Expect some tension at Minneapolis City Hall on Friday as council members make their final tweaks to next year’s $2 billion city budget.
Why it matters: At Friday’s marathon “budget markup,” Mayor Jacob Frey’s critics will get one of their final chances to flex their veto-proof council majority before four incumbents leave office at year’s end.
Friction points: Frey’s council critics have proposed cutting the mayor’s office budget by more than $1.1 million — roughly halving the size of its staff — to help pay for three separate proposals:
- Reinstating positions in the City Auditor’s office, which had been in line for staffing cuts.
- Restoring funding for emergency housing vouchers. Frey had reallocated money from the program to shore up another at-risk homelessness initiative; the council’s amendment would fund both programs.
- Expanding the council’s dedicated research team.
Plus: The proposals also redirect funding from other city departments, requiring a total of 15 current employees across City Hall to be laid off or let go, the mayor’s office told Axios…