The day after Minneapolis residents turned out to the polls in record numbers, the Park and Recreation Board threw its own wonky election, choosing Averi Turner to fill the north Minneapolis seat vacated by Becka Thompson.
Turner, a 29-year-old educator, was sworn in at Wednesday’s regular Park Board meeting following a short balloting process by park commissioners. She is expected to attend four more meetings before the year’s end and will have one main, high-intensity job: represent District 2 during the budget approval process.
In her application, Turner said she would listen to residents, use data to inform her choices and ensure the park system reflects the city’s diversity.
Turner applied for the interim position while also campaigning for one of three Park Board at-large seats. She came in eighth in that race.
Her predecessor, Thompson, moved to south Minneapolis and resigned exactly one month before Tuesday’s election to run for City Council Ward 12, which she ultimately lost to incumbent Aurin Chowdhury. That shuffle posed a challenge for the rest of the Park Board to find a quality candidate able to navigate the ongoing process of debating and approving the agency’s $160 million proposed budget.
Shortly after Thompson resigned, commissioners mulled whether filling her vacancy was worth it. Current at-large Commissioner Charles Rucker, who ran unopposed for District 2, will slide into that seat starting January. Some were skeptical of onboarding a new member in the final weeks of a four-year term.
Commissioners ultimately chose to fill the vacancy to ensure north Minneapolis’ voice in the budgeting process and in case being left with an even number would complicate votes.
Eleven people applied for the interim role, including Jon Olson, a former District 2 commissioner of 16 years. While the annual compensation for a Park Board commissioner is about $18,000, Turner’s pay would be prorated according to the length of her term.
