[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E974-E975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING MAYOR WILLIAM A. BLONIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ILHAN OMAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 25, 2024

  Ms. OMAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mayor William 
A. Blonigan, who will

[[Page E975]]

be retiring after an impressive 44-year tenure with the City of 
Robbinsdale. I wish to acknowledge his tireless efforts in the 
expansion of housing opportunities, his commitment to the public good, 
his stewardship of critical infrastructure initiatives, and his overall 
devotion to the city he serves.
  Mayor Blonigan's service to Robbinsdale began in 1980, when he was 
first elected to the City Council. As his city manager wrote, ``He has 
not left the dais since.'' After 10 consecutive terms as a City Council 
member, he ran to serve as the city's Mayor, winning the support of his 
constituents through active communication, strong relationships, and a 
desire to find common ground on the issues that impact Robbinsdale 
residents.
  Over the last 44 years, Mayor Blonigan has been a steady hand in some 
of the most consequential initiatives in the city's history. He helped 
build new facilities for the Police Department and Fire Department in 
1993 to ensure residents received a high quality of service from their 
public safety agencies. He drove historic investment in parks 
throughout the city, including the redevelopment of Robbinsdale's 
largest park, Lakeview Terrace Park, that included a playground, ball 
fields, walking paths, and access to Crystal Lake. He supported a new 
water filtration system for Crystal Lake that resulted in over 40,000 
pounds of litter and pollution being removed. Most recently, he oversaw 
the construction of a new water treatment plant that went online in 
2023 and a new water tower that went into service earlier this year. He 
prioritized an aggressive approach to caring for the city's 100+ year 
old infrastructure while ensuring residents were not overburdened by 
property taxes.
  Mayor Blonigan's tenure is also defined by significant expansion of 
housing opportunities and successful economic development initiatives. 
He built strong relationships with intergovernmental committees, 
private entities, small businesses, and developers to drive this 
important work. During his time as Mayor, Robbinsdale saw multiple 
unused schools and dilapidated buildings redeveloped into housing, as 
well as the construction of multiple new market-rate apartment 
complexes and hundreds of new single-family homes supported by the 
city's Economic Development Authority. He encouraged an expansion of 
North Memorial Hospital--one of the largest hospitals in the state--and 
a full-service grocery store down the street from it. He coordinated 
investment in Robbinsdale's historic downtown, ensuring it is vibrant 
for future generations.
  At the heart of Mayor Blonigan's service is his unwavering commitment 
to the public good. In 2011, the City created a Domestic Partner 
Registry to recognize same-sex partnerships in advance of statewide 
marriage legalization in 2012. He was a supporter of diversity, equity, 
and inclusion initiatives long before they became common practice in 
municipal governments. He led nearby cities in creating a process to 
remove racial covenants from their land and home titles to help us heal 
from generations of racist redlining. He joined cities across the state 
in declaring a climate emergency, leading to the creation of 
Robbinsdale's Energy Action Plan to help the city and its residents 
fight the climate crisis.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my great privilege to honor and thank Mayor 
Blonigan for his service to the City of Robbinsdale. His leadership 
should be an example to all public servants.

                          ____________________