Council approves 8.3% increase for South Lake Minnetonka Police Department 2026 budget

The Shorewood City Council on Aug. 25 adopted a resolution approving the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department's proposed 2026 operating budget, which Chief Ballsrud said represents an 8.3% increase and includes $50,000 to rebuild department reserves.

Chief SLMPD Ballsrud told the Council the budget funds special projects including purchase/maintenance of Flock cameras, a condition assessment of the Public Safety building, replacement of the building's uninterruptible power supply and installation of Knox box keys. Mayor Jennifer Labadie and councilmembers questioned whether some expenditures posed higher cost risks; Ballsrud said the proposal is "very minimal and had included fifty thousand dollars to get their reserves up, with the goal of getting them financially stable." He also noted vehicle needs and the department's reliance on leased vehicles while moving toward purchases.

Councilmember Sanschagrin moved and Councilmember Maddy seconded adoption of Resolution 25-077, "A Resolution Approving the 2025 Annual Operating Budget of the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department." The motion passed on a roll call vote; the transcript records that the motion passed but does not list an individual roll-call tally.

Council discussion touched on Flock camera use and related privacy and investigative concerns; Chief Ballsrud declined to discuss details of an active investigation, saying the camera deployment had been part of a suspicious-death investigation. He also described an officer-involved shooting vehicle that was held as evidence by the BCA for months and then spent additional time in a body shop, illustrating fleet pressure and the department's need for reliable vehicles.

The adopted budget is intended to stabilize reserves and allow the department to replace equipment and vehicles over time. No further hearings on the SLMPD operating budget were scheduled at the Shorewood meeting.