What to watch for as Minneapolis and St. Paul finalize their 2020 budgets
Here are key takeaways from the budgets as they stand now — and what officials in both cities are likely to focus on in upcoming talks.
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Could Minneapolis avoid an election for two-year council terms in 2021? Maybe, but only by moving quickly
If new council wards could be drawn and approved before the deadline for filing for city offices in 2021, there would be no need for council elections for two-year-terms — a scenario that’s possible if not entirely feasible.
Hennepin County just gave itself the option of using a transit-focused tax for roads and bridges
The move has triggered alarm among environmental and transit activists.
Ambient public music: Some love it, and some leave it
Music sets a mood, creates a vibe, and can be an acoustic welcome mat for people to enjoy themselves in the city. Or, if you prefer, it pollutes the atmosphere and inflicts ear worms on innocent passers-by.
Minneapolis council members want to give tenants the chance to purchase rental properties
The proposal is modeled on Washington, D.C.’s, Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, or TOPA, which allows tenants match bonafide offers for rental properties when owners put them up for sale.
One of the state’s largest (and most controversial) apartment complexes is expected to be sold. Why it matters.
For years, residents of Brooklyn Park’s Huntington Place have complained of safety issues, unfair treatment and poor living conditions.
After positive results, Minneapolis looks to expand anti-violence program
The success of the city’s group violence intervention strategy has prompted Mayor Jacob Frey to propose growing the program so that it can address gang violence in south Minneapolis.
TAP is a lifesaver for many Metro Transit riders
Once folks get enrolled, their card is registered under their name for a year, allowing them to get dollar fares at any fare box or light rail station.
The wrath of Kahn? Why Minneapolis City Council members will have to run for two-year terms in 2021
The so-called Kahn Rule, named after former state Rep. Phyllis Kahn, requires Minneapolis to hold elections soon after the census-driven redistricting of City Council wards, and it changes a fundamental feature of city politics: that all city offices are on the ballot at the same time.
Suburban results: Frethem elected to Ramsey County Commission; Bloomington goes for Busse — and beer
Seven suburbs across Hennepin and Ramsey counties also had mayoral elections Tuesday.
How every St. Paul ward voted on the trash-collection question
Supporters of keeping the city-organized system in place won in six of seven St. Paul wards.
St. Paul vote hailed as endorsement of city’s direction
On Tuesday, St. Paul voters favored the city’s coordinated trash system by nearly a 2-to-1 margin while also re-electing five City Council incumbents.
Latest 911 data reveal thousands of calls lingering in Minneapolis’ emergency response system
As the Minneapolis City Council prepares to finalize the city’s budget, the data are expected to be part of the debate over police staffing.
From trash to taprooms, a rundown of (pretty much) everything on the ballot in the 2019 election
On Tuesday, voters across the Twin Cities will be weighing in on several ballot measures while also choosing mayors and City Council members in several cities.
Risky Hennepin and Ramsey County streets are increasingly being put on ‘road diets’
Both counties are aggressively replacing four-lane street designs with a three-lane concept, where turning traffic takes up a center lane.
Money in garbage: Who’s funding each side of the St. Paul trash vote
The St. Paul trash debate is shaping up to be the hot political debate of 2019.
How the Twin City Lines bus strike transformed transit in Minneapolis and St. Paul
The strike provided the opportunity for public acquisition of the company and dramatic service improvements.
The special election for Ramsey County commissioner is (almost) all about the Rice Creek Commons project
Nicole Frethem and former state Rep. Randy Jessup are running for board’s District 1 seat.
How Hennepin County’s new body-camera plan for sheriff’s deputies will work
The sheriff’s office says it will launch the first phase of the body camera use this year. Before January 2020, it wants to outfit 148 deputies with the technology across various divisions.
Hennepin County weighs cuts to senior services and food shelves
The cuts come amid increase strain on the county’s human services budget.
