Minneapolis Budget Committee Meeting: Personnel Report, 2026 Earmarks, and Change Items - September 14, 2026

Chair Aisha Chuktai convened the regular adjourned meeting of the Minneapolis Budget Committee on September 14, 2026. With nine members present, the committee had a quorum. The posted agenda was reordered so the biannual personnel report was heard first, followed by presentations on 2026 council dedicated funds (earmarks) and 2026 change items. The meeting was informational and ended with an adjournment to the afternoon budget session.

Biannual Personnel Report

• Deb Kruger, director of HR operations, presented the fourth biannual personnel report, required by council directive since 2024. Data was effective September 4, 2026.
• Total city workforce was 4,603.78 FTEs, including budgeted, unbudgeted, and temporary employees. Council-approved FY2026 budgeted FTEs totaled 4,292.13; 311 additional active FTEs were above that approved count, including trainees, over-allocation positions, and temporary/seasonal staff.
• 91.6% of budgeted FTEs were filled, about the same as September 2025; 8.4% (360.35 FTEs) were vacant. Police had 109 vacancies among 969 budgeted positions (11.3%, down from 13%). Public works had about 91 vacancies (8.7%). Convention center had about 31 vacancies (18.8%, down 3.6 points).
• 40% of vacancies were open six months or less; 30% three months or less; 32% (about 130) were open a year or longer, with about 72% of those attributable to sworn police or seasonal positions.
• FY2026 approved personnel budget was $654 million; $385 million had been spent through July (59%), about 1% above pace with 42% of the year remaining.
• Overtime budget was $7.2 million; $19.1 million had been spent through July, with overages mainly in public safety, 911, and police.
• 19 administratively added FTEs had been approved through Q2 2026, with a budgetary impact of about $1.2 million, generally funded by transferring non-personnel dollars or capital funds. 13 FTEs had been transferred between departments, including 9 communications positions.
• Councilmember Palmasano asked whether the data reflected the mayor's proposed cuts to vacant positions; Kruger said it did not. Palmasano asked how to identify targeted vacancies; staff said department-level presentations would provide more detail. Kruger cautioned that longer vacancies, especially seasonal public works positions, should not automatically be considered nonessential.
• Vice Chair Schaefer asked about administratively added FTEs and average salary calculations. Budget Manager Justin Carlson said budget-division salary figures generally covered permanent budget positions, not temporary employees or election judges. Schaefer requested a by-department pivot of FTEs hired since 2020, noted for administrative follow-up.

2026 Council Dedicated Funds (Earmarks)

• Health Department: Heidi Ritchie reported $150,000 for South Minneapolis underserved communities opioid response, used for long-acting buprenorphine treatment training with California Bridge, including North Minneapolis organizations in the cohort. A $25,000 autism and water safety earmark was contracted with St. David's for water therapy and parent education. Councilmember Osman requested follow-up details; Councilmember Warren asked about North Minneapolis work.
• Public Works: Tim Sexton reported the zero waste project manager position was about to be posted, with funding shifted to commercial/multifamily work; a zero waste work group was being fit into the city's tier four advisory structure. The sidewalk snow/ice plowing pilot, in its third year, had spent about $299,000 of its $595,000 annual appropriation as of September 1.
• Office of Community Safety: Jared Jeffries said police off-duty fee implementation awaited a transition from Workforce Director to the UKG scheduling/time system and additional technology; $329,000 allocated for implementation had not been spent. The non-fatal shooting/Firearm Assault Shoot Team (FAST) was fully staffed and operating. Council President Payne called failure to collect off-duty fees unacceptable and asked for a resource conversation. Councilmember Warren questioned the non-fatal label for shooting investigations; Councilmember Chavez defended the task force as life-saving while criticizing the delayed off-duty fees.
• Neighborhood Safety Department: Amanda Harrington reported $100,000 for Stevens Square safety initiatives; services began December 31, 2025 and continue through 2026.
• CPED: Eric Hanson reported tenant organizing funds contracted; Tiny Homes and Big Dreams consultant contract signed for $15,000; emergency operation/shelter funding contracts in place. For the commercial adaptive reuse study and child care worker investment, CPED was taking alternative approaches and had not spent the $125,000 and $102,000 appropriations, which remained locked to their council-directed purposes. Hanson said redirecting them required council action.

