Minneapolis residents to vote on $500 mayoral filing fee

Minneapolis residents will face a ballot question in November about increasing the filing fee to run for mayor to $500, after the city's charter commission approved the measure today.

City leaders have debated stepping up the requirements to run for office since 35 people ran for mayor last fall – with only $20 needed to land on the ballot. Critics complained that the system, also the first major test of ranked choice voting in Minneapolis, encouraged frivolous candidates and confused voters.

Last month, the City Council voted down a charter commission proposal to raise the filing fees for mayor and council to $250 and $100, after two council members opposed it. Changing the charter without a voter referendum would have required unanimous approval from the council.

Now, the charter commission's action, approved 10-5, goes to the council, which will determine the exact language of the ballot question.

Voters will also decide whether to raise the filing fee – currently $20 for not just the mayor's office, but all candidates – to $250 for candidates running for council, and $100 each for people running for the Board of Estimates and Taxation and the park board.

Mike Griffin, director of campaigns for Fair Vote Minnesota, expressed support for the move during the meeting, saying the organization wants candidates on the ballot who take the job seriously. But several mayoral candidates from last year testified against the move.

Bob Carney, a repeat city candidate, told charter commissioners today that he didn't see the rush to raise the fee when the next municipal election is in 2017

Captain Jack Sparrow, who also ran for mayor, said raising the fee would create a government for those with money. After the vote, he said he couldn't have afforded to run if it cost $500.

Candidates still have an option under state law to gather 500 signatures or 5 percent of the total votes cast in the last election – whichever is less – in lieu of paying the fee.

A motion to keep the fee for mayor and council at $100 failed today, as did a proposal to raise it to $250 for mayor and $125 for council.

Charter Commission Chair Barry Clegg said the city should keep its filing fee at the same level as St. Paul – which is also $500 and $250 to run for mayor and council, respectively – and noted that the fee has been the same for 60 years and probably won't change for another 60.

"By that time, $500 will get you a small latte," he joked.