About Max
My name is Max Theroux and I’m running for City Council to create a Minneapolis that actually works for Ward 2 residents and U of MN students. Nearly half of Ward 2 residents are Students, and it’s time that the Ward’s representation at City Hall reflects that. I formerly worked as a legislative intern at the Minnesota State Capitol, have worked in retail for 7 years, and served as a University of Minnesota student senator for 2.5 years. My family has lived in the Como neighborhood for multiple generations, and, as a renter in Ward 2 for multiple years, I have a keen understanding of the issues that affect our neighborhood. From skyrocketing rents, to persistent infrastructure problems, and an evolving sense of distrust of our law enforcement – those assigned to protect us from the unrest that oftentimes affects our city – my goal is to improve upon the progress that has been made. I pledge to be a representative not just for the students of Ward 2, but a voice for everybody who lives in our neighborhoods.
On The Issues
Affordable Housing
Max believes in a Minneapolis everyone can afford. For too long, developments near the University of Minnesota have taken advantage of students and seniors living nearby, with the area seeing some of the highest rent prices in the city. The cost of living is rapidly increasing for all of us across nearly all facets of life, and no one should fear being priced out of their home because a landlord decides to hike the rent. In addition to increasing renter protections to decrease the occurrence of issues like price gouging and landlords not living up to their end of the lease – such as the extremely delayed opening of Identity Dinkytown, that caused hundreds of students to have nowhere to live as school began, increasing low income housing is paramount as well. Minneapolis has hundreds of vacant properties, with many of them sitting empty and abandoned for years. It is important for the city of Minneapolis to be proactive in beginning the process of converting these abandoned properties into affordable housing for those who need it.
Public Safety
Living in Dinkytown for the better part of three years has opened my eyes to the many public safety issues we all face on a daily basis. I remember many nights walking back to my apartment after work and feeling very unsafe – even being chased by a group at one point. Often, many young people from the surrounding areas would congregate in Dinkytown, shooting off fireworks and chasing people down the street. After what felt like an eternity, MPD was able to step in to discourage this behavior. I support their effort to do so by increasing police presence and increasing the amount of cameras and lights being used. This however, often created more chaos, as police became the targets of fireworks and other projectiles. This highlights one of the crucial issues of public safety – a continued distrust of our law enforcement officers creates an oftentimes unstable environment. Increasing the oversight of our police department to ensure greater public trust is crucial to decreasing these incidents that have plagued our city.
Taking Care of our Backyard
As a member of our neighborhood, something I have noticed is how seemingly small but persistent infrastructure problems affect our daily lives. Think of how many times you have found yourself avoiding destroyed patches of sidewalk or biking around massive potholes that riddle our streets. We should not have to walk into the street simply to avoid a torn-up patch of sidewalk or avoid certain streets because of the amount of potholes. These issues are persistent and have not been fixed for years. I plan to address these issues head on, and make them a priority on my first day in City Hall.
Max Theroux For Ward 2 