What will Minneapolis taxpayers get for $1.66 billion next year?
The Minneapolis City Council passed a two year budget Tuesday night. The spending plan includes $1.66 billion for 2023 and $1.7 billion for 2024.
Here are a few highlights:
Public safety and police spending increases
The mayor’s proposed budget included $195 million for the MPD in 2023 — larger than the $187 million allocated to the department in 2022. During the budget markup process last week, members of the city council shifted about $1 million from the MPD budget. Those reductions are a small portion of the department’s budget.
The budget also includes funding for additional law enforcement for a total of 731 sworn police officers in 2023, plus an additional nearly $9 million in overtime and $1.5 million for contracting with other law enforcement entities.
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The plan uses funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to help create a new department of Neighborhood Safety from the existing Office of Violence Prevention.
It also includes $1.45 million for the Behavioral Crisis Response program in 2023 and $2.9 million in 2024. Under the program, mental health professionals respond to behavioral health crisis situations.
Increased funding for affordable housing
Spending increases from $16.8 million to $18 million over the next two years for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, putting close to $3 million in the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority and allocating $500,000 to provide legal help for renters facing eviction.
Property tax levy increase to help pay for spending
The two-year plan relies on levy increases of 6.5 percent in 2023 and by 6.2 percent in 2024. City officials say the 6.5 percent hike will result in an “increase in a median value home’s property taxes of $167 annually.”
Money for infrastructure improvements
The budget includes $3.88 million in 2023 and $4.37 million in 2024 for roads and trails and 311 response.
Funds will also pay for body worn cameras for traffic control and animal control agents
The council also amended the mayor’s plan to include funding ($1.2 million) to pay for the installation of sprinklers at Minneapolis public housing buildings and improved street lighting in north Minneapolis ($300,000). As well as funding for some neighborhood organizations and landscaping on city roundabouts and streets.
The budget also includes $600,000 to address opioid addiction treatment
More details about the biennial budget can be found on the city’s website.