The Road Ahead
Changing times in a vibrant city.
Golden Valley is amazing. We have beautiful parks, a wide variety of homes, and diverse people of all ages, backgrounds and stages of life.
We also have our challenges — affordable housing, recovering from the continued fallout of COVID-19, the impact of climate change, and the larger challenges of adapting to a rapidly changing world in a way that works for everyone.
As a member of the city council since 2020, Maurice Harris has demonstrated calm, steady and compassionate leadership. He has made himself available with monthly open listening sessions, he has been committed to speaking with residents from all sides of the issues, and he has consistently taken the high road in the face of divisiveness. As a professional research manager, Maurice prioritizes data-driven, thoughtful and collaborative approaches to our most difficult issues. This is the leadership we continue to need.
A little more about Maurice...
Maurice was raised in a working-class home in St. Louis, Missouri. His dad is a retired iron worker, his mom was a housekeeper. He was the first in his family to go to college, and then went on to get a Master’s degree in public affairs. In Minnesota since 2015, he has served on the Golden Valley Human Rights Commission, the Rising Tides Task Force, as board member and secretary with CASA MN and as treasurer for HOBY Minnesota. He has served on the Golden Valley City Council since 2020. Maurice lives in Golden Valley with his wife, Molly, and rescue dog, Mari.
The Issues & The Opportunities
Our deepest potential lies in our biggest challenges.
Golden Valley is undergoing rapid change. The city is on a journey toward genuine inclusiveness that must continue. And like many places, we are exploring new approaches to public safety. We must continue to strengthen training, retention and development for our police officers, and seek innovative approaches that invest their success, support them in their difficult work, and foster relationships with residents. We need to improve compensation and support for our fire department.
We need to pursue diverse housing options for current and future residents with changing needs.
Our infrastructure is also facing challenges; we need to prioritize maintenance and replacement of critical infrastructure and fund a new remote fire station and public works facility. It is essential that our infrastructure migrate, wherever possible, to climate-responsible solutions . We are a Green Step city, but we can go further: pursuing LEED-certification for all new construction; reviewing solar panel options on public buildings; continuing a focus on bike paths and green transportation; and preparing our infrastructure to be climate-resilient.
Fiscal responsibility is a priority; by holding the line on property taxes we will ensure affordability for our residents. We also need to work with legislators and others to pursue local government aid. Responsible development is also essential. As a fully-built city Golden Valley must be thoughtful of redevelopment to ensure that we are balancing the needs of residents, maintaining the tax base, and supporting our local businesses. We need to protect green space and balance it with our need to develop business spaces and bolster our local economy.
Endorsements
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill