Jacob Frey’s 2027 budget puts Minneapolis police spending under scrutiny
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is proposing a significant property tax increase as the city works to close a multimillion-dollar budget gap. But as the City Council reviews that proposal, questions about Minneapolis police spending, and who is responsible for keeping it in check , remain a major point of conversation.
The department was projected to finish 2025 nearly 20 million dollars over budget with overtime, hiring and other personnel costs among the factors. And now, MPD is projected to run another roughly 23 million dollars over budget in 2026.
Mayor Frey’s 2027 budget proposal calls for an 11.3% increase in the city's property tax levy, while also increasing the amount budgeted for police overtime by 13.1 million dollars.
Frey said the higher police allocation isn't an endorsement of unlimited overtime and the city needs to budget for what it actually costs to operate the department.
“The circumstances that required us to respond in crisis are not the same circumstances that should define how we govern this city long-term,” said Frey. “For the long term, we need responsible stewardship. That means making difficult decisions, painful choices, and telling the truth about what it actually costs to run a city.”
But Council members have questioned why the department has repeatedly exceeded its budget and whether city officials acted quickly enough when those overruns became apparent.
At the Council's Sept. 15 Committee of the Whole meeting, members wanted police officials there to answer questions about the spending. No police representative attended. Instead, the administration provided written responses, prompting criticism from members on both sides of the Council, including some who generally support Frey.
“I had no idea the amount of equipment that has been purchased over the last few years, and if someone asked me about this — I mean, they’ve given us just pages and pages of Dodge Durangos and Ford Explorers and Chevys. Like, I don’t even know what this is," Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw said. “I’m just really disappointed; my office has been working for over a year to try and get answers.”
“I support spending for public safety, but here’s the thing. There are a lot of categories, primarily contractual and operating expenses that have gone over budget. And it’s not just one item. It’s a lot,” said Council Member Linea Palmisano. “From what I see, it looks like funds were spent without any consideration of the overall department budget.”
She continued, “The damage has been done and the department has lost the trust of this council … also of some of the public when it comes to their ability to manage their budget and that will have to be earned back.”
The City Council is scheduled to hear a detailed presentation from the Police Department on its 2027 budget Sept. 28. The Council is expected to adopt a final budget Dec. 15.
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