Montrell Bond
Amáda Márquez Simula
Columbia Heights residents will have to decide between two mayoral candidates when they go to the polls Nov. 5: Montrell Bond, or incumbent Amáda Márquez Simula.
Montrell Bond
Montrell Bond is running for mayor because he thinks people can work together to solve problems in Columbia Heights.
Bond, a native of Tennessee, has a bachelor’s degree in nursing and has been a registered nurse for 10 years. He and his wife, Dominque, have four children and have lived in Columbia Heights for two years. He said he comes from a third-generation military family.
“I was raised in a structured, Christian home, and it has made me the man I am today.” He said his mother was also a nurse, and also felt strongly about community service.
Bond called Columbia Heights “a city full of life, and it has a vibrancy we love.”
He is blunt about his reason for running. “I don’t want to see our city destroyed by petty policies and poor decision making. I feel it’s my civic duty to run. I don’t have a political background. I am personally invested in the growth of other around me.”
One issue he has focused on is the rise in property taxes. Bond said Columbia Heights’ taxes went up 14.2% last year and 8% the year before. He called those tax hikes “astronomical and outrageous.”
“I’ve been digging into the taxes, and it doesn’t have to be that way. We need to be lobbying the state and federal governments, and developing other streams of revenue. We have to bring more businesses into the community.”
He said that while education doesn’t come under the council’s purview, the city and the board of education need to work together to improve the schools. Bond said he and others led a drive with local businesses to purchase school supplies for students.
Bond said his approach to city problems will be strictly non-partisan. “This is not a partisan election, and it was intended that way. It’s in our city charter. We need to collaborate to solve our problems.
“There’s no Republican way to fix a pothole. There’s no Democratic way to fix a sewer line. We need everyone. We need to use our diversity and come up with fresh, new, innovative ideas.”
Bond said he is concerned about Central Avenue and is committed to making it a safer place for residents and those who travel on it. “But it’s a state highway, and the city has little to say about it.”
Summing up his quest for mayor, Bond said, “My intentions are pure. We need to put the focus back on local people, on their day-to-day lives. People thrive when they are involved. Participation and cooperation goes a long way. I will fight to hear everyone’s voice.”
Márquez Simula
Columbia Heights Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula is running for a second four-year term in the November election.
Márquez Simula grew up in Wisconsin and lived in California and Colorado before moving to Minnesota. She has been a Columbia Heights resident for 11 years. She and her husband have four children.
“Before I ran for mayor, I was very involved in the community and in my church. I worked for the Wellstone campaign and learned about grassroots politics.”
A goal from the start, she said, was getting more people involved in the community and this has been helped by improved communication from city hall, a better newsletter, and hiring an IT director to make sure the city’s electronic connection with the citizens was first rate.
“We encouraged more city proclamations to celebrate our diverse community. When people come to city hall to receive their proclamations, they bring their family and friends.”
Another step in promoting the city has been to welcome new businesses, and she said several new restaurants have opened in recent months.
Columbia Heights has several projects that will increase the amount of higher density housing in the city. “I think it’s an exciting and good thing. This kind of housing is a cost effective way to build new residences. And we are providing environmental upgrades around the housing.”
She said the new tax revenue will help the city fund other improvements.
Another challenge the city has met head on, Márquez Simula said, is removing the language barrier for citizens, many of whom are Spanish-speaking. She said city employees have become more diverse. “We hire a lot of local people.”
A challenge still in the works is improving the safety and ambiance of Central Avenue. Márquez Simula and Council Member Connie Buesgens circulated a petition that had thousands of signatures and presented it to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. It was part of the HeightsNEXT, a volunteer community organization that promotes sustainability.
“Our motto has been, ‘Central Avenue for the community and not for the commuters.’” Márquez Simula said the avenue is Columbia Heights’ main street, but its local charm is destroyed by the noise, by the safety problems and the rush hour traffic. She said MnDOT is starting to pay attention.
Another challenge is the city’s current public works building. “It needs to be replaced badly, but it’s going to take a lot of money, and we don’t want to put the burden on the back of taxpayers.”
Instead, the city has chosen to seek federal and state funds for a new public works center. “This past year, it was part of the bonding tour for the Minnesota Legislature. We didn’t get any money, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
Want to know who to vote for in the Nov. 5 general election? Check out https://myballotmn.sos.mn.gov. Early voting can by done by mail or in person at St. Anthony and Columbia Heights city halls, and at Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services, 980 E. Hennepin Ave., Voting in person? Find your polling place at https://pollfinder.sos.mn.gov.