A guide to candidates for Minneapolis Park Board and Board of Estimate and Taxation

In addition to the mayor and City Council, all nine Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) seats and the two elected Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) seats will be on the ballot this November.

The Park Board is a semi-autonomous body comprising six commissioners who represent different districts of the city, and three at-large commissioners who represent the whole city.

They determine how funds are spent, how new park spaces are developed and how assets like sports courts, playgrounds and recreational centers are maintained. Their decisions also guide the work of the park system’s professional staff.

The Board of Estimate and Taxation sets the maximum tax levies for the city, Park Board and Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, and authorizes the sale of municipal bonds. Two of its six members are elected. The other four are the mayor, the City Council president, the council member who chairs the City Council’s budget committee and an appointed Park Board commissioner.

Voters will be asked to select candidates in order of preference as part of Minneapolis’ ranked-choice voting system.

Here’s how to vote, check your registration and see a sample ballot.

Two Park Board candidates are running unopposed: Charles Rucker of District 2 (north Minneapolis) and Kedar Deshpande of District 3 (south Minneapolis east of 35W). Each voter will vote on the commissioner representing their district and up to three at-large commissioners.

Park commissioners and BET members serve for four years.

For this guide, we asked each MPRB and BET candidate about why they’re running and how they’ll approach the office. Candidate responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

(i) denotes incumbent

See also: Mayor candidates | City Council candidates