Better Minneapolis Podcast

Terry White
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  • News Commentary

Newsletter focused on local Minneapolis politics and resident stories. www.betterminneapolis.com

  1. 3d ago

    Minneapolis City Council to Vote on Safe Outdoor Parking

    In April 2023, the City of Duluth launched Safe Bay, an outdoor parking program for people living in their vehicles. The idea caught the attention of Minneapolis Council Members Chavez, Stevenson, Chughtai, and Chowdhury, who have introduced their own version. Their ordinance would allow nonprofits, religious organizations, and government entities to host managed parking lots where people can sleep in their cars. The authors describe it as one of several tools for helping people who are experiencing homelessness or are close to it. After a public hearing on October 20, the Business, Housing, and Zoning (BHZ) Committee voted to send the ordinance to the full council. Only a few committee members raised doubts. Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer asked whether any budget dollars or nonprofit sponsors had been identified. None have. Council Member Pearll Warren shared the story of a cousin who died of an overdose in a vehicle. She asked who would be checking on people and whether a host church could be held liable. Staff answered that every sponsor must carry its own liability insurance and have its own security plan. Our best guess is that the ordinance will pass at the October 29 meeting, with the nine votes needed to override a mayoral veto if it comes to that. To learn more, you can find the presentation slide deck in LIMS [here]. If you have questions or concerns, now is the time to contact your council member. The residents who testified made a persuasive case. The sadness, trauma, and frustration people feel about homelessness in our city was clear. Many residents are open to creative solutions, and Safe Outdoor Parking is one that a broad public may find acceptable. Still, no one at the meeting could say how large the need is. The original 2023 proposal estimated $150,000 in startup costs to serve 250 vehicles. Duluth’s program, which ran seasonally, served about 10 vehicles a night at a cost of roughly $800 per day. The Cost of Positive Outcomes Committee members agreed that the proposal is well thought out. Any provider that wants to open a lot will need a management and security plan approved by the BHZ Committee and the Minneapolis Police Department. The regulatory bar is high, and important questions remain open. Chief among them is Warren’s: who will check vehicles for overdoses? As she put it, “not all closed eyes are asleep.” The ordinance would take effect January 1, 2027, but residents are unlikely to see lots open right away. Each site must be at least 10,000 square feet and have permanent restrooms. We have not analyzed how many religious organizations or nonprofits meet those requirements, and neither has the council, but we suspect the number is small. Sites that do qualify will also need funding for on-site security and services from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., when all vehicles must leave for the day. That staffing will be expensive. Duluth’s experience works out to about $80 per vehicle per night. Add insurance and services, and the cost could reach $100 per vehicle per night or more. At that rate, the program begins to approach the cost of a hotel room, which raises a fair question about whether the benefits justify the expense. Leading by Collaborating Safe Outdoor Parking is meant to be one more option for responding to the shortage of affordable housing that can lead to homelessness. Several people who testified explained why some people avoid the shelter system: shelters are often full, most do not allow pets, people feel ashamed, and shelters can be unsafe. Three parts of the discussion deserve more attention. * Work with the county and state. According to a 2025 Hennepin County handout to state legislators, the county “allocates $191 million to housing and homeless activities each year.” Minneapolis is one of many cities searching for solutions. If the council wants to lead, it needs the county and state on board. Homelessness involves more than affordable housing. It is tied to addiction, mental illness, disability, the needs of young people and older adults, and involvement with the justice system. These issues cross city and county lines. To be effective, Minneapolis leaders need to work with other governments toward shared, cost-effective goals. * Work with the mayor. If the city wants to try this program without county or state support, it can at least bring the mayor along. The council keeps advancing programs as though the mayor has no say. They may wish that were true, but wishing does not make it so. During the committee meeting, Council Member Chavez said he did not know whether the mayor would veto the ordinance. Why not? If the mayor has concerns, address them. If the goal is a workable, low-barrier option where people can keep warm in their cars overnight, and the authors want it to succeed, they need to keep the mayor informed. He was elected by voters across the entire city. * Win over doubters with a pilot. Secure a site and a provider. Cap the number of vehicles and show it can be done safely. Show skeptics that letting people keep their pets and offering the dignity of a toilet will not attract “predators,” as one person feared in testimony, and that it will not generate nightly calls to the police. A successful pilot can ease neighbors’ legitimate concerns, or at least allow for adjustments before the program expands. As the council’s own slide deck notes, Minneapolis has been under a homelessness public health emergency since December 2023. Meaningful progress will require cooperation across agencies and across city and county lines. The causes of homelessness, and the solutions, are too large for any one city to handle alone. They call for a wide network of service and housing providers, medical and emergency workers, and coordinated planning. Leadership is not always about being first or loudest. Sometimes it means working behind the scenes to build consensus. That can take longer, but when the goal is a lasting result, it is often the best way to get the job done. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

