Dear Friends, 

I believe we live in a great town with an outstanding quality of life and most people agree, based upon the 2023 Quality of Life survey results. As your mayor, I feel honored to have been part of what we’ve worked on and built together to make Edina an ever better community. One of the reasons for this very high happiness quotient may be because past and present City Councils have been mindful of the City’s mission  “…to provide effective and valued public services, maintain a sound public infrastructure, offer premier public facilities and guide the development and re-development of lands, all in a manner that sustains and improves the health and uncommonly high quality of life enjoyed by our residents and businesses.” (2015 Vision Edina)

Quality of Life:

• Keeping people and their property safe is Job #1 for us.  Even with the challenges associated with the pre and post pandemic era,  9 out of 10 residents rate our police, as well as our fire and emergency medical services, very highly.

• Nine out of ten residents also rate the quality of our natural environment and the quality of our city services very highly

• The value of residential real estate in our community keeps rising and the median priced home is now valued at over $750,000.

• Though there is growth in market value, property taxes on a median priced home continue to remain amongst the lowest in the metropolitan area.

• Over the past twenty-plus years, we have created unprecedented transparency and opportunity for citizen participation in local government decision making.  We continue to work on strategies to make sure all voices have an opportunity to be heard and considered.                

Financial health:

• Edina recently had its double AAA bond rating renewed by Moody’s and Standard & Poor for the 24th consecutive year.  Even during the financial challenges of the pandemic, we continued to have the highest achievable ratings.  We are  one of only approximately 36 communities of a similar size in the country with a comparable financial creditworthiness rating.                                                      

• Since the Great Recession our tax base has doubled, going from approximately  $8 billion to $16 billion in total market value of all properties—residential and commercial.

Our Council has diligently worked to prepare Edina for the years ahead, dealing with the challenges of aging infrastructure and guiding substantial changes in both our residential neighborhoods and commercial districts.  With change being inevitable, it is the Council’s responsibility to manage that change to keep our town progressing.The result has been improved quality of life for our residents and an increase in the desirability of our community as a place to live, work, raise families and do business. 

Serving this community as your mayor, building relationships with our residents and representing everyone in Edina locally, in the region and at a national level has been a great privilege.  I hope to continue to lead our community into the future and am therefore enthusiastically seeking reelection and asking for your support and your vote on November 5, 2024.  If re-elected, we can continue to build a better Edina together. 

To learn more about our campaign, please go to www.hovland2024.com.  I thank you in advance for your support and your vote.

All the best,

Jim Hovland