Patch Candidate Profile: Merv Moorhead For Minneapolis Council

MINNEAPOLIS — This fall, Minneapolis residents will vote in several important local elections. Among the offices on the ballot is the mayor and city council seats, as well as the Minneapolis Park Board. Early voting in Minneapolis has already started.

Merv Moorhead is running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 3.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

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Are you running for office in Minneapolis? Contact William Bornhoft at william.bornhoft@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Age (as of Election Day): 55

Town of Residence: Minneapolis

Position sought: Minneapolis City Council Ward 3

Party Affiliation: DFL

Education: BA Psychology

Occupation: Sales Director with General Mills, 30 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Why are you seeking elective office?

Minneapolis is at a crossroads with respect to public safety and the economic recovery from the impact of Covid. It will take different leadership on the city council in order to move the city in the right direction.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Public Safety. I will work with the Mayor and Chief Arradondo to restore the MPD to a number that is sustainable and will have a positive impact on the drastic increase in violent crime that we have been experiencing. We should also be working with other organizations such as the FBI and Hennepin County Sheriffs to fill in the gaps until we can hire back enough officers. I would also push for an enhanced co-responder program, community policing and additional training focused on de-escalation and implicit bias. We must get to a position where everyone in Minneapolis feels safer.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Steve Fletcher is on record seeking to defund and dismantle MPD, while I believe that we need to restore MPD to previous level and reform the department. The feedback that I receive while on the campaign trail is that Steve simply refuses to listen to the needs of the residents of Ward 3. I will actively listen to the needs of the residents and will also act on their needs.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

Steve Fletcher has simply not listened to his constituents with respect to their concerns with increasing violence in the city. He continues to pursue a defund and dismantle MPD approach which runs counter to what the vast majority of people want in the 3rd ward. Small businesses are also frustrated that Steve refuses to listen to their needs during this challenging period of time.

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Small businesses are in need of support that will not only help them survive but thrive through this epidemic. City Council must remove obstacles and offer support to keep them going and I do not believe that they have moved fast enough in this area.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My 30 years of experience with General Mills has positioned me well for this type of position. I am a very effective at listening to others, collaborating with different groups, managing a large budget, and delivering results.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Be interested in what others are saying versus being interesting.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I truly believe that Minneapolis' best years lie ahead and I have terrific hope that we can get there together. I also firmly believe that they only way we can get there is by changing the leadership on the city council beginning with Steve Fletcher. We need leaders who take a servant leadership approach to public service which I have learned from my time with General Mills.