  2. 6d ago

    Hennepin County Attorney Revisited

    Efforts to increase early voting appear to be working. On Sunday, October 11, we spent the day at the MPLSvotes.org booth at Open Streets on Hennepin, handing out flyers and encouraging people to vote. Quite a few people told us they already had. They have plenty of company. On October 16, the Secretary of State reported: In the first four weeks of voting, local election officials in Minnesota have distributed 519,813 absentee and mail ballots. As of close of business on October 15, a total of 80,870 voters cast their ballots in person, and 121,382 voters returned their ballots by mail – for a total of 202,252 ballots cast during absentee voting so far. In 2022, 172,520 Minnesotans cast their ballots in-person or by mail during the first four weeks of voting. That is 29,732 more votes than at this point in 2022, a 17.23% increase. Some people vote early out of habit. Others are concerned about possible federal interference and see early voting as the best way to avoid it. Either way, we encourage it. The early voting office at 908 Hennepin has extended its hours: * Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. * Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are also twelve one-day pop-up voting events, and two more early voting centers will open on Tuesday, October 20: Urban League Twin Cities2100 Plymouth Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55411 Bethel Lutheran Church4120 17th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 Two Candidates, One Important Office While we were at the booth, both candidates for Hennepin County Attorney stopped by to say hello, so this seems like a good time to share our interviews with them again. With so much money and attention focused on the races for Governor and U.S. Senate, it is easy to overlook the Hennepin County Attorney race. But it matters. The next county attorney will shape the lives of people who are arrested and will also play a central role as the whole community looks for ways to improve safety in Minneapolis and Hennepin County. Here is a summary of my interview with Anders Folk from December 2025: Anders Folk, a lifelong Minnesotan and former federal prosecutor, is running for Hennepin County Attorney with a focus on restoring public safety and rebuilding the office’s reputation. Drawing on his experience in the Marine Corps, at the Department of Justice, and earlier in the Hennepin County Attorney’s juvenile division, Folk argues that the office has suffered from weakened relationships with law enforcement and poor communication with the public. He stresses the importance of professionalism, transparency, and collaboration across the county’s public safety system. Here is a summary of my interview with Cedrick Frazier from January 2026: Cedrick Frazier, a state representative and former public defender, describes the personal and political experiences behind his campaign for Hennepin County Attorney. Raised on Chicago’s South Side and shaped by firsthand exposure to violence, poverty, and inequity, Frazier has built a career in public service that spans criminal defense, education law, and six years in the Minnesota Legislature. He frames his candidacy as a response to the current moment, arguing that constitutional rights, due process, and public trust face renewed threats amid federal overreach and high-profile uses of force. (There was a spelling error in the original post, his spells his name Cedrick.) Share your thoughts on the race and let us know if you’re planning to vote early or have already. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

