Amada Márquez Simula is the Mayor of Columbia Heights, Minnesota. She took office on January 4, 2021.
Columbia Heights Keeps their Latina Leader!
Mayor Amáda Márquez Simula is the city’s first non-white elected official, and currently the only Latino mayor in Minnesota. Following her success as one of the city’s most transparent, positive, and effective leaders, residents re-elected her to a third term on November 5, 2024.
Please return my lawn signs!
Lawn signs were collected from yards on Friday November 15, 2024, but 175 signs are missing. If you still have a sign (from any election year) please let us know and we’ll send someone to pick it up right away.
Informed. Fearless. Creative. Leadership.
Here are just a few of the ways Columbia Heights has improved since I took office.
Smarter spending
I’ve helped keep property taxes as low as possible by seeking state and federal grants, such as:
- $400K for sanitary sewer improvements
- $25M from MNDOT for Central Ave corridor redevelopment
- $10M for replacing our Public Works building
- Grant for Safe Streets for All
- 80/20 split grant to construct safe routes (sidewalks) to schools
- Grant to construct an outdoor sport court at Sullivan Park
Healthier Spaces
- Eliminated smoking in all public parks
- Eliminated indoor tobacco sampling
- Started the Sustainability Commission
- Introduced No Mow May
- Approved additional bicycle lanes
- Completed construction of a pickleball court
- Approved the planting of 190 city trees per year
- Signed a gun storage safety resolution and supported Be Smart gun lock giveaways
- Helped mitigate Eurasian milfiol in Silver Lake
Easier access to services
- Updated utility billing to include automatic online payments
- Instituted the CodeRED system
- Employed multi-lingual staff
- Approved digital transformation of property records, building permits, city project planning, and many other legacy systems
Thriving Local Business
We have attracted several new businesses including:
- A gym
- Restaurants
- Coffee shops
- A music store
- A brewery
23 businesses have taken advantage of the city’s facade improvement program.
Modernized public safety
- Hired two social workers to work with the Public Safety department
- Introduced police bola wraps as alternative to tasers
- Hired the first woman police captain, the first Somali police sergeant, and the first two Black sergeants in Anoka county.
- Acquired a grant for a therapy dog for our Public Safety Department
Making a Difference
Protecting the Environment
Humans need pollinators. I’ve helped Columbia Heights become a national leader in protecting this critical link in our food chain. We are recognized by the National Wildlife Federation for fulfilling the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge. I have also made No Mow May a recognized city practice.
Community Grieving and Healing
Our society has deep problems with racism. Solutions will take generations. I recognize this injustice, I share the outrage, and I’m committed to long-term strategies. I have created a Rapid Response Team to ensure that everyone can assemble and demonstrate safely, if needed.
Listening and Leading by Example
Representation means constantly listening to our residents. I have established regular communication with various cultural communities within our city. I have also reestablished a Youth Commission in Columbia Heights.
Celebrating our Differences
One of the best features of Columbia Heights is our diversity. I recognize our many cultures and communities through official city proclamations, and by attending celebrations and events.
The American Dream
Columbia Heights is one of the most diverse cities in Minnesota. Since taking office, I have helped two people become US citizens. This includes reuniting a family that was separated internationally. As Mayor, I have no power to make these changes. I simply saw opportunities to connect people with the resources they needed.
Reconciling Our Past
Many of us were raised on a single language and a single viewpoint of history without considering our immigrant and indigenous neighbors. I am proud to include a native land acknowledgement in city proceedings. I have also corrected the signage in our city park to include the correct spelling of our Sister City, Łomianki Poland.
Securing Our Future
Columbia Heights has been viewed as an old bedroom suburb, but we are actually building new spaces for both businesses and housing. The new city hall and several new apartment buildings have opened in the past year. I’m excited to continue moving forward with other large development projects at the former Rainbow and Medtronic sites. Redevelopment of a smarter and safer Central Avenue will begin in 2028.
