I’m here at Mayor Frey’s budget address. Thoughts and reactions to follow.

🚨🚨🚨EHB talks MPD 🚨🚨🚨 I am extremely concerned about the impact that MPD spending will have on our property taxes and budget priorities this year. Now is the time to speak up to stop MPD cost growth from consuming the investments we need in our communities.

Important write-up of the budget outlook ahead of the mayor's proposal. Lots of serious challenges, including the possibility of cuts and significant tax increases. Will be sharing more thoughts soon. www.startribune.com/mayor-jacob-...

Minneapolis may lay off 100 city employees in budget cuts. Taxpayers could still face double-digit hike.

Mayor Jacob Frey will unveil a budget proposal next week that could include layoffs and closing or consolidating some departments to plug a $33 million budget gap.

startribune.com

Very interested in the results of this scientific survey.

Tom Olsen@olsenforparks.bsky.social · 2w ago

Quick budget question: would you be a fan of cutting funding for Minneapolis parks to pay for Minneapolis police overtime?

Capped off yesterday’s scorcher with a visit to the Webber Natural Swimming Pool and a spin through the new Upper Harbor park space. I was blown away by both. Webber was buzzing with people loving the cool water, and these rivers-side picnic tables are gorgeous. We can do great things when we try!

EHB’s first resolution! On Wednesday the BET passed my resolution recommending that the city council explore a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) program to encourage tax-exempt orgs like foundations and universities to contribute to a city asset fund or urban wealth fund. More on the idea:

My great grandparents fled pogroms in the Ukraine in search of freedom in the U.S. Like generations of immigrants before and since, they went to work building this country. I'm grateful to them for the opportunities I later received and I want that for generations to come. Happy Independence Day.

An official EHB budget update before the big holiday weekend. I am tracking MOD over spending and other fiscal pressures and I am ready to fight for an accountable budget that expresses a positive vision of a brighter future.

Extremely proud of my friend @aishaforward10.com for taking this step to prioritize her mental health. Aisha has given so much to all of us and deserves our full support as she takes time to heal. I know she will return an even stronger champion for the people of this city. We are with you, Aisha!

Aisha Chughtai@aishaforward10.com · last mo.

Like millions of Americans, I work to manage my mental health daily. I’ve long ignored my need for more help. That’s why I’m sharing some personal news. I’m taking a leave from the City for a month to get help at a rigorous outpatient program for clinical depression and anxiety.

Awesome marching in yesterday's pride parade! The LGBTQ community brings so much joy, creativity, and brilliance to our city. They are the core of our radical acceptance and it is an honor to celebrate pride every year. Thank you for showing us how to love one another, and accept ourselves 🌈

Elliott Payne@elliottpayne.org · 2mo ago

We had a great team of @aurinmpls.bsky.social & @ehbforbet.bsky.social pumping up the crowd!

Close the streets so kids can play in them. This is an official position.

Ample seating, numerous parks and trees, public restrooms — I really cannot describe how much these public spaces improve the environment in downtown Detroit. If Minneapolis wants a vibrant downtown, we should build it for people.

Eric Harris Bernstein@ehbinmn.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I am in downtown Detroit for a conference and the amount of beautiful, people-centered public space is absolutely stunning.

POV: You are a BET Commissioner hanging out with Keith Ellison at Open Streets Lyndale.

Bill is correct as usual. Removing public space because we can't find a constructive response to unsheltered homelessness is the ultimate admission of failure. It is surrender in the face of a growing and disturbing problem, and our city will never thrive until we find real solutions.

Bill Lindeke@blindeke.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I get steamed about this kind of crap. These bridges and sidewalks are bare minimum mobility for people screwed by freeway infrastructure. www.minnpost.com/cityscape/20...

Must-read coverage of police overspending. MPD already gets one-third of our general fund; overspending beyond that is unacceptable. I am glad to see city leaders united in concern about these overages and will do my part to ensure an accountable budget. www.startribune.com/minneapolis-...

Minneapolis police overtime is dragging down the entire city budget

The city’s rainy day fund is drying up as it spends more and collects less money.

startribune.com

🚨🚨 Official EHB endorsement 🚨🚨 Like our Attorney General Keith Ellison, I am endorsing @zackformn.bsky.social for State Auditor. (Except it’s not at all like Keith because people care what he thinks 😅). But there it is nonetheless.

Eric Harris Bernstein@ehbinmn.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I am not a delegate, but I support Zack for state Auditor. He’s been working hard on the campaign trail and has the right experience for the job. I am convinced he cares deeply about local government and the core duties of the role. He’ll make a great Auditor and I hope we endorse him today.

Here is a helpful video by a goofy Canadian realtor explaining why commercial spaces can sit vacant for so long. City leaders might differ on how much to prioritize business interests, but no one should carry water for institutional commercial real estate investors. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR_k...

Why Commercial Real Estate Spaces Can Be Vacant for Years

YouTube video by Chris Melnyk

youtube.com

Jurff T_T 🌐@jurfftt.bsky.social · 3mo ago

But they'd still prefer to actually collect rent, right? There's a bunch of reasons they might want to avoid a lower-rent-paying tenant, all mostly legitimate, but end of the day they make more money when they have a paying tenant. How would you envision the city of MPLS step in?

Excellent op-ed on challenges and opportunities in Uptown, especially these points on the need for public leadership and public space. When private actors engage in harmful behavior like keeping space vacant, the city needs to step in. Otherwise we pay the price in lower tax base and empty streets.

