Potential Funding Cut to Tangletown Neighborhood Association

You could lose your neighborhood association. We need your help.

The way neighborhoods are funded is changing in 2021. Under the proposed funding plan, many neighborhoods in Southwest Minneapolis would drop to just 1/3 of their current funding level. For Tangletown, we would decrease from our current $31,708 in annual funding to a $10,000 base plus a possible $3,477 in equity funding which is not guaranteed. We support the focus on equity in this plan. We’ve joined with other neighborhoods across the city in seeking a greater funding allocation to support the racial equity work in the plan while keeping all neighborhood associations solvent.

The goal as laid out in the funding plan is for a city wide network of “neighborhood associations supporting every residents’ ability to engage in grass-roots activities, work on neighborhood identified priorities and partner with the city.” However, this will simply not be possible for Tangletown to provide at just $13,477 in funding per year. These are examples of past and current Tangletown services and programs that are likely to be scaled back or disappear if the neighborhood funding plan moves forward as proposed:

  • Regular, in depth communications and outreach via our twice annual print newsletter, our monthly email newsletter, our Facebook page, posts on Nextdoor, and our website
  • Hosting community meetings where residents have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback related to neighborhood road improvement projects, school and park construction projects, housing developments, city planning, and more.
  • Innovative environmental leadership through our energy rebate program, storm drain adoption incentives, storm drain stenciling, organics recycling outreach, waste reduction events, rain garden program, and Sustainability Sam column. 
  • Building a welcoming, engaged community through events like Tangletown Winterfest, Open Streets Lyndale, Fourth of July Parade and Party, and Tangletown Street Party as well as our welcome bag initiative for new residents.
  • Neighborhood beautification, accessibility, and safety initiatives which include our Spring Spruce Up and Autumn Alley Clean Up events. 
  • Investment in affordable housing such as our City of Lakes Community Land Trust project.
  • Enhancement of neighborhood assets like our work at the Washburn Water Tower to plant new landscaping and organize volunteers to maintain the landscaping over several years.
  • Financial support of Justice Page Middle School through the renaming process and the creation of beautiful murals that celebrate the school’s new identity.
  • Racial equity work as developed by our new Equity Task Force which will include education, advocacy, financial support, partnerships, and programs.

What you can do:

Submit public comment by September 30:

You can find our template below, but we encourage you to share a personal message indicating how you’ve engaged with the neighborhood association (for example attending meetings or events, receiving vital information from our communications channels, participating in environmental or beautification initiatives, etc) and/or how you see our work contributing to a stronger city. We are asking the city to increase funding for neighborhood associations which continues to allow a greater focus on equity funding while leaving each neighborhood in a position to survive so that we can continue our vital engagement work.

While your personal message is most powerful, we are also providing a template in case copying and pasting the message below is helpful:

Dear City Council Members and Neighborhood and Community Relations Department,

I value the Tangletown Neighborhood Association and the work they do to make our neighborhood and city a better place to live, work, and play. The neighborhood association plays a critical role in keeping residents informed and engaged on issues that impact us. They build community, contribute to beautification and safety, lead grassroots environmental change, and are humbly diving into racial equity work. Under the current funding proposal, I understand the Tangletown Neighborhood Association would no longer be able to manage the communications, events, programs, and services currently offered. I ask that you increase the funding for neighborhood associations so they may continue their great work.

Thank you for your consideration,

YOUR NAME

YOUR ADDRESS

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