  3. Oct 14

    End-of-Year Chaos and Obstruction Ahead

    On Tuesday night, as we walked away from the Uptown Futures Forum 2.0 at the Granada Theater, my companion shared his disappointment with the Doran apartment building going up at the corner of Hennepin and 31st. To him, it was a missed opportunity. He had hoped the developers would choose one of the earlier designs that created a courtyard on the block, and he suspected financial pressure had rushed the decision. It’s a major project, yet it came up only once in the presentation. Apparently, no one involved saw it as a success or a sign that the neighborhood is on the right track. The meeting highlighted few positives. Moona Moono, across from the construction site, got a mention, and it was full of people as we walked to the event. Other new additions to the neighborhood include Harold’s Fried Chicken, Arizona Taco and Tiki Tom’s Thai. Despite these hopeful signs, the panelists offered the same ideas for revitalization that the Urban Land Institute (ULI) presented at last year’s Futures Forum 1.0. When I reread Craig Wilson’s summary of that event in the Hill & Lake Press, I found it just as relevant now as it was then. The ULI has some interesting ideas for “animating” the area, but the business community’s two main requests haven’t changed: safety and parking. Several women on the panel said they didn’t feel safe walking in the area or using its parking garages. Panelists also pointed out that no business will lease a large space without enough customer parking. Extending the trolley from Lake Harriet into Uptown is a fun idea, but at $10 million, it would take significant investment from the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County or the City of Minneapolis. To move its agenda forward, the ULI is advocating for a Neighborhood Improvement District (NID). An NID would add a tax on area businesses, and possibly on large apartment buildings, to promote Uptown, beautify its streets and pay for additional security. The idea has merit. We attended hoping to hear about progress, next steps and goals. Instead, the meeting covered the same ground as last year with few updates. We predict a few more cannabis shops will open before anyone adopts an official plan and moves the NID forward. Government Inaction We were pleased to see Ward 10 Council Member Aisha Chughtai at the event. However, her message seemed at odds with most of the other participants. Ward 7 Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer, along with several others, praised the Minneapolis Police Department for helping reduce open drug use in the area. Until Chughtai spoke, the audience seemed to share the view that MPD has an important role in reducing crime and creating an environment that encourages foot traffic. Chughtai offered a different outlook: “In 2027... the city of Minneapolis plans to spend a total of $12 million on addressing homelessness. ... We plan to spend more money on police overtime than we do on all of homelessness response.” As chair of the Budget Committee, Chughtai likely has the numbers right. But her approach suggested more interest in continuing her battle with Mayor Frey than in finding ways to reinvigorate Uptown. What statements like this one lack is context. She could have pressed her fellow panelists, State Sen. Scott Dibble and Rep. Jamie Long, for more state funding for county programs. It would also be worth hearing how much responsibility for our current challenges lies with Hennepin County. Much of the funding for housing and recovery programs is meant to come from the county, which has a larger budget than the city. Yet rather than calling on county board members, Chughtai focused on placing as much blame as possible on the mayor. The lack of progress in Uptown reflects a larger dysfunction at City Hall. A slim council majority appears intent on undermining the strong mayor system that voters approved in 2021. That year, opposition to the new system was strongest in Wards 1 and 10, and those same wards elected Elliott Payne and Aisha Chughtai. Both continue to resist the change, and they are using their power over the budget to do it. Before Tuesday’s event, Payne and Council Minority Leader Robin Wonsley announced that they “are advancing a proposal that would restructure and consolidate city government by eliminating the Office of the Community Safety (OCS) and Performance Management and Innovation department and consolidate the work of the Racial Equity Inclusion and Belonging department into the Neighborhood Community Relations Department. All proposed changes impact departments that were created in the 2022 government structure implementation ordinance and have struggled to demonstrate efficacy.” Their stated goal may be to cut unnecessary costs. But if that were the main motive, they could have brought their ideas to Mayor Frey before mid-October and worked toward an agreement. Instead, residents will watch this power struggle play out through the end of the year, when the council must approve a final budget. The same pattern has unfolded each of the past two years. This year, though, there’s an added twist: if the mayor vetoes the budget again, the council may not have the votes to override. That could lead to the unprecedented situation of the city ending the year without an approved budget. Given the lack of cooperation and progress, it’s hard to see how a council of 7 or 9 members would perform any worse than our current 13. Reducing the council’s size is worth exploring as a new initiative for the Charter Commission. Another way to save money would be a part-time council with seven district members and two at-large members. Opponents of this kind of change usually argue that residents would lose representation, but more doesn’t always mean better. Seattle, which has roughly 354,000 more residents than Minneapolis, operates with a nine-member council: seven elected by district and two at-large. Looking beyond City Hall, if Democrats win back the U.S. House, and possibly the Senate, in a few weeks, we expect Washington to become consumed by hearings, legislative battles and vetoes. The president has already shown his willingness to target Minnesota, and those attacks may increase next year as he issues executive orders to work around a hostile Congress. Minnesota and Minneapolis could face even greater disruption to federal funding. In that environment, a city government that operates efficiently and cooperatively will matter more than ever. Unfortunately, nothing coming out of City Hall suggests we are ready. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

