Minneapolis climate organizers stage sing-in over proposed $4 million funding shift
Minneapolis residents and climate organizers staged a singing sit-in at City Hall on Wednesday, calling on Mayor Jacob Frey and the City Council to preserve about $4 million for home weatherization and clean-energy improvements for low-income residents.
Dozens of people gathered outside the mayor’s office with signs and songs to protest what organizers say is a proposed shift of Climate Legacy Initiative funding away from residential weatherization and energy-efficiency work.
The money comes from gas and electric franchise fees paid through utility bills. A 2026 city budget amendment allocated $4.04 million in additional franchise-fee revenue to the city’s Green Cost Share weatherization and retrofitting programs, with a focus on environmental justice areas. City documents say the work is intended to benefit low-income households by lowering energy bills while reducing emissions.
The city’s Green Cost Share program provides financial assistance for energy-efficiency improvements including insulation, windows and energy-efficient appliances, as well as solar installations. The program gives priority to Green Zones, income-qualified housing and other communities identified as being disproportionately affected by climate change and air pollution.
“The fact that he’s taking that money and putting it into the general fund to fill his budget gap is a disgrace,” said Katie Cashman, a Minneapolis resident and community climate activist who attended the protest.
Cashman said organizers want the city to keep the money dedicated to home improvements such as insulation, windows, roofs, solar panels and heat pumps.
Satish Desai, a leader with Unidos MN, said organizers are asking residents to contact the mayor and City Council and urge them to preserve the Climate Legacy Initiative funding.
"It was just too smoky to go outside this summer. When my nephew was visiting, we didn’t get to do any of the fun things I had planned," said Desai. "Our summer wasn’t just ruined by smoke poisoning our air, but blistering heat and drought that also hit farmers across the country, and the climate disasters that killed thousands in Europe, Tibet and Nepal."
Henos, a 20-year-old Unidos volunteer, said the gathering was intended to send a message to city leaders about the importance of keeping franchise-fee revenue dedicated to clean-energy programs.
“I’m a young person myself,” Henos said. “This, if you keep going downhill, it’s going to affect me and my family, my siblings and future generations.”
The Climate Legacy Initiative was launched by Minneapolis in 2024 and is funded in part through increased gas and electric franchise fees. The city says the initiative supports its Climate Equity Plan, including efforts to reduce climate pollution, improve energy efficiency and weatherize homes.
Frey’s proposed 2027 budget is shaped by a projected gap of more than $60 million. His administration has proposed an $11.3% property-tax levy increase while reducing spending by more than $20 million.
The mayor’s office did not meet with the organizers during Wednesday’s demonstration. The office also did not reply for comment on this story.
The 2027 Minneapolis budget remains under consideration by the City Council. The council has scheduled public hearings in October, with a budget adoption vote expected Dec. 15.
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