The Minneapolis Budget Committee, chaired by Aisha Chugtai, convened on September 24, 2026, to review the mayor's recommended 2027 budget for the Health Department and the Climate Legacy Initiative (CLI). The meeting included presentations from Interim Health Commissioner Heidi Ritchie and Deputy Commissioner Patrick Hanlin, followed by extensive councilmember discussion. The recommended budgets reflect significant reductions due to a difficult funding environment, including loss of grants and franchise fee volatility.
Councilmember Wansley clarified that the $1.37 million opioid investment is not new general fund money but ongoing annual allocation from existing settlement funds.
Councilmember Stevenson questioned the impact of position cuts, particularly the school-based clinic health education position, and the effect on lead testing events. She also asked about the department's relationship with Hennepin County and the reliability of grant-funded programming.
Councilmember Chavez expressed concerns about the elimination of the Homegrown program, which rescued 265,000 pounds of food during the pandemic and serves over 7,200 residents through community contracts. She also noted the impact of cuts on lead poisoning services and tree planting.
Councilmember Rainville noted the department's growth in grant-funded programs and asked about the reliability of grants; Commissioner Ritchie stated some grants are stable while others are competitive and at risk.
Councilmember Schaefer asked about the department's foundational responsibilities under Minnesota Statute 145A and the process for managing grants and admin adds.
Councilmember Warren argued that services like lead testing are also provided by the county via PMAP and WIC, questioning duplication.
Deputy Commissioner Hanlin placed cli cuts in context of climate urgency: 2024 was the hottest year on record, and CO2 levels are 50% higher than any time in human history. He stated that to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets, current efforts must scale by 5-8 times, but these cuts move the city further from goals.
Councilmember Vita raised concerns about federal retreat from climate action and the impact on green jobs and workforce training.
Councilmember Stevenson asked whether CLI cuts would affect affordability; Hanlin said they would reduce energy savings for assisted properties but the scale is not yet citywide.
Councilmember Wansley expressed disappointment that $4 million in CLI funding won last year is now being redirected due to overspending by the police department, and questioned why biochar facility completion requires additional funding; a note was made for follow up on capital funding eligibility.
Councilmember Chugtai questioned the OPS administration line ($200,000) in the clI budget, requesting justification for its prioritization over cuts to utility assistance and food access.
Good morning. My name is Aisha Chugtai, and I'm the chair of the budget committee. I'm going to call to order our adjourned meeting for September 24th, 2026. Before we offer them before we begin the meeting, I want to offer a friendly reminder to all members, staff, and the public that these meetings are broadcast live to enable greater public participation. These broadcasts include real-time captioning as a further method to increase the accessibility of our proceedings to the community. Therefore, all speakers need to be mindful of the rate of their speech so that our captioners can fully capture and transcribe all comments for the broadcast. We ask that you moderate the speed and clarity of your comments. At this time, I'll ask the clerk to call the role so we can verify the presence of a quorum. Councilmember Payne. Present. Wandsley, Rainville. Present. Vita. Present. Warren is absent. Osman is absent. Stevenson. Present. Chavez. Present. Whiting is absent. Chowder is absent. Palmasano is absent. Vice Chair Schaefer. Present. And Chair Chugtai. Present. That is eight members present. Let the record reflect that we have a quorum. I'll note that we have a couple of absences that are planned that I'm aware of, including Councilmember Whitings, and then we know that Councilmember Chowdry is representing the city today at the Minnesota League of Cities. And the clerks are available if you are having any difficulties with that. Today we have two presentations related to the mayor's recommended 2027 budget from the health department and the climate legacy initiative. I'll invite interim commissioner of health, Heidi Ritchie, to begin the first presentation. Welcome, Commissioner. And then I'll note we've been joined by Councilmember Palmasano as well. Good morning, Chair and Council members. My name is Heidi Ritchie. I'm the interim commissioner of health, and I thank you for the opportunity to present the mayor's recommended 2027 budget for the Minneapolis Health Department. This budget reflects a difficult funding environment. It preserves the budget's core public health responsibilities and makes a targeted investment in opioid prevention and response, while also reducing positions, contracts, and several community-facing activities. Today I will explain the overall budget, proposed divestments, and the proposed use of opioid settlement funds. I'll begin with a department and budget overview. I feel like we went too far. We currently have 172.5 full-time equivalent positions across six divisions. The mayor's recommended 2027 budget is approximately 45 million dollars. Across that funding, our responsibility remains the same to work with communities to protect health, prevent disease and injury, and reduce disparities through services, regulation, education, and advocacy. The department's six divisions reflect the breadth of local public health. Public health infrastructure develops public health workforce and organizational capacity. Sustainability, healthy homes, and environment addresses environmental conditions that affect health. Public health initiatives delivers clinical prevention, emergency preparedness, and family health programs.