  4. Oct 11

    Minneapolis Public Schools: A Reckoning

    In her newsletter post “Dear Minneapolis Public Schools: It’s Not Me, It’s You,” Molly Mogren Katt compares the relationship between parents and Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) to dating someone who is “bad with money– always complaining about being broke while making tons of careless financial choices. Their past is full of burned bridges. And they start telling you about the handful of times they’ve blown up their life, chasing some half-baked, hairbrained scheme.” Katt’s take is humorous, but many parents find the situation anything but funny. On September 15, MPS presented three possible paths for School Transformation, and many parents felt all three were out of step with what families need. Each option closes schools. Parents say the proposals arrived with little warning after a development process they found opaque. Some were concerned enough to come together and write their own counterproposal. According to Katt, parents are “excavating this plan as we go.” The plan runs 118 pages, and she says it does not put the effects of school closures front and center: how much money closures would save, or how many families would be affected. The deeper problem is trust. Katt says district leaders have worn down the community’s confidence through a series of poor decisions, including the 2020 Comprehensive District Design, which she likens to “district-wide Boggle.” That plan aimed to increase diversity and equity across the district, but despite the upheaval it caused many families, there are few signs it reached those goals. The new Transformation proposals also set lofty goals: “MPS School Transformation is a districtwide effort to reimagine a district where every student thrives – academically, socially and emotionally – through a holistic, culturally sustaining education that engages and prepares contributing citizens.” Before anything else, a culturally sustaining education needs to produce students with reading and math skills at state standards. Today, fewer than half of MPS students do. It may be that we are asking too much of our schools and offering too many options. Families can choose among community schools, magnet schools, charter schools, culturally focused schools, open enrollment in another district, and homeschooling. As Katt puts it, “It’s like when you go to a restaurant and there’s . . . like 80 pages of the menu and you’re like, first of all, how can you make all this food?” Parents want MPS to succeed. Many volunteer, help with school fundraisers, and serve on committees. They are invested in getting this next stage right, yet the latest proposals have left many of them anxious. Katt is calling for a pause so parents can better understand what the proposals are meant to achieve. She also believes the school board members elected this November are the right people to cast the final votes, since they will be responsible for carrying out the decision and living with its results. MPS now enrolls about 29,000 students in a system built to serve 43,000. There are different theories about where those students have gone, though many have likely left for private schools and the suburbs. This moment feels like a turning point for whether the district can hold on to its students and grow again. State races are spending millions to get our attention, but local races often have a bigger impact on our daily lives. That is one of the reasons we created Better Minneapolis. To see what is on your ballot, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s sample ballot tool, or find candidate information from the League of Women Voters at Vote411.org. Here in South Minneapolis, there are two school board races on the ballot: * School Board Member, At Large (vote for two): Michael Baskins, Collin Beachy, Christin Crabtree, and Stephanie Johnson * School Board Member, District 5: Molly Chase and Becca Dryden Stop by the MPLS Votes booth at Open Streets Hennepin on Sunday, October 11, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. I’ll be handing out voting information and talking with people about local politics. There is plenty to talk about! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

