Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says some Minneapolis City Council members are again manufacturing conflict and misleading residents over the timing of a new fee on businesses that hire off-duty police officers.
The Council has voted to begin collecting fees to recoup the cost of city resources in 2026.
"And it's very simple, with this fee it makes sure that businesses who want to contract with MPD officers will cover the full cost that the city currently pays," says Councilmember Robin Wonsley, who is the author of the ordinance.
Mayor Frey's office says the administration supports the fee system and has been actively working on it. However, the mayor also says the IT infrastructure needed to collect the fees won't be ready until 2027.
"Once again, some Council Members are manufacturing conflict where none exists and intentionally misleading residents," said a statement from Frey's office. "The mayor's administration supports the idea, has been actively working on it, and has been crystal clear about the timing: this fee cannot be implemented in 2026. This is not for a lack of interest in the topic or a will to explore it. There is currently no technological mechanism to collect the fee, and the IT infrastructure for this won’t be ready until 2027. Including this fee in the 2026 proposed budget would be fiscally irresponsible, plain and simple. It’s frankly bizarre that some Council Members would suggest otherwise."
Frey's office did make it clear he doesn't plan to veto the ordinance.
Councilmember Linea Palmisano also said Minneapolis police likely won't be able to implement fee collection soon - even within the next year.
"It's not really clear what department will actually be collecting any fees," says Palmisano. "But it is great to get this on the fee schedule with the understanding for the public that it will be probably a year before it can be implemented, is my understanding."
Dep. Commissioner Jared Jeffries also provided background, saying it was clear in May of this year that the fee collections would not begin in 2026.
“The Office of Community Safety has continuously voiced our support for off-duty fee collection," Jeffries said. "However, I informed the City Council earlier this year that we cannot move forward at this time, because the fee amounts need more review and we do not yet have the technology to successfully implement the charging and collection of fees. We are actively working to gather more information and update the technology.”
The City Council says the resolution will ensure taxpayers aren't footing the bill for off-duty officers using city vehicles or other resources like weapons, uniforms, and liability coverage. According to a city audit from 2019, 71% of officers worked one or more off-duty shifts.
The proposal was agreed to in January, and they will charge anyone who contracts off-duty officers $6.99 per hour for an officer without a vehicle, and $27.58 per hour for an officer with a vehicle.
According to police department data, fees could have generated up to $1.4 million for the city last year.
"So much about the off-duty program itself has been - it's had no transparency," Wonsley said at the January meeting. "There's been no tracking, there's been no metrics of accountability, so that's why it's so crucial to have that information come back in May and to do so in a public committee."
Businesses currently are allowed to hire either off-duty officers, or private security for events held within the city to meet permitting requirements.