Minneapolis Council Adjusts Budget to Block Frey's Veto

The Minneapolis City Council Approves $2 Billion 2026 Budget

One week ago, the Minneapolis City Council approved a $2 billion 2026 budget. However, this decision came after intense negotiations between council leaders and Mayor Jacob Frey’s administration. These discussions involved several sticking points that nearly led to a budget veto.

On Tuesday, some council leaders and Frey reached an agreement to prevent what would have been the second time in the city's history that a mayor vetoed the budget. This resolution came after some heated exchanges.

Frey signed the budget Tuesday afternoon with the understanding that the council would amend portions of it hours later. However, at the council meeting, Council Member Robin Wonsley criticized her frequent ally, Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai, who also serves as budget chair, and Council Member Jeremiah Ellison. She expressed disappointment in them for negotiating behind closed doors for the past two days on a deal she was unaware of.

Some of her amendments were central to the dispute with the Frey administration:

• Wonsley wanted funding to be ongoing rather than a three-year commitment with a “fiscal cliff” that could leave people on the street.
• She accused her colleagues of betraying working-class people and taking “bait” from Frey about layoffs.

“This isn’t the first time that he’s used sensationalism to sway votes,” Wonsley said of Frey. “Dangling jobs in front of this body to upend weeks of work is incredibly cynical and misleading, and I will not normalize negotiations based in bad faith and [that] take place behind closed doors.”

Council Member Michael Rainville praised Chughtai and Ellison for reaching a compromise, stating, “The mayor has veto power over the budget, and he’s merely exercising what he sees fit for the city. We need to trust that he won the election. This almost seems to me to be a referendum on the mayor’s election, that some people don’t accept the fact that he won.”

Council Member Jason Chavez mentioned the difficulty of moving housing vouchers from ongoing funding to one-time funding “on a pinkie promise.” He noted that the council wouldn’t have been able to override a veto. He found it disappointing that Wonsley’s amendments were “targeted.” Wonsley is a frequent critic of Frey.

Wonsley criticized those who supported the deal, saying, “I can’t wait to see the pictures from the press conference of you shaking hands with Mayor Frey. And I hope you keep that same energy when unhoused people are coming to the chambers asking next year, ‘What do I do?’”

Ellison stated that being on the council requires difficult decisions about where to spend money, but he couldn’t see sending city employees packing. He usually takes the high road when his commitment to working-class people is questioned and said, “I’ll take it in stride today … but the work that I’ve put in is beyond reproach by anybody on this dais.”

While he spoke, Wonsley packed up her belongings, put on her yellow cap, and left before the vote on the amendments, which was 11-0, with Wonsley and Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw absent.

Frey acknowledged that the resulting spending blueprint is “not a perfect budget” and disagrees with more than $10 million in increased spending, which he believes will have a “sizable impact” on property taxes in the coming years. He also has concerns about how the budget may affect the city’s ability to fully implement police reforms required under a court-overseen agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.

However, he signed the budget because it preserves core city services, avoids layoffs, limits new ongoing spending, and reflects the shared responsibility to “govern responsibly.”

“In November’s election, Minneapolis voters were clear in their call for a collaborative approach from City Hall,” Frey wrote in his letter to the council. “This agreement is proof that that call can be answered.”