Budget Committee advances dozens of amendments to Mayor Frey—s 2026 proposal, restoring housing and weatherization funding

Minneapolis '025'0Dec. 5 '025 '05 '025

The Minneapolis City Budget Committee on Friday moved through a lengthy markup of Mayor Jacob Frey—s 2026 recommended budget, approving a slate of amendments that add or restore funding for weatherization, sidewalk plowing pilots, emergency shelter operations and immigration legal services while reallocating spending on one public safety facility toward traffic safety and ADA projects.

Chair Aisha Chugtai opened the session by reviewing procedures and the packet of 38 proposed amendments. Budget Director Jane DeCenza told the committee the packet included both technical corrections and policy amendments; technical fixes were approved at the start of the meeting.

The committee approved an amendment to earmark an estimated $4 million in new franchise fee revenue for weatherization and retrofitting programs under the Climate Legacy Initiative after Deputy Commissioner Helen Hanlon said about 60% of that program currently targets areas defined as environmental justice or '0'0green zones. "These programs have a huge return on investment," Council member Cashman said when she moved the allocation.

Members also restored about $1 million in one‑time local affordable housing aid to shore up shelter operations as federal pandemic era funding ends, a measure proponents said was needed to avoid a near‑term "fiscal cliff" that could force shelter providers to reduce hours or close. Council member Chaudhry, a co‑author, told colleagues providers warned the shortfall could translate directly into fewer beds this winter.

A contentious amendment shifted $5.5 million that had been included in the mayor—s capital plan for a new Public Safety Wellness and Training Center into three transportation and accessibility programs: ADA ramp replacement, protected bikeways and traffic safety improvements. Author Council member Wansley argued the administration had '0'0overreached by committing to a $24 million facility without full council signoff; the administration and the city attorney said federal or state settlement approvals and a facilities assessment supported the proposed project. After lengthy debate the traffic safety reallocation narrowly passed.

On policing and investigations, the committee restored two civilian investigator positions and approved funding for a nonfatal‑shootings task force after members and MPD officials discussed low clearance rates and models used by Ramsey County. The meeting also included a heated exchange over the city—s contract with a vendor that conducts public perception surveys.

The committee unanimously passed increases to immigrant legal services and added staff for the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, citing recent spikes in federal immigration enforcement and demand for legal assistance.

Several community and public‑health amendments passed as well: a $15,000 CPED study of tiny‑home village options, $50,000 ongoing for high‑rise tenant organizing (Project Lookout), opioid response grants targeted to impacted neighborhoods and a one‑time allocation to expand street‑vendor training and permitting support.

The committee recessed several times during the long session and adjourned after taking up 26 amendments, with work set to continue at a subsequent meeting on Dec. 8.

What happens next: The approved amendments will be incorporated into the council—s deliberations before the final budget vote. Several items that require interjurisdictional implementation, including emergency housing vouchers administered by the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority and Hennepin County, will need funding agreements and implementation steps before they can take effect.

Reporting: This article is based on live committee proceedings. Direct quotes and vote outcomes were taken from the public transcript of the Dec. 5, 2025 Budget Committee markup. "We have a hard stop today at 05:00 because we don't have captioners after that," Chair Chugtai told members at the start of the meeting.