Criticism from all sides at the capitol and beyond over a new legislative auditor’s report on The Metropolitan Council’s mismanagement of the southwest light rail transit project.
The report found that the council spent money it didn’t have and has not been fully transparent about the delays and cost increases that have continued to arise since its conception.
State Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) joined News Talk 830 WCCO’s Adam Carter and Jordana Green to discuss the Met Council’s project and what he is proposing.
Since 2011, the cost of the transit project has doubled to more than $2.8 billion and has blown past its original completion date of 2018.
After all of the issues the Met Council has had, Dibble has decided to push for change, calling for members of the council to be elected, instead of appointed, to their positions, so they can better be held accountable. He says if they were elected, we wouldn’t be in the position we are now.
“I think we wouldn’t be nearly in this kind of pickle if we had an entity that was not just spending other people’s money,” Dibble said, noting that the funds the council uses come from Hennepin County tax dollars.
After reading the audit of the Met Council, Dibble shared that he was amazed by the findings, including its decision to not tell anyone about the cost increases or delays as they arose its failure to have the full project included in its bidding process, and its decision to not develop an enforceable timeline to hold the contractor accountable.
Among all of these issues, Dibble thinks that they failed in so many aspects because they had nothing at risk.
“It goes back to: they have no skin in the game. They’re spending a different jurisdiction’s money, and there’s no ability for the regular voter to have any consequence or effect or accountability on those who are making those kinds of decisions,” Dibble said.
Now, Dibble is proposing his legislation in an attempt to hold those on the council accountable for their shortcomings going forward, and he says there appears to be support from his fellow lawmakers and the governor, although there is hesitancy.
“There are legislators who aren’t quite ready to make the leap to make [the Met Council] elected,” Dibble said. “The governor has actually indicated to me that he would sign this bill, he would be supportive if I were able to get it to his desk.”
As of now, Dibble is moving forward with his legislation, and he says he hopes to get a bill passed this session.
