Board of Estimate and Taxation Regular Meeting, June 11, 2025
2026 Current Service Level budget and sources of revenue update. Action Taken: Received and filed. View Marked Agenda
Download: 2026 Current Service Level Budget and Sources of Revenue Presentation
NOTE: The Current Service Level (CSL) budget represents the estimated cost to continue existing programs at their current levels, without any policy changes or new initiatives. It serves as a benchmark for budget analysis and helps policymakers understand the cost of maintaining current programs versus the costs of new policies.
Background Analysis (Via City of Minneapolis)
In November 2021, Minneapolis voters approved a ballot measure restructuring the City’s government into an Executive Mayor–Legislative Council model. This change clarified the Mayor’s role as the City’s chief executive, while solidifying the City Council’s authority over legislation, policy, oversight, and fiscal matters, known as “the power of the purse.”
To respond to this shift, the Budget Committee Chair introduced the Budget Committee Work Plan during the 2022-2023 Council Term. Developed in collaboration with the Council, City Clerk, City Auditor’s Office, and refined through consultations with the Mayor’s Office and City Staff, this Work Plan formalized the Council’s involvement in the City’s budget process.
One major change was the Council’s active role in shaping the budget priorities early in the process, moving away from a mostly reactive stance. The City Council Budget Priorities process now begins in the spring, before the Mayor’s proposed budget is finalized. This structured effort begins with individual submissions from Council Members, which are then reviewed, consolidated, and refined by the Committee. The final result is a unified list of Council priorities, formally adopted and transmitted to the Mayor early in the budget development cycle.
The 2025 cycle marked the first full year of implementing this framework.
This year, Council Members were invited to participate in a “2026 City Council Budget Priorities Survey” developed by the Budget Chair and Vice Chair. Council Members had the opportunity to provide input and feedback on budget goals & priorities, levy decisions & tradeoffs, fiscal policy, performance management, and process improvements, as well as submit up to 3 citywide budget priorities and up to 3 neighborhood or region specific budget priorities. All submissions were captured and included in the City Council’s 2026 Budget Priorities. The City Council’s 2026 Budget Priorities serve as the City Council’s shared starting point for the FY 2026 budget process.
