Minneapolis, St. Paul City Leaders Pass 2020 Budgets

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- St. Paul and Minneapolis city council members passed multi-million and billion dollar budgets on Wednesday night, respectively.

They came with two different plans on how to address community safety and violence issues in the state's two largest cities.

Minneapolis council members approved a property tax levy of nearly 7 percent in a 10 to 3 vote.

In a unanimous vote, they also approved a $1.6 billion budget that calls for $400 thousand for opioid training and $31 million in affordable housing resources.

The budget also includes the addition of a full new Minneapolis Police class of recruits.

That could yield at least 14 officers to the department, but it could be as many as 20.

Public testimony lasted about two hours and most of it was criticisms of any Minneapolis Police support.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon in St. Paul, city council members narrowly passed their city's budget by a vote of 4 to 3.

That comes with a nearly 6 percent or $165 million property tax levy.

Again, public safety was a focus with this budget as the city is grappling with 29 murders, the most in decades.

The city budget includes the $1.6 million in community first public safety spending from Mayor Melvin Carter.

Some city council members criticized the plan because it does not include money for any additional police officers.

"While we have lots of the right pieces in the Mayor's supplemental budget, it lacks the logic and cohesion to properly, effectively and equitably address the problems we face," said Ward 7 Council Member, Jane Price.

Carter's plan includes investments in community groups, mental health Fire Department co-responders, and free after school programs for young people.