|
Hello to all my 3rd Ward neighbors,
This week I want to remind you of the community budget meeting I will be hosting at the Depot Hotel on Wednesday, June 17th at 6pm. You have heard me speak of the budget crisis the City is in, and this is your chance to hear from staff directly and have your questions answered.
At this week's Budget Committee meeting we got an update from staff on the 2027-2028 Current Service Level (CSL). The CSL estimates the expenses for each department to do the same work from the previous year. We learned that from 2026 to 2027 the City's baseline General Fund expenses are up 5.1% while revenues only increased by 1.9%. This gap results in a $28-33 million deficit that will need to be balanced through property tax increases and/or cuts to the City budget. The Mayor will release his recommended budget in August.
At the community meeting on June 17th, I will share data from our City Assessor that shows the steep decline in downtown commercial property values, which results in the City losing tax revenue and necessitates the gap to be made up by renters and homeowners. Please come hear Deputy CFO Jayne Discenza give a presentation on how the City's budget is formed and have your questions answered by our experts.
As always, Henry, Patrick, and I are here to serve you. We can be reached at ward3@minneapolismn.gov. Please report all issues to 311 before contacting us so there is a paper trail and staff are already aware of the issue when we speak with them. You can contact 311 by simply dialing 311, email them at Minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov or by submitting a 311 Contact Form.
Your neighbor,
Michael
Hello again Ward 3,
This week my fellow intern, Julianna, and I were very occupied in interesting City Council meetings. There were multiple committee meetings, meetings with other city staff, agenda settings for future committee meetings, and lastly, there was a very important and detailed presentation on a tiering system within Minneapolis for landlords. To sum the tier system up short and sweet, there’s three tiers, and the lower your score is the better, like how it is in golf. A high score on the Rental License Tiering System in Minneapolis results in more frequent property inspections, significantly higher licensing fees, and closer monitoring by city regulatory services. One topic that came up during this meeting was the housing situation at apartments in Heritage Park. The four rental phases of the community are in court-appointed receivership following failures from the developers, and the apartments have now begun to reap the consequences of this: disrepair, life-safety hazards, and underfunding. For the receivership, the master developer of the apartments lost operational control, which led to 440 rental units being placed under court supervision. And with poor conditions like these, low occupancy is inevitable, with occupancy rates in these apartments dropping to 60% in July of last year. The tiering system is meant to hold landlords more accountable for their properties, and to develop better housing for every single constituent in Minneapolis. The City Council Members were very invested and committed to learning about this system and brought up combatting issues in places like this. It’s always very cool to see just how much the Council is committed to helping the city, and the brainstorming and learning that goes into actually applying these things to keep improving the city for the better.
Hello Ward 3,
I’ve officially hit week 3 on the job and this week was all about budget. There are many components to the city council's job and arguably one of the most tedious but vital is the budget planning. Commencing in January step 1 is initiated and it's all about information gathering. The city council receives a presentation in which they place an analysis of what has been accomplished in the previous year within departments, while also giving a status report to the previous budget and creating a base budget to continue services. This process proceeds all the way until April when step 2 is commenced. This step centers around the actual development of the budget including an operating budget, a 6 year plan, and finally proposals for new spending. In this stage the Mayor meets with department leaders, finance and property service staff, and members of the Capital Long-Range Improvement Committee (CLIC). We are currently in the midst of step 2, however, there are 5 more steps that must be completed for the budget to be set. Step 3 will occur in mid-August when the Mayor releases his budget recommendation, which leads to step 4: public hearings which is the stage that lets residents give their input on the matters at hand. Step 5 and 6 are different processes of review, and finally step 7 is the ultimate adoption of the budget.
Backtracking to the present, we are in the midst of step 1 and 2. The last few council meetings have been a point of reflection in recognizing the pros and cons of the 2025 budget and seeing what it will mean for the rest of 2026 going into 2027. Some things that have been established are that the budget will continue to increase and be distributed amongst departments. However, some things that may change is the percentage of budget that will go into these fields and the sub components in these fields it'll be directed towards which will be further showcased as proposals are getting suggested.
Operation Metro Surge caused widespread harm across Minneapolis.
The City’s updated Impact Assessment estimates nearly $700 million in impacts to the Minneapolis community and City government operations.
The assessment shows how Operation Metro Surge affected people’s ability to work, go to school, access food and health care, stay housed, seek legal protection and feel safe in daily life.
This builds on earlier findings about livelihood, shelter, health and food security. It adds new information about protection and youth and education.
Learn more about the community impacts from Operation Metro Surge.
Investing in economic resilience
The updated Impact Assessment will help guide the City’s investment in relief and assistance for residents and businesses impacted by Operation Metro Surge. To date, the City has invested millions of dollars to help Minneapolis regain economic momentum, including:
- $7 million in the Small Business Resiliency Fund which supports direct financial relief and activation and marketing support to stabilize small businesses and drive customers back to commercial corridors
- Within the Small Business Resiliency Fund, $4 million in license fee relief for more than 2,000 food and hospitality businesses across Minneapolis. This support helps cover renewal fees for many food, wine, liquor and brewery license holders impacted by Operation Metro Surge.
