Dear Friends,
I wanted to provide a brief follow-up update to what I sent to you earlier this week. A bipartisan press conference took place on Thursday to discuss sensible reforms that the legislature can make to the Met Council.
A variety of bills have been put forward that would add accountability, including a proposal to allow city councils to confirm their appointed members to the Met Council.
We heard from Mayors at the press conference who have never seen a Met Council representative once at their City Council meetings. They don't feel as if the Met Council is accountable or listening to the concerns of cities beyond the urban core in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. This is a common refrain I've heard from Mayors, County Commissioners, City Councils, and other local officials across the region during my time at the legislature and as the Mayor of Champlin.
We also discussed a proposal to stagger the terms of Met Council members to ensure some institutional knowledge carries over as Governors come and go. It was a bill I carried last year, and plan to propose again this year, that would make sure that Met Council members from Democrat and Republican Governors serve on the Met Council instead of appointing brand new people every four or eight years from one party. Having some institutional memory and a more diverse set of opinions will help the Met Council better represent the entire Metropolitan region.
Here's a brief video clip from our press conference, where I discuss my bill to stagger Met Council terms:
Have a great weekend,
Mark