Parks

Our Minneapolis parks system is an essential part of who we are as a city and we all want them to remain open and accessible to everyone. Yet, once again this year, the city council made the attempt to eliminate the independently elected park board.

Good government is the government closest to the people and having this essential feature of Minneapolis under the direct control of its citizens, via their elected representatives, must be maintained. Regardless of any issues we may have with the park board, keeping government power in the hands of many rather then the hands of a few seems the best course.

It appears, from reading the proposed charter amendment, that the reason for the council’s proposed change to the city charter is in order to give the city council control of the development and sale of park land. No one who uses our wonderful open green spaces wants to see them developed into condos and private multi-million dollar estates for those with influence in city hall. Keeping an independently elected park board will ensure that all park lands remain what they were designed to be, open green spaces for city dwellers.