Clamor builds for Met Council change

Members of the Metropolitan Council are too closely tethered to the governor, some city officials and legislators say.

A growing list -- including west metro area DFL Sens. Ann Rest and Ron Latz -- have proposed that the regional planning agency's 17 members serve staggered terms, rather than terms that coincide with the governor's. Some cities -- Plymouth and Lakeville among them -- also are proposing that members be elected rather than appointed by the governor.

It's not a new idea; cities and legislators have weighed in on it for years. But it's one that might gain traction during this legislative session.

The issue has made the formally adopted list of "legislative priorities" in several cities. And Metro Cities, which lobbies for its 86 member cities in the seven-county metro area, supports a third-party study of the Met Council as a whole -- with one focus being how the council is structured.

"At a minimum, the council should go to staggered, fixed terms," said Louis Jambois, director of Metro Cities.

A pair of House and Senate bills would create staggered four-year terms. They would remove language from existing law that has Met Council members' terms ending "with the term of the governor" and members serving "at the pleasure of the governor."

"A long-term planning organization like the Met Council shouldn't turn every four years on political philosophy," Jambois said.

Now, the governor appoints Met Council members. The chairman serves at-large, while the other 16 members represent geographic districts from around the seven-county metro area.

The Met Council provides various services in that area -- such as wastewater treatment and transit -- with a budget that in 2006 reached $653.6 million. It also oversees cities' plans for growth, rewarding those that agree to promote mixed-use development and other goals with millions of dollars of grant money.

While almost half of its revenue comes from service fees, the council also has taxing authority. About 10 percent of its operating budget comes from property tax collections.

Some cities say an elected council would be more accountable. The Met Council wields great control over cities' development and planning, they say, while answering only to the governor.

"It has taxing authority," said Steven Mielke, Lakeville's city administrator, "so the idea that it be accountable to the taxpayers just makes sense."

"Instead of a broad look at planning," he said, "it would become 'Well, you better give me two more parks, or you'll never get wastewater.'"