Wedge LIVE!™@wedge.live · 3mo ago

The rare diagnosis of Uptown's issues that doesn't mention the medians. www.startribune.com/twin-cities-...

I was deeply moved by Rise and Remember’s vigil for George Floyd, 6 years after he was murdered by MPD. It was a bittersweet reminder that, despite enormous community effort, our city government has failed to adequately repair from this atrocity. May this be a more victorious year in the struggle.

CMs @aishaforward10.com & @ward4.minneapolismn.gov did an excellent job following up about MPD overages yesterday. I especially appreciate the point that these were not all essential expenditures. MPD overspent on equipment, food, and even advertising. Other departments do not do this.

taylr@taylordahlin.com · 3mo ago

chughtai keeps asking o’hara to address various line items of MPD budget overspends and he does not have answers and they are all being noted for follow up parking, printing, misc services, medical, advertising, overtime… no answers coming from o’hara today

I am following this story closely. During the campaign I talked a a lot about the enormous potential of city-owned land. Selling empty lots can make sense, but we should think long-term and make sure not to offload space that could serve the public. Great reporting here by Taylor, as usual.

taylr@taylordahlin.com · 3mo ago

the city of minneapolis is taking steps towards selling a ton of its vacant lots and houses, the vast majority of them in north minneapolis, opening them up to development full CPED report with aerial views of each property: lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/Age...

Awesome celebrating Bike to Work Week with @olsenforparks.bsky.social on a cross-metro commute to Wednesday’s BET meeting. Didn’t bike with Steve but we did take a selfie 🚴‍♂️🤓 Biking is my favorite way to move through the city and I fully support all efforts to build our bike and ped infrastructure 👊

The fact that MPD's excessive hours during OMS were driven by their concerns about resident behavior, rather than their intent to protect us from the violent threat of ICE and CBP agents, adds insult to this financial injury. This is a deeply upsetting indicator of the department's orientation.

Jesse Mortenson@jk9.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Based on O’Hara’s remarks (in early March?) it seems he and city leadership was fixated on preventing/being ready to respond to wide scale civilian uprising (à la 2020). Which to me is a wild misread of both why things happened in 2020 and what happened now. Fighting the last war wrongly

I am extremely troubled by the amount of standby pay issued to MPD officers during Operation Metro Surge. MPD data shows some officers were paid nearly 24 hours per day for 32 days straight, while dozens were paid 8-12 extra hours each day while we stood out in the cold protecting our neighbors. 1/

Minnesota Star Tribune@startribune.com · 3mo ago

The Minneapolis Police Department is on pace to blow its budget by over $23 million this year — well beyond the extra overtime racked up during the federal immigration crackdown.

Brace yourselves for a weekend of public sector content as your fav BET VP hits Doors Open. On my list right now: Traffic Management, Watershed Management, the Bus Garage, the maintenance hole, Odor Control, Groove Lofts, Kramarczuk's, the Coliseum, and the Minneapolis Club. What should I add?

City of Minneapolis@minneapolismn.gov · 4mo ago

Explore Minneapolis City Hall and Hennepin County Courthouse, plus more than 100 other spaces that shape our city, May 9-10 during Doors Open Minneapolis. Plan your visit: https://www.doorsopenminneapolis.org/venues-2026

Important Minneapolis budget hearing going on right now, covering MPD overtime during Operation Metro Surge, which @wedge.live discusses below. Read through the data and am concerned by large amounts of standby pay given to officers awaiting a call at home. Watch: www.youtube.com/live/NJXBEEq...

May 4, 2026 Budget Committee

YouTube video by cityofminneapolis

youtube.com

Wedge LIVE!™@wedge.live · 3mo ago

MPD paid out over $3 million to officers for more than 85,000 hours of standby overtime been Jan 7 and Feb 22. Standby overtime compensates officers for "remaining available to respond" within 60 minutes.

Every year I’m blown away by the incredible expression of humanity at Powderhorn May Day. The creativity, the embodiment of shared values, and all of the ingenuity and hard work to make it happen. As a person in politics it always makes me wonder, how can we support that sort of joy and connection?

taylr@taylordahlin.com · 3mo ago

never has minneapolis needed to celebrate the sun coming more than at the end of winter 2026. ICE are not gone completely, but we still won, and it was incredibly cathartic to see this ceremony at mayday about protecting our neighbors, grounding why we did this work. i love this city

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Stay in touch with EHB for BET!

Help us keep in touch so we can remind you to vote for BET in November! Emails will be light, with just a few reminders about important dates and information.

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Hey Neighbors! Worried about property taxes? One way to control the rise is with alternative funding. On April 8th, the BET heard a presentation on revenue options and tomorrow we'll file it. That means it's your turn to have your voice heard! Come on by: lims.minneapolismn.gov/Board/Agenda...

Media Narratives about our city government have been unflattering lately, but this was a great reminder of all the caring and thoughtful people working to meet our needs. Did you know we have two full-time veterinarians tending to impounded or surrendered pets? Hundreds of stories like this.

EHB on BET@ehbforbet.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Really enjoyed sitting in on the Capital Long-range Improvement Committee’s proposal meeting. CLIC is an appointed committee that guides our investment priorities. Departments presented proposals for things like street redesign and buildings, including the controversial MPD training facility.