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City operations office says Open Streets will be cut to three events if mayor—s budget holds
Summary
Margaret Anderson Kelleher, City Operations Officer, told the Budget Committee that the Office of Public Service would scale back its Open Streets program to three events and reduce related city service dollars under the mayor—s recommended 2026 budget, while preserving staff headcount.
Margaret Anderson Kelleher, City Operations Officer for the City of Minneapolis, told the Budget Committee on Sept. 16 that the Office of Public Service—s (OPS) recommended 2026 budget would reduce the in‑house Open Streets program to three events and scale back city service supports if the mayor—s recommendation is adopted.
Why it matters: Open Streets has been the primary program in OPS—s portfolio; the office said the program is mostly staffed roles and hard costs (restrooms, city service supports) that require dedicated funding. Reductions there would be the main lever for the department to meet the mayor—s target without cutting staff.
Anderson Kelleher described the OPS portfolio and priorities, saying the office oversees non‑public-safety executive departments, manages enterprise projects such as the Climate Legacy Initiative and work at George Floyd Square, and provides enterprise coordination across roughly 2,700 employees. She said OPS—s recommended 2026 budget shows only slight growth overall but that most spending is salaries, wages and fringe benefits.
On Open Streets, Anderson Kelleher said, "we will reduce to 3 Open Streets for next year should the proposed budget be adopted." She said the department plans to continue providing $65,000 in in‑kind city services for those events and that the reduction represents "almost a $111,000" cut in one‑time and program support. She added the office—s priority is to preserve employees and, if possible, restore Open Streets funding should other resources become available.
The presentation also highlighted enterprise risks the office is tracking, including federal funding volatility, commercial property valuation shifts that affect the tax base, and unanticipated emergencies that can change operations. Anderson Kelleher noted OPS has led cross‑department projects and that the office includes deputy COOs and program leads who work on special projects and events.
Discussion and next steps: Committee members asked clarifying questions about OPS size and scope. Anderson Kelleher said the department budget is "a little over $3,000,000 for a department." The chair directed the clerks to file the presentation report; no formal vote or binding committee action was recorded during the session.
The presentation was followed by the next budget department briefings on the committee agenda.
