Opinion | The Minneapolis budget crisis: Why it happened and what we can do

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City Council elections are important. In a matter of days, residents of Minneapolis will begin voting for a council member in their wards to represent local needs. One of the most direct ways that council members affect our daily lives is by passing a budget that reflects our community interests. That’s why I am concerned that many members of the current City Council in Minneapolis have repeatedly shown a lack of understanding of how our city’s budget actually works.

City department leaders submit budget requests that support their resource needs to fund their responsibilities and manage city services. The mayor then prepares a proposed budget each August, which the City Council reviews, holds hearings on and amends before adoption.

The 2025 Minneapolis city budget, totaling almost $2 billion, is a statement of our city’s priorities. Whether the funding is going to public safety alternatives, transit improvements or investments in affordable housing, those choices should reflect a progressive path for our city. It is important to have a long-term vision for the finances of the city, because the budget defines the future of our city.

The problem

Due to a dangerous federal administration, Minneapolis is about to face lower investments from the federal government. This steep drop off of crucial funding is something that I, and many of my neighbors, saw coming. Surprisingly, it seems that many on the current council did not. Their 2025 budget was filled with short-term solutions to long-term issues, like funding new temporary contracts and sending money directly to only recently founded nonprofits. Instead of prioritizing funding to provide residents with core services at a time when the support would not come from other sources, the budget focused on new, interim priorities.

Our city is about to face real challenges that many of us were able to predict. Yet many members of the current Minneapolis City Council seem caught off-guard by the decreased funding and are considering cuts to essential services and programs. The burden to fund their ballooning budget falls on us, with our property taxes increasing year after year. The adopted 2025 budget includes a 6.9% increase in the property tax levy, which is nearly the largest property tax hike in a decade. The understandable exception was the 6.95% increase of the pandemic. These financial challenges require thoughtful, long-term solutions; as well as an ability to work well with one another, the mayor and the Minnesota Legislature. These values are not reflected by the majority of the council.

The solution

We need to elect the council candidates who understand that they must reinvest our dollars into our core services. Council members who know how to listen to the community, equitably distribute resources and plan for the future should be in charge of making these important decisions. Current council members up for election who have the governmental experience to effectively balance a budget are Michael Rainville in Ward 3, LaTrisha Vetaw in Ward 4 and Linea Palmisano in Ward 13. I would add to the mix my Ward 2 candidate Shelley Madore, who has a great deal of experience successfully balancing budgets in other professional and governmental positions. Experience matters. Electing City Council members who are seasoned and strategic will help Minneapolis navigate the budget fiasco of the past two terms.

This November, we need to elect representatives that understand the importance of balancing the Minneapolis budget. The focus must be shifted back to serving our city with collaboration, thoughtfulness and Minneapolis-focused priorities.