Minneapolis council votes to reject top public safety official
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Todd Barnette, commissioner of Minneapolis' Office of Community Safety, addresses reporters in 2024. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
Minneapolis City Council members voted 7-6 on Thursday to reject Todd Barnette for a second term as the city's top public safety official.
Why it matters: Minneapolis could soon be looking for its third community safety commissioner, only four years after the role's creation, overseeing all emergency response, including MPD and non-police alternatives.
- Barnette has also served as the city's point-person on an MPD reform settlement to reverse years of heavy-handed, racially biased policing.
Between the lines: The vote raises questions about the future of police chief Brian O'Hara, who reports to Barnette and can't serve past August without a council vote.
- Six council members more aligned with Mayor Jacob Frey were unable to muster the votes to confirm Barnette, and two of those Frey allies are wobbling on O'Hara, the Star Tribune recently reported.
- Frey told reporters Thursday's vote didn't affect his support for O'Hara.
What we're watching: Frey promised to veto the council's rejection of Barnette, blasting the vote as the result of "vote-trading and political gamesmanship," while expressing openness to finding "a way to get to 'yes.'"
- Reality check: The council likely cannot override Frey's veto, but Barnette would need an affirmative council vote to continue to serve.
What they're saying: At Thursday's council meeting, Barnette's critics said he was disengaged, neglected key safety initiatives, and failed to prevent MPD or other departments from overspending their budgets.
- One council member, Robin Wonsley, said departments currently nested in Barnette's Office of Community Safety should all simply report to the mayor, calling the office a failed experiment.
The other side: "I have heard frustrations about the position, not necessarily Commissioner Barnette," Council Member Jamison Whiting said.
- "The vote that took place today was about vote-trading and political gamesmanship," Frey told reporters after the meeting.
- Frey praised Barnette for leading major improvements in the city's emergency management capacity, evidenced by the response to Operation Metro Surge and the Annunciation shooting.
- Frey said these emergencies contributed to the budget overages council members identified.
What's next: "I really love the city," said Barnette, a former chief judge of Hennepin County's court system, who added that he wants to continue in the role.
- He also acknowledged he could do better at communicating with the council.