Minneapolis, MN

Operation Metro Surge leading to budget concerns for City of Minneapolis

Published

4 weeks ago

February 6, 2026

Press Room

Operation Metro Surge leading to budget concerns for City of Minneapolis

There are concerns in the City of Minneapolis that Operation Metro Surge could lead to higher property taxes.

According to Budget Director Jayne Discenza, the city spent at least $5 million in just a couple of weeks in January in response to the federal immigration enforcement operations. She told City Council members that all of the 26 city departments are contributing to the response, from staffing to time.

“For just the police department, I think we’re at $4.3 million in overtime associated with this response,” said Discenza. “If you project that out, certainly over budget.”

After federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the department did an emergency recall of all sworn personnel back to duty. Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette has also shared the stress the federal operation is having on city emergency response overall.

MPLS safety commissioner: Current conditions aren’t ‘sustainable,’ stress and cost mounting

In December, the city approved a 2026 budget that eliminated critical staffing overtime. It was considered a $3.6 million cost savings at the time.

The city has a $2 billion budget overall with a $700 million general fund, according to Discenza. The city is required to have a contingency fund of 1% of the general fund balance. The 2026 budget lists the general fund contingency this year as $7.46 million.

“Previously, we have a small cushion between where our general fund balance is expected to sit at the end of 2026, assuming departments don’t overspend their budgets this year and, again, that might be difficult because of what they’re forced to do because of federal incursion,” said Discenza. “If we are to deplete our resources this year, we’ve been put on notice by bond agencies they are watching our use of fund balance. We have a AAA rating, and that matters to constituents because that allows us to borrow at a lower rate to do our capital work, so I think the concern long term would be without raising property taxes, we would be dipping below that minimum fund balance.”

Operation Metro Surge started Dec. 1, 2025. Homeland Security has not indicated when it will end.

Minneapolis City Council considers $1M in rental assistance for families facing eviction during ICE operations

Source link

Click to comment

Minneapolis, MN

What is a data center?

Published

11 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

What exactly is a data center and why are so many being proposed across Minnesota? Professor Manjeet Rege, chair of Software Engineering and Data Science and director of the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence at the University of St. Thomas, joins us to explain how these massive facilities store and process the world’s data and what the economic, environmental, and infrastructure questions are as Minnesota considers hosting more of them.

Posted March 4, 2026 4:27pm CST

Source link

Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis Ranked Among U.S. Cities With The Most People In Financial Distress

Published

23 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Minneapolis Ranked Among U.S. Cities With The Most People In Financial Distress

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis is ranked among the American cities with the most people in financial distress nationwide, according to a recent analysis by WalletHub.

The personal finance website, which defines financial distress as having a credit account in forbearance or with deferred payments, looked at the country’s 100 largest cities without data limitations across nine metrics, including average credit score, change in bankruptcy filings year-over-year, and share of people with accounts in distress.

Minneapolis came in 44th on the list, between Stockton, California, at 43rd and Fresno, California, at 45th, according to the ranking.

Nationwide, the cities with the most people in financial distress were Chicago at No. 1, Houston at No. 2 and Las Vegas at No. 3, the ranking said.

“Getting out of the downward spiral of financial distress is no easy feat,” according to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

“You may get temporary relief from your lenders by not having to make payments, but all the while interest will keep building up, making the debt even harder to pay off. People who find themselves in financial distress should budget carefully, cut non-essential expenses, and pursue strategies like debt consolidation or debt management to get their situation under control.”

Read more from WalletHub.

Source link

Minneapolis, MN

Whitefish council creates proclamation in solidarity with city, citizens of Minneapolis

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Whitefish council creates proclamation in solidarity with city, citizens of Minneapolis

WHITEFISH, Mont. — The Whitefish City Council in February presented and signed a proclamation expressing solidarity with the city and citizens of Minneapolis.

The proclamation states that Whitefish mourns the loss of life that occurred in Minneapolis and stands in solidarity with its residents.

It reaffirms the city’s commitment to equal treatment under the law and emphasizes that peaceful protest is a fundamental American right.

The proclamation was supported by five of the six council members.

Mayor John Muhlfeld said the action was meant to reaffirm the city’s values.

“A mayoral proclamation that is supported by five of six City Council members supporting solidarity with the city and citizens of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and reaffirming our supportive, just, equal and welcoming community,” Muhlfeld said. “I think this is somewhat overdue. Our town’s been through a lot over the years, This is more importantly to reaffirm our values as a council with our community because we care deeply about you.”

Over the last year, Whitefish has faced criticism amid rising tensions surrounding the Department of Homeland Security.

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

View the full proclamation below.

Source link