Minneapolis council questions $23M cuts in mayor's budget proposal

Minneapolis council concerned with budget cuts

Minneapolis city council leadership expressed concerns about the impact of millions of dollars in cuts coming under a budget proposal from Mayor Jacob Frey.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis city council leadership expressed concerns about the impact of millions of dollars in cuts coming under a budget proposal from Mayor Jacob Frey.

Council concerns

What they're saying:

Speaking on Thursday, Council President Elliott Payne and Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai, joined by council members Robins Wonsley, Jason Chavez and Aurin Chowdhury, raised concerns about $23 million in projected cuts under the mayor's budget proposal.

Members said the proposal would cut funding for "critical" services, including co-enforcement, mental health for firefighters, emergency housing vouchers and a sidewalk plowing project.

"Despite what was stated in the budget address yesterday, many of the proposed cuts to services have a track record of delivering results," said Chughtai. "They are not untested pilot projects. They are not pet projects."

Big picture view:

Council members opined that the mayor was trying to put a positive spin on a budget that had some impactful cuts.

"In my preliminary assessment, this is an austerity budget," said Payne "And I think we need to be honest with our community about the hard choices that are contained within this budget."

"I think it's very easy, in an election year, to be compelled to paint a rosy picture about a tough budget where there is $23 million [in] cuts," added Chowdhury. "But that's not what the city council is going to do. We're going to have an open and honest conversation about our city budget, because our budget ultimately is a moral document, and we want to make sure that we are setting our city up to be resilient."

As it pertains to the election, it's worth noting, Council Member Chowdhury joined Mayor Frey's opponent in the mayoral race, Sen. Omar Fateh, to official file for the election.

The other side:

In a statement to FOX 9, the mayor's office called into question some of the concerns raised by the council members.

For instance, despite cuts, the budget retained funding for co-enforcement and sidewalk plowing. The mayor's office says department heads are confident they can still "deliver in both areas at a level residents deserve."

The mayor's office says they targeted programs not yet launched, vacant roles, or that are less cost-effective when making cuts.

For example, the cuts under the sidewalk plowing program comes from three vacant positions. But officials say the program can still function with the current staffing.

Frey's proposal

The backstory:

During his budget address on Wednesday, Mayor Frey said the cuts were necessary to prevent the city from levying a massive 13% tax increase.

With the cuts, Mayor Frey proposed a 7.8% property tax levy – 40% lower than the projection.

"Our approach to identifying these savings was really straightforward," the mayor explained. "Protect the core services that our residents rely on every single day. Invest in proven programs instead of launching new ones that are untested or unsustainable. Keep city staff, the people who make this city work on the job and do everything possible to keep the levy down, recognizing that this money belongs to the people of Minneapolis, and we need to make sure that we are managing it wisely."

The mayor also pointed out they were able to make these cuts without laying off city workers – something that the council members gave the mayor credit for.

Another budget battle brewing?

The backstory:

Last year, the budget turned into a faceoff between Mayor Frey and the council leadership, with the council bringing 71 amendments to Frey's proposal.

Frey responded with a rare veto of the revised budget. The council in turn had the votes to override the veto.

The council proposal ultimately lowered Frey's proposed property tax increase from 8.1% to 6.9%. Frey criticized the council for using one-time funds to cut the levy. Frey's office says that's part of the reason the projected levy this year grew to 13%.

Last year, Frey said the proposal also took money from clearing homeless encampments, recruiting police officers, and basic public works funding for filling potholes and plowing streets.