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Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges used her State of the City speech Tuesday to highlight efforts to end homelessness, invest in early childhood programs and boost the number of women and people of color working in the tech industry.


She also acknowledged than not everyone is on board with other changes she's pressing, though she said they're intended to benefit all city residents.

Hodges is facing a strong field of challengers to her bid for reelection. The field includes a current Minneapolis City Council member, a state legislator, the former head of the Minneapolis NAACP and the former CEO of the Hennepin Theater Trust. 

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Hodges focused her speech on moves she said that while difficult now will bring positive returns in the long run. That includes the Nicollet Mall reconstruction, which has caused the relocation of the farmer's market, led to traffic backups and kicked up a lot of noise and dirt downtown. 


Hodges, though, said the end to those problems is near.


"By the end of the year, downtown's central spine will be transformed into a bustling mile of offices for the 21st century workforce, outstanding food and entertainment, public art and public spaces to delight every imagination, and, yes, a wide range of creative, specialty retail," she said.

She's also touting the set of reforms currently underway in the Minneapolis police department to designed to build community trust. The department's move to implement recommendations of the Obama administration's policing initiative was also not well received by everyone.


Hodges didn't mention him by name, but police union president Lt. Bob Kroll has been a 

 of some of the policy changes. Kroll has said he worried that too much emphasis on de-escalation, things like waiting out suspects, could pose a threat to public safety.


Hodges argues everyone is safer as more people trust and cooperate with police officers. 


"I have always explicitly expected police officers to do their jobs and do them well. Anyone. Anyone who is tempted to perpetuate a myth that says otherwise should take it up with me," she said.

Hodges made only one mention of police chief Janee Harteau, who did not attend the address.  A police spokesperson said the chief had a prior commitment and couldn't attend. The chief and mayor 

 over Harteau's choice for a high-profile promotion which was rescinded by Hodges.

The mayor delivered her speech from Masjid an-Nur, which means "mosque of the light." She said she came to the north Minneapolis house of worship as a show of support for the city's Muslim residents. 


Hodges pointed to recent executive orders by the Trump administration meant to restrict travel from several predominantly Muslim countries. She also referred to efforts by the administration to pressure cities, like Minneapolis, to be more active in rooting out undocumented immigrants. 

Hodges received her most vocal applause when she reiterated her opposition to the administration's plans.


"When Donald Trump comes after any part of our community, he'll find 419,000 Minneapolitans and me standing squarely in his way," she said. "That's the kind of wall I can support."

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Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges used Tuesday's State of the City speech to make the case for her agenda. She's facing a strong field of challengers in her bid for reelection.

State of the City: Hodges touts changes, acknowledges challenges

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