Mayor’s Minutes: New Hope’s Kathi Hemken
New Hope Mayor Kathi Hemken spoke recently with CCX Media’s Dave Kiser about the upcoming election season, the city budget process, and this year’s City Day.
New Hope Mayor Kathi Hemken in August 2024
Early voting for the general election begins in Minnesota on September 20. Hemken said New Hope City Hall will be open Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on select Saturdays for early voting ahead of November 5.
“If you need to register, you can go to city hall and register there with a picture ID and an address,” said Hemken. You can also mail in voter registration with information found on mnvotes.org.
The city’s budget process has begun, with city council approving a preliminary budget for 2025 at $21,429,909, which would amount to a 6.75% increase in the levy over 2024.
“We’ll keep looking at that and bringing that down as much as we can,” said Hemken.
City Day is October 24. City Hall will be open with representatives from a variety of city departments and local agencies, and children can come and are invited to draw their pictures, which are then hung up in the hallways of the municipal building.
“Meantime, the parents come in and see what services the city can provide,” said Hemken. “Then, they go out in to the parking lot and get candy!”
