SAINT PAUL, MN - On Tuesday, Rep. Tony Albright, R-Prior Lake, passed legislation to reform the Metropolitan Council to make it more accountable to Minnesotans. The bill, SF2809/HF3273, passed on a vote of 71-52.
"I’m thrilled for the House to pass my bill that would put the Met Council in line with every other Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in the country by requiring locally elected officials to be part of the board,” said Albright.
Currently, Met Council members are only appointed by the sitting governor. The bill would require locally elected officials to be on the council, stagger terms of members, and eliminate the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB).
“This bill is about good governance for Minnesotans,” said Albright. “In the last four years, this unelected body has been in charge of $3.9 billion of federal funds, and area residents deserve to have some say in how those dollars are spent. By putting local elected officials on the Met Council, Twin Cities residents have a way to hold their officials accountable, rather than the current format where Met Council members only answer to the governor.”
Now amended and passed in the House, the bill heads back to the Senate.
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