    Minneapolis Public Schools: A Reckoning

  5. Oct 7

    911 Call Center Reports 41% of Staff on Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave

    On Tuesday morning, Leticia Cardenas, Assistant Director of Minneapolis 911, presented her department’s financial overview to the City Council Budget Committee. Every department goes through this exercise so the council can see where spending is rising, falling, or needs to be redirected. The Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center (MECC) includes the 911 call center and the Radio Shop. Its budget is increasing by $1.5 million, to $16.5 million. Most of that increase comes from salaries and fringe benefits, which are rising by 20%. With 92 employees, that works out to an average cost of $142,016 per employee. Several factors appear to be driving up employee costs, including the overtime needed to meet basic standards for 911 call centers. Council Members Shaffer and Palmisano questioned Cardenas after she reported that 41% of staff are currently out on Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML). Because the center must cover every shift, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, burnout and turnover are significant, and the problem is difficult to fix. The state legislature passed the law requiring employers to offer 12 weeks of paid leave, which employees can take as soon as they are hired. Cardenas did not know at what rate the state would reimburse her department for employees on leave. Training a new operator takes three to eight months, so the department regularly hires above its budgeted 84 positions, expecting that some people will quit or take leave. Better Minneapolis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. What Is Your Preferred Safety Statistic? Whenever we publish a story about crime in the city, readers criticize the statistics. The most vocal are often those who argue that crime is down. On that point, the Star Tribune recently reported that Minneapolis homicides fell 27% through September 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, and the number of gunshot victims has dropped below 2019 pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, vehicle thefts, other thefts, and car window break-ins have increased, frustrating residents and business owners even as violent crime declines. We find 911 call data to be a useful indicator of whether crime is rising or falling, and call volume has been steady. Over the past 12 months, the center received 266,848 calls. About 75% were routed to MPD, and of those, 37% (74,840 calls) were classified as Priority 1. These are calls that “represent serious emergencies with an imminent threat to personal safety or severe potential for property damage where conditions at the scene are volatile.” That is more than 200 Priority 1 calls a day, handled by a call center with 41% of its staff on leave. The center receives between 5,000 and 7,000 calls each week. Given that workload, it is easy to see why so many shifts are covered with overtime. The same volume may also help explain the overtime paid to MPD patrol officers who respond to these calls. Calls directed to the Behavioral Crisis Response (BCR) team make up about 3% of the total: 8,572 of 266,848 over the past 12 months. So far, the service has had only a small effect on the police and operator hours needed to provide public safety. The city plans to change BCR vendors, moving from Canopy Roots, a local Black-owned company, to Community Bridges, based in Arizona. The new contract is valued at $5.9 million and runs through December 2028. Canopy Roots has been paid just over $26 million since it began in 2021. Uptown Is Still Waiting for Community Safety Ambassadors Business owners in Uptown continue to report break-ins, vandalism, and graffiti. Repairs often cost between $500 and $2,000. Because those amounts fall within insurance deductibles, owners pay out of pocket. When these incidents happen often enough, the costs add up, especially while customers have been slow to return to the area. Many owners feel the city does not take their complaints seriously, and some have organized their own walking safety groups. This is frustrating given that the city is budgeting $2,276,694 toward having 23 in-house Community Safety Ambassadors (CSAs), or about $99,000 per position. In her presentation, Neighborhood Safety Director Amanda Harrington said: “We’re currently hiring for 21 positions. We hope to have staff start October 13th, which is very soon, and have them go through an intensive two-week training program before going out on the streets in November. This slide shows our projection for staffing three zones, which costs about $2.5 million. This includes about a six-person team on East Lake Street, a four-person team on Franklin Avenue, and an eight-person team in Uptown. Uptown is new, so I want to note the boundaries: Franklin Avenue down Hennepin to 31st Street, and then Lake Street from 35W to East Bde Maka Ska.” Many council members are skeptical of MPD and expressed frustration that the police budget is increasing while the Neighborhood Safety Department has been asked to absorb an $800,000 cut. Meanwhile, the department’s performance metrics remain a concern. Council Member Warren worried that CSAs would be placed between police and the people responsible for violence. Harrington explained that CSAs are there to call 911 when a situation becomes volatile. Violence Interrupters, by contrast, focus on building relationships within the community. Harrington also cautioned council members against confusing correlation with causation. In other words, it is too early to conclude that violent crime is down because of these programs. City-sponsored healing circles may be building trust and relationships, but there is no direct evidence that they are reducing gang violence or other violence in the city. A request was made by Council Member Rainville for an accounting of all the vendors who had been paid without supplying proper documentation of their work. A recent audit demonstrated that proper accounting for payments continues to be an issue. Several council members asked for the programs to be expanded and questioned Harrington about how the zones were chosen. Those questions reflect two assumptions: first, that crime continues to disrupt neighborhoods, and second, that alternatives to traditional policing are an essential part of the public safety system. This budget cycle will reflect the tension between the two. Council members are frustrated that the police budget keeps growing, while the public is growing impatient for results from non-police alternatives. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

