I was endorsed by Minnesota NOW PAC and received an A rating!
Jonathan Healy
for Ward 3
Robbinsdale City Council
The elected experience and creative solutions Ward 3 needs.
Endorsed by Minnesota NOW PAC with an A rating!
POLICIES
Restore Reliable Waste Service
Waste Management has been failing our city for years and it's a sanitation issue. They even canceled yard waste pickup for June. We should fire Waste Managment and replace them with good local union labor, either with a more timely company or by returning to city-owned or a coalition of cities managing waste services.
Improve City Communications
Provide more timely information that is easy to understand, especially on matters that disrupt where we live, work, and play. Make the city website easier to use and fix ADA compliance issues.
Get the Best Light Rail Deal
The Blue Line Extension should happen. It is no longer possible to co-locate with the BNSF rail line, so I pledge to work with Hennepin County and Metro Transit to get the best deal during the municipal consent process.
Keep Birdtown Walkable
We have a walkable city, but also a lack of enough traffic enforcement. We need traffic calming methods like flexible bollards and 25mph speed limits at parks and schools to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
Racial Justice
Ban 'No Knock Warrants', ban hairstyle discrimination, eliminate racial covenants, revise nuisance ordinance used to target people of color, and create more documentation of police interactions, Renters' Commission.
Protect Our Environment
Solar streetlights, pollinator-friendly plants, expand recycling, subsidize compost bins and rain barrels, and continue cleaning Crystal Lake. Allocate 5% of capital improvement project budgets for renewable energy in the city.
Bring Back Live on the Drive
I helped plan and execute the iconic summer concert series for most of a decade, and in 2023 we should partner with Cleveland Neighborhood Association to bring it back and make the July event the official kickoff to Whiz Bang Days.
Renters' Commission
Nearly 40% of Robbinsdale residents rent, so we need a commission composed of our renters to advise the City Council on issues such as safety, transit, ending unfair practices, and treating renters like the important demographic they are.
Leadership Accountability
Revise City Charter to make it easier for voters to remove city officials for misconduct. Allow the City Countil to appoint a council member when there is a vacancy until an election can occur so that each ward has representation. Rank Choice Voting for city elections.
$15 Minimum Wage
Support unions, support workers, and support the Fight For $15. Phase in a $15 minimum wage over the course of 8 years. Minneapolis and St. Paul passed $15 years ago, and it will help our workers afford to live, work, and play in Birdtown.
Reduce Train Noise
Use sound mitigation techniques, including sound barriers, to reduce the nuisance train noise. This will be especially important as the county is moving forward on light rail. You can hear the train horn for miles away, but many of us live within blocks of the tracks. Work with BNSF to reduce train noise at night.
LGBTQ Equality
Increase fines for conversion "therapy" torture, use people's preferred pronouns, house the homeless, and LGBTQ training for staff.
Robbinsdale Community Center
Most cities our size have a community center for events and large city meetings. We've been talking about the need for one for years, and it's time to make sure it happens. We should repurpose our historic Hubbard Marketplace!
Reproductive Rights
I firmly support the right for women and those who can become pregnant to make their own choices on whether or not to end a pregnancy. We must protect Robbinsdale Clinic and those who go there for medical care.
Improve Accessibility
There are a number of ways that we can make our city better for those with varying levels of ability, from making out city website ADA-compliant to signage to improving crosswalk safety.
LGBTQ Equality
Increase fines for conversion "therapy" torture, use people's preferred pronouns, house the homeless, and LGBTQ training for staff.
Popup Block Parties
National Night Out is a fun night to get to know neighbors, but it is not enough. When I was on the Cleveland Neighborhood Association Board, we had National Night Out-style events staggered thoughout nicer weather, and we should do that in Robbinsdale to promote community.
Continuous Improvement
Regular documentation of performance metrics and reviewing them for actionable insights. This process can help discover creative ways to solve problems. I have spent my career refining business and government processes to make them more user friendly and efficient.
ABOUT THE CANDIDATE
Hi, I'm Jonathan Healy
User Experience Designer and candidate for Robbinsdale City Council
I have volunteered with various organizations over the years, and I see serving on the Robbinsdale City Council as the next logical step. I am not a career politician, and I don't aspire to office beyond our City Council. I am a progressive, pro-choice, and openly gay, but in Robbinsdale we pride ourselves on a non-partisan City Council and I vow to help keep it that way. Our City Council should be focused on our city and not on political proxy wars in St. Paul or Washington.
I'm a problem solver. In my professional career I am a User Experience Designer, which means that I design digital interfaces (websites and apps) that are easy to use. Special care is taken to make my designs accessible for people with various levels of ability as a matter of equity for those with colorblindness, reduced or no vision, cognitive impairment, reduced motor function, etc. This work has led me to get involved in local government, as a lot of important information on local government websites is difficult to find, use, or understand.
Robbinsdale Charter Commission
current
I was nominated by the City Council and appointed by Hennepin County Chief Judge Barnette. We have several items that need to be addressed in the city Charter on leadership accountability. We also need to ennsure that elections following resignations happen as quickly as legally possible, because each ward deserves representation!
Robbinsdale Human Rights Commission
current
I was approved by the City Council to join the city Human Rights Commission. As commissioner, I contribute to addressing various civil rights causes. Last month, we submitted to the City Council proclamations honoring Pride Month and Juneteenth, we met with police officers about documentation of their interactions, and discussed ongoing efforts to remove racial covenants from properties.
Whiz Bang Days Committee
current
I sponsored Whiz Bang Days this year, and I am on the Whiz Bang Days Committee to use my passion for community-bulding events and my experience from planning and executing Live on the Drive events for our city festival. We are already planning for next year!
Cleveland Neighborhood Association Board of Directors
2013 - 2019
I was elected to three consecutive terms, serving roughly 3,000 constituents. I was Chair for the Community Development Committee and the Live on the Drive committee. I also served as CNA Vice Chair and then Chair. As a Board member, I gained valuable experience working with funding programs, managing and starting programs, overseeing staff members, and responding to constituent concerns.
Live on the Drive Committee
2012 - 2019
An iconic part of living along Victory Memorial Parkway, Live on the Drive is a summer concert series comprised of concerts in June, July, and August. As a member, and later as Chair of the committee, I worked with the City of Minneapolis and Cleveland Neighborhood Association on logistics, staffing, scheduling, band selection, design, and staffed the events. One of my goals is to bring Live on the Drive back next year better than ever.
Minneapolis College Design Department Advisory Committee
2008 - present
As a member of the design and User Experience industry I feel it is important to give back, so I joined the advisory committee. I utilize my experience to make recommendations for, and approve changes to, the curriculum for the Design department to make sure that the students of today and set up for success tomorrow.
NEWS
You can vote early now! Vote in person at City Hall Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm, or by mail.
June 24Launched campaign website
June 8Filed paperwork to form Committee to Elect Jonathan Healy
May 30Filed for candidacy with the city
May 27CONTACT
Please let me know what I can do to earn your support, both in the August primary and the November election.