Minneapolis City Council overrides mayor’s veto of public safety ballot language

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minneapolis City Council used a veto override Friday to set ballot language for the proposed public safety charter amendment.

Mayor Jacob Frey twice vetoed the language and accused council members of a lack of transparency. The approved language asks voters whether the city should “replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a Department of Public Safety, with administrative authority to be consistent with other city departments to fulfill its responsibilities for public safety?”

There was a midnight deadline to finalize the ballot language. Frey says he supports a new public safety model but not this route. He warns voters that passage of the amendment would remove the police chief.