Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is pressuring the city’s semi-independent Park Board to trim its budget for next year.
Why it matters: Minneapolis’ parks are the city’s crown jewels, and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board says further cuts to its staff would jeopardize the maintenance of the city’s greenspaces, rec centers, parkways and trails.
- But the mayor’s budget already calls for one of the largest property tax levy increases in the city’s modern history (11.3%) — and taxpayers would face an even bigger hike (11.9%) if Park Board members get all they’re asking for.
The big picture: Minneapolis is the only major city in the U.S. with an elected Park Board, and some of its members are tired of these annual budget clashes with the mayor.
- They’re also concerned that after years of this back-and-forth, the parks’ share of city revenues has slowly eroded to something less than equitable.
What they’re saying: “It’s an attack on the Park Board, and it’s an attack on our autonomy,” says Park Board VP Kedar Deshpande…