- Support for events and activations in commercial areas
- Support like cultural market grants and cultural business weeks
- $3.8 million in emergency rental assistance, with an additional $3 million donated by the Wilson Foundation
Visit the Minneapolis Forward resource hub to learn more about our recovery efforts, current resources and investments.
The City of Minneapolis is launching a coordinated Summer Safety Plan that brings together public safety departments, community organizations and regional partners to prevent violence, respond to emergencies and help residents and visitors safely enjoy the city throughout the summer.
Real results
Over recent years, the City’s focused and coordinated public safety strategies have delivered measurable, year-round results:
-
Violent crime: According to the City’s Crime Dashboard, the three-year averages of most violent crimes are down more than 20% — and in some cases, such as carjackings, down nearly 40%.
-
Shots-fired calls: Year-to-date, the City’s shots-fired calls are less than half what they were five years ago.
-
Non-fatal shootings: Non-fatal shootings are down 56% — from 582 in 2021 to 255 in 2025.
-
Community feedback: City leaders are also hearing from residents in historically impacted neighborhoods who report feeling safer in their homes and communities.
We are making meaningful progress. But one crime is one too many. The City will continue to prioritize public safety and invest in strategies that ensure every resident feels safe in their home, their neighborhood and across the community.
This year’s Summer Safety Plan
The effort begins with Operation Safe Summer, a focused initiative led by the Minneapolis Police Department that targets individuals known to engage in violent crime through coordinated enforcement efforts with law enforcement and prosecution partners.
The City’s approach to safety emphasizes both prevention and community engagement. City departments and the community work together on violence prevention, youth engagement, emergency preparedness and public education campaigns while also supporting major summer events.
In June, during Gun Violence Awareness Month, the City is highlighting efforts to reduce gun violence through focused enforcement, community outreach, youth programming, violence interruption strategies and public education on safe gun storage.
The Summer Safety Plan extends beyond traditional policing. The Neighborhood Safety Department, Minneapolis Fire Department, Emergency Management and Emergency Communications Center are expanding outreach, preparedness and emergency response efforts during the busy summer months. Initiatives include violence prevention programs, water and weather safety education, enhanced rescue readiness, severe weather planning and public awareness campaigns that help residents access the right services when they need them.
Learn more about the City’s Summer Safety Plan.
As excitement builds for Minneapolis Moves: The Big Honking Truck Parade on June 18, the City is proud to announce this year's Grand Marshals: Special Olympics athlete leaders Niko Lichtscheidl and Dequan Williams.
Lichtscheidl serves as an athlete coach for the Northern Lights delegation, while Williams has previously competed with the delegation. Both are dedicated leaders and advocates within the Special Olympics community and will help lead the parade through downtown Minneapolis.
The celebration begins at 5 p.m. with music, activities and local vendors, followed by the parade at 5:30 p.m. Afterward, families can explore a Touch-a-Truck display from 6-7:30 p.m. and get an up-close look at the vehicles that help power City services every day.
Big Honking Truck Parade Thursday, June 18
- 5 p.m. – Market, music and activities
- 5:30 p.m. – Parade begins
- 6-7:30 p.m. – Touch-a-Truck experience
Nicollet Mall, beginning at E. Grant Street.
Join us downtown to celebrate the people and vehicles that help keep Minneapolis moving every day.
Learn more about the Big Honking Truck Parade.
The City’s Open Streets events are back in 2026 with three car-free community celebrations that will transform major corridors into spaces for neighbors to gather, explore local businesses and enjoy entertainment and activities.
This year's events will take place on:
-
Sept. 12: West Broadway, hosted by the West Broadway Business & Area Coalition
-
Sept. 26: Nicollet Avenue and Riverside Avenue, hosted by the Lyndale Neighborhood Association
-
Oct. 11: Hennepin Avenue, hosted by the Uptown Association
In 2025, the City’s Open Streets events attracted an estimated 120,000 attendees citywide. More event details will be announced in the coming months.
Learn more about the City of Minneapolis Open Streets events.
The City's heritage preservation program dates back to 1972. This is a way to recognize important places in the city’s history. Since that time, the City has designated 219 local landmarks and historic districts. The City’s Historic Preservation staff review changes to these historic properties. Sometimes these projects go before the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC).
The City also identifies "potential historic resources." These places may be important but haven’t been designated yet. This topic can be confusing. Staff have made a public website and map to help explain it.
To learn what places in Minneapolis are potential historic resources:
If you have questions, email Historic Preservation Supervisor Andrea Burke.
Severe weather can happen at any time. Summer weather hazards include severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, tornadoes, large hail, flash flooding and lightning.
It’s important you take time to prepare for severe weather, have emergency plans in place and have multiple ways to get weather alerts.
Learn more about preparing for severe weather on the Ready.gov website. |
