Tom Hoch, the former head of the Hennepin Theatre Trust, has registered a committee to raise money for a Minneapolis mayoral run.

Widely expected to join the field that is challenging Mayor Betsy Hodges, Hoch filed papers for a campaign committee with Hennepin County last week.

When asked about the filing, Hoch said he would make an announcement Tuesday and declined to give more details.

If he joins the race, he will also run against civil rights attorney Nekima Levy-Pounds, Council Member Jacob Frey, DFL state Rep. Raymond Dehn, and filmmaker Aswar Rahman.

Hoch, who stepped down this year as chairman of the board for the Minneapolis Downtown Council, has called for more aggressive action to improve downtown Minneapolis.

At the Downtown Council's annual meeting last week, he called for compassion for the homeless downtown but also more decisive action to foster a "culture of respect."

"When someone fires a weapon, they need to be arrested," Hoch said. "When someone assaults someone, we need to make sure that they are off the street."

Panhandling, he said, should not be encouraged, and people should donate to social service organizations rather than handing money to people on the street.

Staff writer Emma Nelson contributed to this story.

Adam Belz • 612-673-4405 Twitter: @adambelz