2026 Change Items (Additional Spending)

• George Floyd Square art preservation: $300,000 appropriation; projected 2026 spending of $50,000-$60,000 due to the later start of road construction; outside art conservators are under contract. Councilmember Stevenson asked about remaining funds; Brett Jelly said preservation needs would continue in 2027.
• CPED program updates: Hanson described a wide range of items, including 38th Street Thrive implementation (with a legislative update due by the end of September), economic development/cultural activation grants and grocery store activation delayed until the 2027 budget was announced, emergency housing vouchers contracted with the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, nighttime business license inspector positions affected by the mayor's reduction-in-force plan, a street vendor grant/compliance program, retail space 'demising' activation, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund awards coming in November, Minneapolis Homes awards, shelter response contracting with Hennepin County, Cowles Center and People's Way property maintenance, developer technical assistance, ownership opportunity funds, Great Streets, and youth workforce/Step-Up and 2050 plan funding. Hanson also said CPED held about 464 parcels and was working to move properties to the market more quickly.
• Councilmember Stevenson questioned the City of Lakes land trust process for 38th Street Thrive and said she did not think a direct contract with City of Lakes should work; Hanson said procurement decisions had not been made. Stevenson also asked about People's Way trash removal; Hanson described complaint-driven property management.
• Councilmember Chavez said council-approved programs should not be put on hold and warned that the $1.2 million in 38th Street Thrive funding should not become a 'slush fund' for MPD. Councilmember Vita argued many CPED programs duplicate existing county or nonprofit services and questioned long-term city ownership of the Cowles Center and People's Way. Councilmember Warren questioned the emergency housing voucher program as duplicative of Hennepin County's coordinated entry and requested a briefing. Councilmembers Stevenson and Chavez responded that the voucher program serves people newly experiencing homelessness and helps 50 families and 50 adults.
• Public Works change items: Sexton said the downtown bathrooms project continued, with possible agency partnerships, aiming for spring 2027. Traffic Safety for All's $5.5 million was on track for full spending, with about $3 million for neighborhood traffic calming, $2.3 million for ADA improvements, and $700,000 for protected bikeways, covering about 165 project areas and nearly 300 traffic safety treatments.
• Civil Rights: Director Kayla McConnell reported co-enforcement contracts with community partners, including the Workers Center, Restaurant Opportunity Center, and New Justice Project, totaling just under $350,000 and 5,810 hours. Outcomes included 79 know-your-rights presentations, 988 workers trained, 215 peer trainers, 534 worksites reached, 318 consultations, and 109 workers receiving ongoing case support. Councilmember Stevenson requested data on wages recovered; McConnell said she would follow up. Vice President Osman asked about the proposed 2027 budget; McConnell confirmed the $427,862 co-enforcement amount in 2026 was not in the proposed 2027 budget.
• Communications: two one-time $12,500 amendments for cultural media and public access services were contracted and spent. Councilmember Osman requested the total cultural media budget as follow-up.
• Finance and Property Services: a custodian position and an Animal Care and Control security position were filled; a mobile security position was still in hiring and expected to be filled by end of 2026.
• Health Department: Patrick Hanlon reported the $3.8 million franchise fee weatherization allocation was spending at a record pace, with 60% of funding going to environmental-justice target areas, exceeding the 40% target, and about 600 projects moving forward. Utility assistance included $150,000 one-time and $50,000 ongoing; 93 households were enrolled, about $46,000 spent, and 800 applications were in progress. Councilmember Warren raised concerns about green zone remapping affecting North Minneapolis; Hanlon offered a follow-up conversation. Councilmember Vita thanked staff for rapid program rollout.
• Convention Center: Jeff Johnson reported the city spent $500,000 from the Downtown Assets Fund to help secure WWE SummerSlam; tens of thousands visited from all 50 states, with hotel occupancy up 10% Thursday, 41% Friday, 71% Saturday, and 147% Sunday compared with 2025. A $100,000 competitive study had produced a final draft; the city had a three-year vendor agreement, with $70,000 spent initially and $30,000 remaining.
• Neighborhood and Community Relations: Karen Moe reported additional 2026 funding for the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, including ongoing and one-time increases for immigrant legal services with five nonprofit providers. Funding expanded services to include habeas petitions and rapid response during Operation Metro Surge; over half the funds were spent. An additional staff person was hired in July. Moe said the proposed 2027 budget did not recommend cuts to immigration legal services, though the department merger made allocations harder to identify. Councilmembers Warren and Osman urged continued and expanded immigrant legal services.
• Office of Community Safety/MPD: Jeffries reported a downtown safety and security resource partnership with the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District for the Warehouse District Live effort, June through October 2026. Commander Chris Brown reported MPD's civilian case investigator appropriation increased from $3.4 million to $3.6 million; MPD was on track to spend the full amount, with 28 civilian case investigators currently employed and 3 hired in June-July. He said the need for civilian investigators would continue while sworn staffing remained low.

Key Outcomes

• The committee received and filed the biannual personnel report.
• No formal votes were taken; the session was an update/reporting session for 2026 council dedicated funds and change items.
• Administrative follow-ups were noted: by-department FTE hires since 2020; water-safety program delivery details; cultural media total budget; franchise fee contracting details; wage recovery data for co-enforcement; an emergency housing voucher briefing; and a meeting on off-duty fee implementation resources.
• Chair Chuktai adjourned the meeting, with budget work to resume at 1:30 p.m.