Walz establishes Met Council oversight committee

Gov. Tim Walz established a committee Friday that seeks to govern the Metropolitan Council, the regional body of the Twin Cities area.

The Blue Ribbon Committee on the Metropolitan Council's Structure and Services will evaluate the governance structure of the Metropolitan Council, according to a news release from the governor's office.

"As the needs of our communities evolve, it is good stewardship to evaluate the broader governance of the Metropolitan Council by assessing what changes have been made and determining whether changes need to be made as we look ahead," Walz said in the release.

The council is made up of 17 members who make policy decisions related to regional infrastructure and services.

This committee comes after years of calls for council reform by Minnesota Republicans. Minnesota state Rep. Jon Koznick, R-Lakeville, said in an interview that numerous bills have been introduced over the years, some seeking reform, and others that would abolish the council.

"They're only appointed council members and not elected, so they're not directly accountable to the citizens that they tax in the metro," Koznick said.

There's also been concern with the scope of the council's duties, said Koznick.

"They were supposed to be for buses and flushin', meaning a regional transportation system and a regional wastewater infrastructure system," Koznick said.

The Met Council said that they welcome the nonpartisan commission.

"I am optimistic this committee will validate the integrity of the work being done to foster efficient and economic growth for a prosperous metropolitan region," council Chair Charlie Zelle said in a release.

The committee includes various business, academic and civic leaders.

That list of leaders includes Mary Liz Holberg, Jay Cowles, Peter Bell, Mary Jo McGuire, Doug Loon, Pahoua Yang Hoffman, Tom Weaver, Alene Tchourumoff, Pat Born, Elizabeth B. Kautz, Jim Hovland, Janet Williams, Jerry (Zhirong) Zhao, George Schember and Khani Sahebjam.

"I have great respect for the leaders on the committee, and I trust that they will complete this work thoroughly and thoughtfully," Walz said.

The committee will work on recommendations regarding the role of elected council members, compared with appointed council members. They will also evaluate the role of the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the effectiveness of regional transit services.

Koznick said he looks forward to hearing the recommendations of the committee.

"I'm encouraged by this committee. It's always a good opportunity to have new discussions in a different format," Koznick said. "I do actually applaud the administration for doing this."

Zoë Jackson covers young and new voters at the Star Tribune through the Report For America program, supported by the Minneapolis Foundation. 612-673-7112 • @zoemjack