A proposal aimed at refining Minneapolis' new "strong mayor" system of government will likely get a final push over the next few days.
A strong mayor. A cabinet. A new safety department. Proposed changes at Minneapolis City Hall explained.
Elected leaders are wrapping work on the proposal nearly a year after voters signed off on a major overhaul at City Hall.
October 17, 2022 at 8:15PM
Many of the city's elected leaders have said they believe this will be one of the most important issues they vote on this term, noting that it has the potential to dramatically affect the quality of services residents receive.
Minneapolis residents can provide feedback at a hearing Tuesday.
Here's a refresher on the proposal and how you can share your thoughts on it.
What does the proposal do?
This proposal creates a cabinet of four people tasked with helping the mayor supervise the leaders of city departments. The cabinet would include the city attorney, a chief of staff to oversee employees in the mayor's office, a community safety commissioner and a city operations officer.
The community safety commissioner would be tasked with overseeing a new office that is set to include police, fire, 911, emergency management and violence prevention programs. The city operations officer would oversee the leaders of most other city departments under the umbrella of a new Office of Public Service.
At least two sets of programs that are currently operating in the city coordinator's office would receive their own departments under the latest iteration of the plan. The city would have a new Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Department, as well as a Performance Management and Innovation Department. The funding and staffing for those new departments would likely be determined in a separate budget process expected to wrap in December.
Doesn't the city already have a new community safety commissioner?
City officials hired a new community safety commissioner, Cedric Alexander, this summer but they haven't yet passed the proposal to establish the new Office of Community Safety. In the interim, Mayor Jacob Frey has signed an executive order that instructs Alexander to supervise the leaders of the city's safety-related offices.
Why are city leaders considering this change?
Minneapolis voters approved a measure last fall that designated the mayor as the city's "chief executive" responsible for overseeing most departments' daily operations, and prohibited council members from interfering in those efforts. It described the City Council as the "legislative body" responsible for writing ordinances, making policies and performing some oversight functions.
After the election, Frey convened a work group tasked with providing him recommendations on how the new system of government should operate. Frey then pitched a plan to create a cabinet and made some additional changes based on feedback from council members.
Frey has said he believes this change will improve efficiency in city government, increase collaboration among city agencies and help him better supervise the leaders of the city's 20-some departments. Critics, including Council Member Robin Wonsley, have said they believe aspects of this proposal are overstretching the bounds of the measure voters approved last year. Supporters have argued it does the opposite and helps city leaders better implement voters' wishes.
How much will this cost?
That is still being determined. The specific staffing and funding levels for these various offices would likely be negotiated during the budgeting process, which is expected to conclude in early December.
The mayor's budget proposal provides a snapshot of some of the costs. For example, it includes about $2.2 million over two years for the new Office of Community Safety, enough to cover the salaries of Alexander, as well as an assistant and three people focused on communications. City leaders continue to debate other questions, such as whether the council needs additional employees to support its legislative work.
How can I provide feedback?
Residents can participate in a public hearing during the council's Committee of the Whole meeting, which is set to begin in City Hall at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. People who can't attend can send written comments to councilcomment@minneapolismn.gov. The council is aiming to take a final vote in the coming weeks, possibly as early as Thursday, before it signs off on next year's budget plan.
From small businesses to giants like Target, retailers are benefitting from the $10 billion industry for South Korean pop music, including its revival of physical album sales.
