 Mayor Frey delivered his 2025 Budget Address last week in front of Council Members, City leaders, and community partners. His budget proposal continues the City’s investments in nation-leading affordable housing work, community safety and reform initiatives, historic climate work, inclusive economic recovery, and downtown revitalization.
These investments are aligned with the issues Mayor Frey has prioritized since day one, and a difficult budgetary cycle doesn’t mute the core values guiding the City’s shared work.
Some 2025 recommended budget highlights include:
- A sustained investment in the City’s nation-leading affordable-housing initiatives.
- Investments in community safety, including funding for the Behavioral Crisis Response team, a new South Minneapolis Community Safety Center, and funding for the consent decree and police reform.
- Continued funding for the Climate Legacy Initiative, including investments in EV charging infrastructure and a first-in-the-nation biochar production facility.
“Thanks to our City team’s creative leadership and thoughtfulness, we’ve managed to do what felt like a pipe dream a few months ago: keep the levy increase under 10%,” said Mayor Frey. “Through efficiencies and many hard choices—we’ve managed to drive the levy down to 8.1%.
“I am not expecting us to celebrate this lift, because our residents have a new lift of their own with increased property taxes. But what this budget provides is a way through. We’re doubling down on programs that work, we’re ensuring our resources are used effectively, and we’re making sure our community feels the benefit.”
Watch the mayor's full budget address on the City's YouTube page.
 Mayor Frey joined Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Tina Smith, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Council Member Robin Wonsley, and Minneapolis Public Housing Authority leaders last week to celebrate the completion of fire-sprinkler systems in all 42 Minneapolis public housing high-rises. These systems are one way the City is working to prevent another tragedy like the 2019 fire that took the lives of five Minnesotans. The City invested $3.35 million over three years to support this critical project.
“When we talk about dignified and affordable housing for all, safety is essential to that dignity,” said Mayor Frey. “For residents of apartment buildings, fire suppression is crucial—and our City is proud to invest $3.35 million to help get this necessary tool installed in our city’s public housing high rises. I’m tremendously thankful to MPHA and local, state, and federal partners who worked together to get this done for Minneapolis residents.”
 Mayor Frey, City leaders, and members of the State Legislature’s Minneapolis delegation recently celebrated the official opening of the Central City Tunnel. The tunnel, which replaces and modernizes parts of the city’s stormwater-dispersal system that were more than 150 years old, reduces the risk of flooding and will keep the city safe for generations to come. Buried 70 feet below street level, more than 70,000 tons of loose sandstone, shale, and soil were excavated for the tunnel, which traverses over 4,200 feet in length below Washington and Chicago avenues.
The $57 million tunnel system, which connects to the Mississippi River near Mill Ruins Park, was funded in part through $18.5 million in bonding secured by local and state leaders.
“A stormwater tunnel might not draw the attention of something like a new stadium or a redesigned park, but the years of hard work and collaboration that went into constructing the Central City Tunnel is something to truly be admired,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “This tunnel is one of the biggest public works projects in recent years, and if you hear nothing about it after today, you know it’s working for you and our city. Thank you to our incredible Public Works department for seeing this project through.”
 Today, Mayor Frey, Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai, City leaders, and community partners kicked off Open Streets 2024. The event transforms streets into a place where people can gather and celebrate the diversity and creativity of Minneapolis while walking, biking, or rolling. Since its first event in 2011, Open Streets events have drawn more than 680,000 people.
The three Open Streets events this year include:
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August 24: Lyndale Avenue between 22nd to 36th Street
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September 21: West Broadway from Lyndale Avenue N. to Penn Avenue N.
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September 28: Nicollet Avenue between W 31st St. and W 46th St.
“Open Streets is Minneapolis at its best,” said Mayor Frey. “These events bring together thousands of people to celebrate our great city – and the businesses, parks, and people who all make Minneapolis so unique. We are thrilled to kick off another year of Open Streets, and I am so grateful to our City staff who have worked tirelessly to make these community events a reality.”
 On Friday, Mayor Jacob Frey and Council Member Jason Chavez joined the City of Minneapolis to celebrate 41 college and graduate students who took part in the City's 2024 Urban Scholars program. Urban Scholars is a leadership and professional development internship program providing students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds with distinctive professional experience.
Since the start of the program in 2012, approximately 34% of our 781 Urban Scholars alum have become employed by the City of Minneapolis.
“Our Urban Scholars aren’t just great leaders of tomorrow, they are really helpful contributors to our own work right now,” said Mayor Jacob Frey. “Of course the Urban Scholars program is about preparing these talents for the future, but our City is also benefiting from their skillsets in present roles.”
The City of Minneapolis is offering $30 trees until September 30 through the City Trees program. Residents, property owners, and businesses can purchase up to three trees per address. Trees provide shade, lower utility bills, increase property values, clean the air, collect stormwater, and provide habitat for wildlife.
Since 2006, the City Trees program has provided more than 20,000 low-cost trees to residents. Shade trees, fruit trees, flowering trees, and evergreen trees are available.
Help the City of Minneapolis go green and purchase a tree today!
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