Minneapolis council fails to override mayor's veto of temporary pre-eviction notice extension
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Summary
The council voted 7-6 on a roll call and fell short of the nine votes required to override Mayor Frey's veto of an ordinance extending pre-eviction notice; the veto was sustained and the ordinance was not adopted.
The Minneapolis City Council on March 26 voted 7-6 on an automatic reconsideration of the city's recently passed ordinance that would have temporarily extended pre-eviction notice requirements, leaving Mayor Jacob Frey's veto intact.
Council President Elliot Payne opened the procedural vote after the clerk explained that an override required at least nine affirmative votes under the city charter. The clerk called the roll; the tally was seven ayes and six nays. President Payne announced, "That motion fails and the mayor's veto is sustained; the ordinance is not adopted." (President Elliot Payne)
Nut graf: The council's failure to override means the temporary 60-day pre-eviction notice that had been approved at the March 5 meeting will not take effect; the council had placed reconsideration at the top of the March 26 agenda so members could resolve the measure promptly.
During the brief procedural exchange the clerk summarized the charter and council rules governing the automatic reconsideration process: the vetoed act is returned in the same form and the council may not debate or amend it before the roll call on whether the original decision will stand. The threshold for override is two-thirds of the council's members, i.e., nine affirmative votes.
Several council members had pressed for additional tenant protections earlier in the meeting, saying more time could allow residents to secure rental assistance; proponents framed the extension as a short-term protection for people displaced by recent enforcement operations. Opponents, who provided the six nay votes on the roll call, cited limits to the council's authority and concerns about unintended budget or programmatic impacts.
What happens next: Council members indicated some will continue pursuing additional rental assistance or alternate policy fixes, and one author signaled intent to reintroduce a temporary extension measure for further discussion. The mayor's veto remains in effect until the council can obtain the necessary votes to override it.
