six or eight. In the three and a half years I have served on the board, we have had exactly one fraud investigation. I know that more fraud goes on than that but we don't have the resources to find it because we have only one auditor.

What steps, if any, should the board take to raise its public profile? (50 words)

Wheeler: 1. More public accountability through broadcasting meetings, and making detailed proceedings easily and quickly accessible; 2. Make budget reports more user friendly and understandable for the public; 3. Seek additional public input by meeting in different neighborhoods; 4. Work collaboratively with the Park Board, the City Council, and the Mayor.

Willkie: We could raise the profile of the BET by having a web site, holding meeting in the evenings so citizens could attend. The meetings should be televised and recorded for broadcast.

Townsend: Establish a Website, publish meeting minutes, brag about the successful bond sales, post departmental audits and develop an outline to the development of an understandable, "street English" discretionary budget with public access.

Swartwood: The board does not need to raise its public profile, just serve the public in a conscientious and informed manner.

Martens: The BET must work with the media to get its message out about what it does and why it's important. It should consider having news conferences to announce the finding of its internal audits. If elected, I will work to have a series of hearing in the neighborhoods before BET sets the maximum levy. People can see BET in action. Ordinary people can ask questions to the mayor & city council members of BET about the proposed levy increase. I would challenge the mayor & city council to have budget hearing in each & every one of the City's wards.

Becker: Broadcast its meetings. Expand its functions

The board's publicly elected members have been paid $35 for serving since 1975. Do you support or oppose an increase in the compensation of these two board members, to what level, and why or why not? (50 words)

Wheeler: No. In these tough economic times, I would not support any increase.

Willkie: The compensation for the individual members should be increased immediately to $100. The issue needs more study so that citizen representatives are fairly compensated, not just for time at Board meetings. Citizen representatives need to spend a lot of time investigating the important budget choices facing our city.

Townsend: I am OK with $35/meeting. While it does somewhat degrade the position, folks attracted to this position are seriously concerned about city finances. A less degrading payment would be somewhere in the $100 to $150, which I could vote for if proposed. However, an increase in park board salaries should occur first.

Swartwood: From a personal standpoint, yes. $60 a day would be good. However, this is not a burning issue for me.

Martens: I believe that compensation for public members should be increased, but BET should not determine its own compensation level. BET's compensation level should be determined the same way the mayor's & city council's compensation is determined.

Becker: I support an increase because serving in office shouldn't just be for wealthy people. People at all income classes should be able to participate in democracy. When pay rates are so low that offices are, in essence, volunteer, many people are locked out. And sometimes, you get what you pay for.