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Budget staff outline mayor’s $2 billion 2026 plan and levy estimator ahead of upcoming hearings
Summary
City budget manager Justin Coles summarized the structure of the mayor’s recommended 2026 budget, explained an interactive levy-impact tool and noted the Board of Estimate and Taxation authorized a levy cap to be certified to the county.
Justin Coles, budget manager for the city’s Finance and Property Services division, presented an overview of Mayor Jacob Frey’s recommended 2026 budget at the Minneapolis City Council budget committee meeting on Sept. 19.
Coles told the committee the recommended fiscal plan totals “just about $2,000,000,000” and highlighted a new focus in the budget book on department staffing and a "2026 budget changes" section that outlines reductions, limited increases and transfers.
Coles said the Board of Estimate and Taxation authorized a maximum property tax levy growth that will be certified to the county by Sept. 30. Chair Ayesha Chugtai earlier summarized the mayor’s recommendation as including an increase to the city property tax levy of about 7.8 percent.
Coles demonstrated an interactive levy-impact estimator the city developed with the assessor’s office that allows residents to enter property values and see estimated levy effects by ward. He cautioned that figures are estimates because final assessed property values and state aids are not finalized until later in the year.
He also reviewed the remaining schedule: the committee’s second public hearing on Oct. 6, additional departmental presentations through Oct. 27, a third hearing on Nov. 19 and a final council hearing required by state law on Dec. 9.
No committee action on the recommended budget occurred at the Sept. 19 hearing; the presentation and public comments were recorded as part of the budget review process.