  6. Sep 30

    Property Tax Shock Could Be Ahead for Minneapolis Residents

    Minneapolis residents may want to start saving now for next year’s property taxes. The Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET) met Tuesday afternoon, and with no compromise reached since its last meeting, the board voted 4 to 2 to approve a maximum city levy increase of 11.3% along with the full 5.86% increase sought by the park board. Combined, the maximum levy could exceed 11.7%. [1] Commissioner Eric Harris Bernstein introduced the amendment to fully fund both requests. “I’m offering this amendment to avoid what will be a catastrophic loss of funds, if we didn’t pass something tonight,” he said. The catastrophe he described was a return to last year’s levy, which would have happened if the board had deadlocked again. Commissioner Mayor Jacob Frey and Commissioner Steve Brandt cast the two dissenting votes. Both held firm in wanting a lower levy. Brandt used the moment to reflect on the board’s makeup: “I think the discussion this year has sort of pointed out the value of having a 3rd public member on this board. As the board is now constituted, city hall, whether the mayor and the council typically agree or disagree, can essentially veto any other faction of the board. And I believe that this board was set up historically so that city hall didn’t have a majority of the seats, and it operated that way until the library board was abolished, and I intend to look into the process for adding that 3rd member via referendum.” The budget now goes to the City Council for review and amendment. The council may make cuts, which would lower the final levy, but we won’t know where it lands until mid-to-late December. The Minneapolis Police Department’s budget is likely to face pressure. In Monday’s presentation to the budget committee, MPD acknowledged mismanagement of overtime and showcased a new dashboard it has implemented to better track overtime use. Council Member and Budget Chair Aisha Chughtai referred to that mismanagement during the BET meeting: “I said to you over and over again, I do think there is broad ways of abuse happening inside of the Minneapolis Police Department right now, and yesterday we heard them admit that on the record, that should be concerning to every taxpayer, every resident of our city that pays into a system expecting safety, expecting help in their toughest moments, and instead to find out that a misuse of their money is happening, I think is despicable.” Don’t Forget the Hennepin County and Minneapolis Public Schools Levies According to Cam Gordon, writing in the new online publication Hennepin Herald, County Administrator Jodi Wentland has proposed a $2.993 billion budget that includes an 8.15% increase in total property taxes. The proposal responds to reduced state and federal funding. Public testimony included calls to maintain library service, which faces shortened hours; to expand pollution testing at the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC); and to scrutinize the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, whose budget has grown 30% since 2020. Finally, there is an issue that hits close to home for many families: the Minneapolis Public Schools budget. The district is working out how to right-size a system built for 43,000 students when only 30,000 are enrolled. Its final request isn’t known yet, but we expect it will also seek an increase. The Pinch By some very rough math, the combined increase from the city, county, and school district levies could approach 20%. This comes at a time when gas averages $4.33 a gallon, fraud continues to surface, and many families come home from the grocery store in disbelief at what they paid. As we discussed with Steve Brandt in our recent interview, a complicated formula determines how much each property’s taxes will change. Some owners, especially in neighborhoods where property values have risen, could see increases of as much as 20%. In 2026, 3,328 properties saw increases of more than 20%. Ward 12 had the highest median increase at 13.39%, meaning half of the ward’s properties rose by more than that and half by less. We understand these budgets involve many competing interests. But our leaders need to do more than say they wish the increases were lower. When revenue falls, spending must fall too. Renters and homeowners alike will feel these increases. More money going to taxes means fewer nights out and less spending at local businesses. That reduces tax revenue in turn, and the cycle starts to look a lot like a recession. [1] The MPRB levy is part of the city levy. Their portion in terms of dollars is much smaller than the city’s portion and therefore there isn’t a 1-to-1 impact on the percentage. The mayor originally proposed 2.5% “placeholder” for the MPRB increase, the additional 2.83% adds roughly .4 percent to the total city levy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

