Dan Orban (Ward 9)

Detailed Responses

If elected, what will be your top three priorities?

Public Safety, Responsibly Funding City Services, Supporting Local Businesses.

What should the City do to generate missing revenue as downtown building values fall?

We need new businesses and entrepreneur enterprises. We must create and maintain an environment where these creative endeavors can flourish. We must attract many new endeavors to the downtown area by making it into a place that is safe and hospitable. It needs a place people want to work and visit.

What is the appropriate role of the City Council in developing policy and providing services under the 'Executive Mayor' system?

The City Council should work together with the Mayor to develop policies and ordinances to support the needs of the city. Compromise and some shared vision from both sides would be nice for getting things done. Right now the relationship often leads to a stalemate, which is not good for a city that has major problems. Meeting core needs should not be debatable. It would be great if we could arrive at a government that was more boring. Perhaps we could fix roads, fund the police and fire department, and work on building affordable housing.

What should the City Government do to support small and local businesses?

The city should develop policies and enforce laws to improve public safety. We should also listen to and consider the concerns of business owners. We must clean up and revitalize the business districts to encourage businesses to stay and attract new businesses.

What is an immediate and urgent solution to encampments in Minneapolis?

The public safety consequences of encampments for both the neighborhood and those in the camps are disastrous. Therefore, open air drug scenes should not exist. We need to focus on shelter and treatment to meet the needs of everyone in the community, especially the most vulnerable. The city needs to work with the state and county to develop creative solutions involving drug addiction, mental health care, and social work. In the process, the city should develop ordinances and start enforcing existing laws to keep its citizens safe. The city should also partner with community care providers who are equipped to meet the needs of those who experience homelessness. This would help scale the solution. These include cultural groups, faith based organizations, and non profits. There are several solutions to encampments.

What role should the City Council have in improving public safety?

The City Council needs to fund and meet more than the core needs of the city, which it is not doing right now. We must improve funding for the police department and recruiting. I am encouraged by creative solutions for public safety, however, we are not meeting the city's basic public safety needs. The police are understaffed, overworked, and not well supported. The good thing about police over other approaches, is that police are held accountable and are required to meet the highest moral standards. It is not okay for the city to leave it's citizens to fend for themselves because there are not enough public servants to respond to dangerous crimes. The office of community safety and the police department has implemented many great reforms these past 5 years in terms of policy, accountability, and recruiting. It is time to tell a different story.

Quick Hits

Property taxes?
Too high and should be reduced.

The City has committed to transforming George Floyd Square in a way that honors community values and vision for the future. What option do you support for this transformation?
A Flexible Open-Street concept that would support development at the People’s Way.

What concept do you support for 3000 Minnehaha Ave, the site of the former Third Police Precinct
Election and Voter Services/Democracy center plus community space.

Do you support the City of Minneapolis moving forward a Boycott, Divestment and Sanction policy against Israel where possible?
No.

Do you support the removal of I-94 through Minneapolis and replacement with a boulevard and/or public transit?
No.

The City of Minneapolis has a Separation Ordinance in place preventing city employees from asking about immigration status. Do you support this ordinance?
Yes.

What would you prioritize in immediate future city budgets?
Focus more on core functions for which the city is currently primarily responsible like police, fire, and road maintenance.

Should a Labor Standards Board be revisited, its composition should be:
Business and Labor have equal representation.

Increased vibrancy and activity downtown is important for:
Everyone in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis small and local business owners receive:
Too little support from the City Council.

How important is economic health and the business environment in Minneapolis?
One of the top three most important issues facing our city.

Do you believe that Minneapolis currently has a hospitable business climate?
No.

I believe that perception of crime:
Has a real impact on local businesses and should be taken seriously by city policymakers.

Would you support the implementation of a strict rent control policy with rents capped at 3% annual increases, such as was passed in Saint Paul in 2021?
No.

Are you open to supporting a different version of rent control than a strict 3% cap?
No.

In general, what effect do you believe the production of market-rate housing have on other units in the area?
Decreases rent through increasing supply.

Do you support the Revised Affordable Housing Right of First Refusal Ordinance?
No.

Do you think we need additional renter protections?
No.

The existence of homeless encampments is:
A public health and safety emergency. Harmful to those living in and near encampments.

Should encampment closures be halted?
No.

Do you support the minimum police officer mandate of 1.7 per 1,000 residents?
Yes, and I believe the City should continue working to fulfill it.

As a city council member, would you support increasing funding for recruitment, hiring, and retention of officers as the mayor proposed and City Council majority rejected in their 2024 and 2025 budgets?
Yes.

Do you support the Office of Community Safety Department of Neighborhood Safety’s (DNS) RFP process awarding contracts to organizations through a basic competitive bidding process with expert-informed “best practices” proposal evaluations?
Yes.

Do you support the Department of Neighborhood Safety requiring data-driven accountability and reporting by violence interruption/prevention groups?
Yes.

With regard to public safety do you feel like the city's more pressing issue currently is police accountability or staffing levels?
Staffing levels.

The City reached a federal consent decree with President Biden’s Department of Justice. Despite President Trump’s administration indicating it may abandon efforts to finalize the decree, Mayor Frey has stated he will support the city and the MPD complying with the agreement even if it’s not enforced by the federal courts. Do you agree?
Yes.

Do you believe Shotspotter is a valuable tool?
Yes.

Should ShotSpotter be expanded to include additional high-crime areas?
Yes.