Leadership style may be deciding factor in Brooklyn Center mayoral race

Police reform, housing and economic vitality may be the hot button issues in the race for Brooklyn Center mayor, but it's the leadership styles of the two candidates that may ultimately determine who wins on Nov. 8.

The city's charismatic and at times controversial mayor, Mike Elliott, is locked in a tight contest with City Council Member April Graves as the city decides how best to deliver public safety services in the wake of the police killings of two Black men in Brooklyn Center since 2019.

Elliott's approach has centered on community engagement and letting in more voices to help shape decisions. But opponents say he has often allowed outsiders to run the show, creating division at City Hall.

Graves pledges to be a healer and a "bridge builder" for the north metro suburb, one of the state's most diverse cities. That message apparently resonated with voters in the August primary, when Graves captured 39% of the vote and beat Elliott, who is seeking a second term, by 5 percentage points.

In the months after officers fatally shot Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in April 2021, Elliott, the city's first Black mayor, assembled the Community Safety and Violence Prevention Implementation Committee. The committee proposed using social workers and other trained professionals to respond to medical and social needs calls that don't require police, and recommended the city use unarmed civilians to handle minor traffic violations.

Last fall, the city enacted a new citation policy allowing officers to ticket offenders for misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors and let them go rather than arrest them.

In the aftermath of the Wright shooting, the City Council — which includes Elliott — fired City Manager Curt Boganey and gave the mayor authority over the Police Department. Elliott appointed Reggie Edwards, who is Black, to replace Boganey.

Former Police Chief Tim Gannon resigned, though he now claims in a lawsuit against the city that he was forced out for refusing to immediately fire officer Kimberly Potter after she shot and killed Wright. City leaders this year hired Kellace McDaniel as police chief, the second Black chief in the city's history.

"We responded swiftly and with clarity, and we did it in a way many are proud of," Elliott said in an interview. "People are suffering from the status quo and want change to happen. I present clear leadership that is intentional and inclusive to move Brooklyn Center forward."

"He is getting citizens involved and that is important," said Steve Cooper, an Elliott supporter. "He has put in time to build coalitions. He stays in touch with the various communities."

However, Council Member Dan Ryan questioned Elliott's job commitment. Ryan and former mayoral candidate Laurie Ann Moore obtained a city document last month showing that the mayor missed 43 votes and abstained from voting eight times between June 2019 and August 2022.

Elliott "either didn't want to take a difficult, controversial vote or he simply couldn't decide which way to vote," Ryan said.

Elliott said he disputed those findings and said he never missed a meeting. The Star Tribune has not received an answer to a data request seeking attendance records of other council members .

Resident Kevin Scherber said Graves is collaborative rather than divisive. "She does not push her thoughts on people," he said. "She has well thought-out and inclusive answers. She will bring grace and dignity to this office, something that is sorely missing."

Graves, 42, moved from St. Paul to Brooklyn Center in 2011 and four years later became the first woman of color elected to the council. A public health specialist in the Office of Violence Prevention at the Minneapolis Health Department, she's been supportive of some of the changes proposed for the police but is concerned about going too far.

Graves said in an interview that police reform can include a combination of police, social workers and violence prevention initiatives. "It does not have to be either-or. We need some of both," she said.

Elliott, 38, emigrated from Liberia to Brooklyn Center with his family when he was 11. He was class president in his sophomore, junior and senior years at Brooklyn Center High School and earned a bachelor's degree from Hamline University in St. Paul. He has started and run several small businesses.

Elliott said he's proud that the city under his leadership has enacted rent protection, brought property taxes down and added new multifamily housing.

Both candidates agree that investing in youth programs and improving housing options should be top priorities. They also agree that boosting the city's business health is important, given the loss of retailers such as Best Buy and Target.

One in 4 of Brooklyn Center's residents were born outside the United States. The city, which has a population of 32,000, is one of Hennepin County's poorest suburbs, with 15% of its residents living below the federal poverty line, according to U.S. census data.

Elliott said Brooklyn Center is moving in the right direction, pointing to developments in the works that include an international market center, more housing, a movie theater and child-care center. There are also plans to revamp the city's community center, he said.

"We are poised for economic growth," Elliott said. "We are on that path and there is no turning back. Our best days are ahead of us."

Said Graves: "We need to build trust. People want to feel heard, and disagree in a respectful way. When you lead that way, the climate can start to shift."