  7. Sep 27

    Interview: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

    It’s budget season in Minneapolis, and this year looks even more complicated than the last few. In this interview with Mayor Frey, we talk through many of the challenges, including the unique problems caused by Operation Metro Surge, a close review of each department to find efficiencies, millions of dollars added to the budget for MPD overtime, and shortfalls from downtown commercial buildings whose property values continue to be revised downward. Despite the challenges, Frey is optimistic about what comes next. “Minneapolis is open for business,” he says. “It’s showing that downtown is being reactivated in a different way that we’ve never seen before.” We also talked about some of the many events Minneapolis hosted this past year that showed what the city has to offer. Frey cited Dinner du Nord, numerous East Lake Street events, the Mile of Music on Nicollet Mall, the Special Olympics, Open Streets, and WWE SummerSlam. On the city’s comeback, Frey said, “You can knock us down, but we won’t be out. We’re going to get back up again. The city is just so tough and resilient.” Budget process The first step in passing a city budget is for the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) to set the maximum levy. Frey proposed 11.3%, a figure several board members have called too high. At Wednesday’s meeting, the board deadlocked 3-3 and will try again on Tuesday, September 29. One sticking point is the park board levy. The mayor offered 4% as a compromise, but several members of the BET and the City Council want to fund the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s (MPRB) full request of 5.86%. According to Frey, the MPRB is the only department in the city that has been unwilling to make cuts. He is holding out for the park board to find reductions comparable to those other departments have made. Once the BET sets the levy, the City Council will begin shaping the budget to reflect its priorities. Frey believes he mostly shares those priorities but pursues them in a different way. The mediator the city hired to improve relations between the council and the mayor will not take part in budget negotiations, but the ground rules for interaction still apply. Frey would like those rules to be public and transparent. They include no personal attacks, so everyone stays focused on the issues, and no assuming the other person’s intent. Frey notes that everyone has different backgrounds, constituencies, and reasons for their positions. Beyond the budget, we discussed: * The concept of social housing, and how it does or does not differ from what people usually think of as public housing * Frey’s proposal to hire the 23 community safety ambassadors who currently work as contractors * His directive that the City Council give 48 hours’ notice when city staff are asked to testify, and why he believes written responses to council requests are sometimes enough * His continued support for public housing despite what happened at Heritage Park Council positions Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer, typically a Frey ally, summed up the budget problem in her latest newsletter: “People are fed up with their taxes going up while it seems like the city is not doing enough to rein in expenses . . . We need to find efficiencies and scale back because we can’t balance our books by continuing to ask our residents to pay double-digit property tax increases year after year.” Shaffer’s comments followed a Ward 7 Community Conversation where Budget Director Shawn Greene explained the basics of how the city budget is built. Expenses are rising, especially health insurance for the city’s 4,285 employees. Meanwhile, revenue from downtown commercial buildings and Local Government Aid (LGA) is flat. To maintain current service levels, the city would need to raise the property tax levy to cover an estimated $61 million shortfall. Other council members, such as Ward 8’s Soren Stevenson, see the MPD as the main driver of rising expenses. In his newsletter, Stevenson writes that “the city is significantly struggling as a result of a pattern of unsustainable and unaccountable spending within the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). Property taxes will continue to increase unless we take meaningful steps to reform the department and exercise needed financial oversight. As we continue to face difficult decisions in this budget session, this will remain a key focus of mine.” Compromise is not a four-letter word Compromise used to be a core part of a politician’s job. That fell by the wayside years ago, leaving a system where politicians cater to the special interest groups that turn out the vote for them. Many people worry about drones and Flock cameras, but few pay attention to the increasingly sophisticated networking and database tools that let campaigns pinpoint their supporters, motivate them, and largely ignore everyone else. Those supporters are then flooded with social media content they pass along to like-minded friends and neighbors. The result is often a message of solidarity against compromise. Any compromise is treated as weakness or a lack of moral character, rather than what it often is: serving residents as well as possible. This year, Frey will be navigating conflict with the park board, residents tired of property tax increases, stubbornly flat revenue, and a City Council whose trust in him and the MPD seems to keep eroding. Despite these tensions, Frey remains committed to the work. “We’re going to keep working together and we’re going to keep trying to find compromise wherever we can,” he said. If everyone commits to reaching a budget through the necessary tradeoffs, it can be done. Frey, however, declined to predict the final outcome. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

