A budget battle is brewing over housing cuts in the City of Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis City Council is currently reviewing the mayor's $2 billion proposal, which he laid out on Wednesday.
The mayor is calling for an increase of 7.8% to the property tax levy and says that will need to come with some cuts to spending as well, although the mayor notes he is not proposing any staffing cuts.
Already a major point of contention is a plan to move the emergency housing voucher program intended for 50 families, into a different program facing a budget shortfall.
"These are not untested pilots or projects," says Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai. "These are very real and very critical services."
While happy to see no layoffs, council members on Thursday say it's committed to a thorough review of all cuts, including $23 million in cuts to programs like snow plowing for city sidewalks, and disability coverage for some city employees.
"I'm alarmed to see reductions in mental health services and long term disability coverage for firefighters," says Chughtai. "They work one of the most dangerous jobs and can suffer lifelong injuries as a result of doing their job. Taking care of these workers is an obligation of the city."
The council and the mayor need to come together to finish a budget by year's end. Last year, Frey became the first mayor in the city's history to veto a city budget, which the council had the votes to override. It was one of many issues that have cropped up between the mayor and council the last few years.
It is also an election year for the city council and mayor, complicating matters even further. Five current council members have already endorsed one of Frey's DFL challengers, State Sen. Omar Fateh.