Relationships between the Metropolitan Council and elected officials at the state, county and local levels are strained, with criticism of the agency coming from across the political spectrum. From doctoring their financials to their blatant mismanagement of the Southwest light-rail project (SWLRT), causes for distrust surrounding the Met Council are growing.
Distrust of the council arises from a governance structure that allows this unelected body to exercise power over 3.5 million metro residents with little to no accountability. The council, reporting only to the governor, now controls all federal and state resources for metro transportation, transit, subsidized housing, water treatment, parks and airports. More recently, the body has added fighting poverty and inequity to its role.
This is why legislators, as well as city and county elected officials, are calling for a sharp pullback.
Lack of transparency and accountability go a long way toward explaining the mismanagement we've witnessed recently. An audit completed last month by the nonpartisan legislative auditor found that the council used two different sets of financials, one provided to the Legislature showing a $68 million deficit and the other to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), showing a healthy surplus of $152 million. More disappointing is that Gov. Mark Dayton demanded that taxpayers fill that operating deficit while castigating the Legislature for so-called transit funding "cuts."
In releasing its audit, the auditor's office "questioned whether the council was fully disclosing to the federal government its true financial situation given the council's projected deficit and decreased legislative support." Fortunately, the auditor is not done with the council and will have further reports airing its findings.
Beyond misleading the federal government, Legislature and public on its financial situation, the council is responsible for a series of glaring mismanagement issues. For instance, the SWLRT bid-letting process has resulted in 36 local contractors being barred from submitting bids because of FTA rules meant to ensure fair competition. The public deserves to know the facts behind this fiasco, and why hundreds of local jobs promised to Minnesotans will be going to out-of-state contractors.
Next, the council announced a surprise construction add-on to SWLRT — a 1.4-mile-long and 10-foot-high concrete wall to address public safety concerns along the corridor. This concession was made to BNSF Railway in the final rush to meet federal requirements and apply for $929 million in federal funds. It substantiated bipartisan fears about rail safety over the co-location of passenger and freight rail along the narrow corridor.
A stern letter from DFL legislators and Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges expressed dismay over this development. The FTA is requiring the council to take remedial steps, including an additional environmental study that could further add to delays.