  8. Sep 22

    Decision Point on the Property Tax Levy

    Steve Brandt Interview On Wednesday evening, the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) will decide whether to accept Mayor Frey’s proposed 11.3 percent property tax levy increase or amend it. The decision affects most Minneapolis residents. Whether you own a home or rent an apartment, your monthly payment is likely to go up. A complicated formula determines exactly how much each property’s taxes will change. Some owners, especially in neighborhoods where property values have risen, could see increases of as much as 20 percent. In 2026, 3,328 properties saw increases of more than 20 percent. Ward 12 had the highest median increase at 13.39 percent, meaning half of the properties in the ward rose by more than that and half by less. My guest in this interview is Steve Brandt, an elected member of the BET. Brandt plans to push for a levy increase below 10 percent. As he puts it, “For the greatest number of city taxpayers, the increase from an 11.3% levy would be in the 15 to 20% range. And so that’s horrendous. And I don’t support it.” The board has six members: Mayor Jacob Frey, Council President Elliott Payne, Council Budget Chair Aisha Chughtai, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board President Tom Olsen, and two elected representatives, Steve Brandt and Eric Harris Bernstein. A measure needs a majority to pass, so Brandt will need to win over three of his colleagues. His case is straightforward: “Our spending has risen faster than our revenues… I would like to do more on the spending-cut side.” He believes it is time to separate the city’s “nice-to-haves” from its “must-haves.” Bottom Line Brandt is not alone in thinking the mayor’s proposed levy is too high and that the city needs to cut more before asking residents for more money. If his plan is adopted Wednesday, the parks will receive their full request of 5.86 percent for 2027, and the overall levy increase will stay below 10 percent. He explains in the interview that if the BET cannot reach a decision by the end of September, the levy increase will remain at the 2026 level of 8 percent. If Frey’s proposal is approved, the owner of a median-priced $333,000 home will pay about $409 more per year, on top of the $242 increase in 2026. Brandt sees several ways the city could tighten control of spending: managing job vacancies more carefully, strengthening oversight of MPD overtime and related costs, and pursuing revenue sources that reduce the city’s reliance on homeowners. If commercial real estate values stay depressed over the next several years, the city will need both new revenue and stronger fiscal discipline to keep the cost of city government from overwhelming residents. One idea we discussed, which other cities have tried, is an income tax on high earners. Another is voluntary payments from large tax-exempt property owners such as hospitals, universities, churches, and nonprofits. Boston has used this approach on the reasoning that these institutions rely on city services like fire and police protection but do not pay into the funds that support them. The city could publish an annual list showing which institutions paid and which did not, adding public pressure to contribute. Brandt also raised the idea of a deed-transfer tax, which would charge a small percentage each time a property changes hands. That option would require approval from the Legislature. The city has three levers for maintaining its fiscal health: lower spending, raise property taxes, or find other sources of revenue. Maintaining the level of service Minneapolis residents have come to expect may take a combination of all three. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.betterminneapolis.com/subscribe

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