Minneapolis City Council denies reappointment of Public Safety Commissioner Barnette again

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The debate over Public Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette’s future continues as the Minneapolis City Council once again narrowly rejected his reappointment, leaving city leadership at a standstill.

READ MORE: Mayor Frey warns 'tough decisions' ahead in 2026 State of the City address

Council splits again on Barnette’s reappointment

What we know:

The Minneapolis City Council voted 7-6 against reappointing Public Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette. This marks the second time Barnette has been denied the position, with council members citing concerns about his job performance. 

"This body did not confirm the appointment of Toddrick Barnette for substantive reasons for job performance issues," said Council Member Soren Stevenson.

READ MORE: Mayor vows veto after council rejects appointment Barnette as safety commissioner

Instead of postponing the vote, the council chose to deliver another direct denial. Council Member Aisha Chughtai said, "I believe that, no means no. And the council has said no. And, we stand by the choices that we make around here, and, it is time for the mayor to come to us and, figure out a different path forward with a different nominee that the council has not said no to."

The repeated denials have created a loop, as Mayor Jacob Frey has previously vetoed the council’s decision, sending the nomination back for another vote. Unless something changes by early August, this cycle could continue. The options now are for the mayor to nominate someone new, for Barnette to withdraw his name, or for the council to approve the reappointment, which appears unlikely.

The mayor’s office responded to the latest vote, calling it "mean-spirited," and said the mayor has had several conversations with council members, including the council president, about a way to work together. 

Council Member Linea Palmisano said Council President Elliott Payne was open to forming a "work group."

"He was willing to bring together members of council to come up with questions that nominees from the mayor’s office would be able to see beforehand and respond to beforehand instead of getting ambushed through the microphone in a meeting," Palmisano said.

Council members voice their concerns

The other side:

Council members who voted against Barnette’s reappointment say their decision is based on serious concerns, not politics. 

"For me, there were very, very substantive reasons as to why I did not support the nominee. For me, it was not what was the, quote, political gamesmanship," said Council Member Aurin Chowdhury.

Chughtai added, "To disregard the council rejecting an appointee in, in a manner that is historic, that has not happened before. I think that really speaks to the gravity of failures within this nomination. And I think that, the council reiterating its previous position of saying no, is the best path forward right now."

A letter was also added to the city’s public records system, responding to Council President Elliott Payne’s letter explaining why Barnette’s appointment was denied. The new letter highlights that Barnette has strong support from six council members and points out the slim margin of the majority denial.

Council President Elliott Payne said, "The council spoke once, we shouldn’t have to speak again, and I don’t want to see us in some infinite loop of us reasserting our position on lack of consent for this nominee. I think the mayor should accept this democratic process and bring forward a new candidate."

Barnette’s response and possible next steps

What's next:

Commissioner Barnette told FOX 9, "I’ve said before I still have so much more to contribute to building a safer Minneapolis. This will be my focus going forward, and I remain committed to both this job and this city that I love," Barnette said.

The mayor must now decide whether to veto the latest denial, which is expected to happen next week. Meanwhile, some council members hope for a new approach to avoid continued dysfunction between the council and the mayor’s office. 

"We need to change the way that we work for the people of Minneapolis and the dysfunction on city council and the dysfunction of council leadership with the mayor’s office isn’t working very well," said Council Member Palmisano.

Council members and the mayor’s office remain divided on how to move forward, with some calling for more collaboration and others urging a new nominee.

What we don't know:

It is unclear whether Mayor Frey will veto the latest denial or if Barnette will ultimately withdraw his name. There is also no indication yet of who might be nominated if Barnette is not reappointed or how long the current stalemate will last.

Minneapolis City CouncilMinneapolisCrime and Public SafetyJacob Frey