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Bloomington City Council
Shawn Nelson: Housing is number one issue
Adapted from the Minneapolis Labor Review
October 21, 2023
By Steve Share, Minneapolis Labor Review editor
BLOOMINGTON — “We have more jobs than housing,” says Shawn Nelson. For him, the number one issue is “making sure we have housing for the workers in our community.”
Shawn Nelson is running for re-election for a third term representing District II on the Bloomington city council. He is running again with the endorsement of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.
Nelson
’s other labor endorsements include: AFSCME Council 5, IBEW Local 292, LiUNA Minnesota & North Dakota, North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, UNITE HERE Local 17.
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For Shawn Nelson, the number one issue is ‘making sure we have housing for the workers in our community.’ |
“We’re also trying to grow the number of jobs we have but also [develop] housing that’s affordable for working people,” Nelson says. “We’d like to build on what we’ve been doing in the housing area.”
“COVID had a big impact on us, navigating the needs of the city,” he notes. “We did a lot to support small businesses and their employees so they could keep paying people.”
Creating flexibility with city rules was particularly important for restaurants, he says.
Nelson supported the effort to pass Bloomington’s earned sick and safe time policy. “I’m really happy the city of Bloomington was a leader in that issue,” he says. “We don’t want people going to work when they’re sick and getting other people sick.” He adds, “as a small business owner, I’m glad the state has taken it over.”
Looking ahead to serving another term, Nelson says the city’s transition to a full-time fire department will provide a higher level of service — and bring higher costs, too.
“As a community, we’re going to be having more and more discussions about our budget,” he notes, as the city takes on needed infrastructure improvements. “Property taxes are always a concern for people.”
Addressing Bloomington union members, Nelson says, “I want to make sure your needs and concerns are recognized.”
Website:
nelsonforbloomington.com
Bloomington City Council Districts
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