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Minneapolis News
MPR News Staff

Minneapolis City Council’s budget committee reduces proposed property tax levy for 2025

Audience members listen to the Minneapolis City Council
Council president Elliott Payne speaks during a Minneapolis City Council meeting on April 11.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

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The Minneapolis City Council’s budget committee voted Friday to reduce the proposed property tax levy increase in 2025 by nearly one and a half percent.  

The committee passed a series of amendments to the mayor’s proposed budget which would reduce the levy increase from 8.3 to 6.9 percent. The council found savings through delaying the implementation of technology programming and reallocating raises for the city’s “highest paid” staff.

Mayor Jacob Frey also introduced a proposal to further reduce the levy by an additional half of a percent if the council would agree to withdraw a number of the 73 proposed amendments that he called “unnecessary spending” or “pet projects.”

Frey said he opposed amendments that added more than $6 million in new spending, that funded “unvetted, short-term projects” without long-term funding, as well as other concerns.

“So if you agree with pushing down the taxes, this is an opportunity to do so,” said Frey. “What I don’t agree with is cutting needs and then adding wants. Many of those 73 amendments do exactly that.”

Council members pushed back strongly on the mayor’s characterization of their budget amendments. Council president Elliott Payne said the amendments address needed programs.

“If the majority of this body sees it as a valid use of resources, then it is a need by that definition, right? That is what we do here,” said Payne. “We apply our judgment to determine the boundaries between needs and wants and the boundaries around priorities so any language wise or how that language is used outside of the context of us taking formal votes is speculation.”

The council rejected that proposal. 

Frey introduced his  $1.88 billion budget in August with a proposed 8.1 percent property tax levy, the largest increase in more than 20 years.  It was later increased to 8.3 by the city’s Board of Estimate and Taxation over Frey’s objections.  

The budget committee will continue to amend the proposed budget through Friday and has scheduled another meeting for Monday.

The full council is expected vote to approve the budget as amended next Tuesday.