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

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey will deliver his 2026 State of the City address on Tuesday.

Looking back

The backstory:

In his 2025 address, the mayor focused on community safety, housing, and revitalizing the city. Along with those topics, a key part of the 2025 speech was also about working with the council to take on the Trump administration. At the time, the mayor was referring to legal battles between the city and the Trump administration over Minneapolis' sanctuary city policies.

Since then, the city has faced a federal surge that the mayor likely never could have imagined in 2025. The surge put a strain on city resources and finances that leaders are still working to deal with.

Local perspective:

In recent weeks, the mayor has also battled with the council on the appointment of his Community Safety commissioner, Todd Barnette. The mayor has also twice vetoed attempts by the council to extend the eviction notice period.

Last week, the mayor also vetoed an ordinance approved by the council that would have decriminalized drug paraphernalia like pipes and syringes.

2026 speech excerpts

The mayor delivered his speech at the American Swedish Institute in the Phillips neighborhood. Like last year, he touched on three key themes: public safety, housing and economic development. Here's an overview of his speech.

Moving forward after Operation Metro Surge, Annunciation shooting

Mayor Frey: "We showed the world what it means to be a good neighbor, and stood up for something far more powerful than resistance alone. We stood up for love. And so, to this truly inspirational city of heroes: thank you for being a light in the darkness and the foundation of unity that holds our whole country together.

"We got through it.

"But getting through something is not the same as getting back on track. And today, I want to be honest about where we are. Because before we talk about what’s working—and there’s a lot that is—we need to talk about what needs to change."

Police staffing

Mayor Frey laid on his desire to get police staffing numbers back up to near pre-pandemic levels before the end of his current term. In 2019, Minneapolis has a sworn police force of about 

"We’re currently sitting at 642 officers, up from around 550, and next year, we're hoping to reach our charter number of 733, with goals of exceeding that to reach more than 800 before I leave office," said Frey.

But to maintain and increase staffing, the mayor says the city has to pay for it. "The cost of an officer today is higher than it was just a few years ago," the mayor explained. "We train more; we expect more; and yes, because of that, it costs more. That’s why our safety leaders are doing the work to put a dollar amount on what that investment needs to be, so we budget accordingly."

Prior to the pandemic, Minneapolis had a police force of more than 900 sworn police officers. The Minneapolis City Charter requires the city employ 17 police officers for every 10,000 residents. 

Affordable housing

While the mayor touted Minneapolis as a national leader in affordable housing, he said that affordable housing has long been concentrated in the same areas in the city.

"If we want real upward mobility, we need to build affordable housing in middle and higher-income areas, not just the same places we’ve always built," said the mayor.

"Let me tell you why this matters: When kids grow up in mixed-income neighborhoods, they see possibility," he added. "I don’t want kids to think in terms of limitations, but potential. I want them to know the doctor, the teacher, the business owner, the carpenter, and artist—all on one block. I want kids from different levels of wealth to go to the same schools and play in the parks together. I want kids to figure out whatever they do best that benefits society the most."

The mayor says to continue to achieve this vision, he's directed city staff to re-evaluate the development process to find ways to cut unnecessary red tape. So far, he says the city has made it easier for residents to add accessory dwelling units – like a basement or garage apartment – or get a permit for small residential projects. Staff is also looking into making is easier for developers to shift commercial office space into residential units.

Economic development

The mayor also spent some time looking at upcoming major construction projects for the city, like the pending development at George Floyd Square, the recently announced Upper Harbor Terminal amphitheater, and long-awaited redevelopment at the former Kmart site along Nicollet Avenue.

Tough decisions ahead

In his closing words, the mayor did make it clear the city would have some "tough decisions" ahead to move the city forward.

"We're going to need to make tough decisions, and some things we’re going to have to stop doing," said Mayor Frey. "Because if people can’t afford to live here, if they can’t afford to start their business here, if they’re not willing to invest in this city, we won’t have the money to do the things we need to do. That can’t be the story of Minneapolis."

Council leadership responds

The other side:

Speaking shortly after Frey's speech, Council President Elliott Payne said he was hoping for more collaboration with the mayor to be able to put forth "a working class agenda that really puts the people first."

Council Member Robin Wonsley, who joined President Payne, wondered while Mayor Frey made a pitch about making Minneapolis more affordable, how the city would bring in more revenue.

Recently, the city looked at new ideas for tax revenue, including potentially a city-wide income tax. The same report showed Minneapolis' revenue had fallen because the city was heavily reliant on property taxes for revenue and called for diversification of its revenue base.

"The truth of the matter is we're relying heavily on property taxes, which means working people are having to keep our city afloat at a way higher scale than previously before," said Wonsley. "So this is why this body, the council, is looking at how do we actually advance additional revenue options like income taxes or empty homes fees, especially if we're talking about prolong vacant properties that has the ability to bring in between tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue so that we can make sure we're preserving the programs that actually help our residents have a good quality of life."

Responding to the recent vetoes, Council Member Jamal Osman said he was hopeful the council can work to improve its relationship with the mayor's office.

"The relationship can always grow," said Osman. "I think that our vision, what we're bringing forward, is policy that will reflect the residents, what they're looking for. But just the veto, [unclear] it just damages everyone, in my opinion."

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