Priorities and initiatives

Priorities and initiatives I’m involved with:

Bottineau Transitway – This proposed light-rail line will extend approximately 13 miles northwest from downtown Minneapolis through North Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park.
Penn Avenue Community Works – Established in May 2012 to stimulate economic development, livability and job creation along Penn Avenue in North Minneapolis, Penn Community Works extends from the Southwest LRT Penn Avenue Station at I-394 to Osseo Road and 49th Avenue North (see project map (PDF)). Hennepin County Community Works projects are developed in partnership with communities, cities and other stakeholders to focus public and private investment along important corridors. This approach is grounded in the robust participation of residents, businesses, government agencies and community organizations. To sign up for updates, visit www.hennepin.us/penn.
Lowry Avenue Northeast Community Works Project – More than a decade ago, the Lowry Avenue Corridor Plan was completed. Hennepin County is excited to begin a planning process to update this plan for Northeast Minneapolis. The planning process will focus on key Lowry Avenue northeast intersections and is expected to take about 18 months to complete. To sign up for updates, visit www.hennepin.us/lowry.
North Minneapolis Hub – Hennepin County is developing six human services hubs located in the same neighborhoods where clients live, work and attend school. The goal is to have the North Hub, located at 1001 Plymouth Avenue North, open before Century Plaza, the county’s main financial assistance center, closes at the end of 2014. Several community meetings about the North Hub were held in May and June of 2013. Remodeling of the site started in September with the goal of completion in the second quarter of 2014.
Citizens Academy – Curious about the services county government provides? Want to learn more about what happens to your tax dollars? Registration opens every February for the spring session and July for the fall session. Visit the registration page for more details, to sign up for a session, or add your name to our waiting list.

Biography

Linda Higgins joined the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in November 2012.

Before joining the County Board, Commissioner Higgins was the Minnesota State Senator from District 58, representing Downtown and North Minneapolis from 1997 to 2012. While a member of the Senate, she chaired the Public Safety Budget Division, State and Local Government, and Elections committees and served on the Capital Investment, Environment and Natural Resources, Finance, and Health and Human Services committees.

Commissioner Higgins graduated from Mankato (Minnesota) State College in 1972, with a Bachelor of Science in English and a minor in Journalism. She received an Associate of Arts degree from Iowa Lakes Community College (Estherville, Iowa) in 1970. She graduated from Titonka (Iowa) Consolidated School in 1968.

Commissioner Higgins grew up on a farm in Northern Iowa. She is the youngest of three children of Dale and Toni Higgins. She is married to Brian Bushay, who is a computer programmer. They live in North Minneapolis.

Leadership positions

Hennepin County

Vice-Chair, Hennepin County Board
Chair, Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority
Secretary, Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority
Chair, Operations and Libraries Committee
Vice-Chair, County Administration Committee
Member, Health Committee
Member, Human Services Committee
Member, Public Safety Committee
Member, Public Works Committee

Non-Hennepin County committees

Metropolitan Emergency Services Board
Secretary and voting delegate, Association of Minnesota Counties
Chair, Association of Minnesota Counties, District X
Member, Association of Minnesota Counties standing committee on health and human services
Member, Association of Minnesota Counties Futures Task Force
Chair, Association of Minnesota Counties Finance Committee
Member, Association of Minnesota Counties Executive Committee
Member, Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA) Board
Member, Community Action Partnership for Suburban Hennepin
Member, Hennepin History Museum
Member, Joint Committee on Community Corrections
Member, Metropolitan Health Plan board
Member, Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership board
Member, Northpoint Health and Wellness Center board
Member, St. Anthony Falls Heritage board
Member, National Association of Counties Human Services and Education Committee, steering committee and subcommittee chair for education, children and families
Member, NACo Large Urban County Caucus steering committee
Member, State of Minnesota Human Services Performance Management Council
Member, Minnesota Judicial Branch Technology Fee advisory board
Member, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative state advisory board
Member, Southwest Light Rail steering committee
Member, Southwest Light Rail Community Works steering committee
Member, Member, Southwest Light Rail Corridor management committee
Member, Blue Line Bottineau Light Rail Corridor management committee
Member, Blue Line Bottineau Light Rail Community Works steering committee
Co-Chair, Penn Avenue Community Works
Chair, Lowry Avenue Community Works
Member, Northern Lights Express Alliance board
Member, Northstar Corridor Development Authority board

Stay connected

Subscribe to receive email alerts as my newsletters are published.

I welcome your comments.

2018 issues

2017 issues

2016 issues

2015 issues

2014 issues

2013 issues

About District 2

This district serves the cities of Golden Valley, Medicine Lake, southeast Plymouth, St. Anthony and north and northeast Minneapolis, including the North Loop and Bryn Mawr neighborhoods.

Collapse all information

Hennepin County, Minnesota

Linda Higgins, District 2