Minneapolis council again rejects Barnette as safety chief
The Minneapolis City Council voted 7-6 against reappointing Public Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette, rejecting Mayor Jacob Frey's nominee and leaving the city's top public-safety post without confirmed leadership. Minneapolis City Council
This is the second time the council has rejected Barnette; the first rejection was on April 9, Mayor Frey vetoed it on April 17, and an April 23 override attempt failed. Opponents including Soren Stevenson, Aurin Chowdhury and Aisha Chughtai cited job-performance concerns such as communication lapses, a $20 million police budget overrun in 2025, and controversial contract recommendations tied to Rev. Jerry McAfee. Mayor Frey's office called the latest vote "mean-spirited."
The episode traces back to George Floyd's murder in 2020 and years of reform fights that led to creation of the Office of Community Safety in October 2022 to oversee police, fire and related services. Mayor Frey nominated Barnette after Cedric Alexander resigned; Barnette was confirmed in October 2023 to serve through January 2026 and was charged with implementing consent decrees while managing rising crime and staffing shortages.
Homicides fell 21 percent from 2024 to 2025 during Barnette's tenure, a fact supporters cite as evidence of progress. Council President Elliott Payne said he is open to a work group to prepare standardized questions for future mayoral public-safety nominees as the council weighs its next move, leaving open the possibility that the nomination-veto loop could continue into early August.
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📊 Relevant Data
Minneapolis City Council members rejected Todd Barnette's reappointment citing reasons including the police department's $20 million budget overrun due to understaffing, his office's recommendation of violence prevention contracts to Rev. Jerry McAfee despite McAfee's threatening and homophobic remarks against the council, mismanagement of city tax dollars, and delayed progress on police reform.
Minneapolis public safety debate back in a familiar place: anger, political squabbling — Star Tribune
Homicides in Minneapolis decreased by 21% from 2024 to 2025 during Todd Barnette's tenure as Public Safety Commissioner.
Homicides fell in Minneapolis from 2024 to 2025, new report says — St. Cloud Times
A 2023 U.S. Department of Justice investigation found that Minneapolis police officers stopped Black people at 6.5 times the rate of White people and Native American people at 7.9 times the rate, with significant racial disparities in use of force persisting after May 2020.
Investigation of the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Police Department — U.S. Department of Justice
📌 Key Facts
- Minneapolis City Council voted 7–6 against reappointing Public Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette.
- This is the second council denial of Barnette’s reappointment; the mayor has previously vetoed the rejection.
- Council members citing job-performance concerns include Soren Stevenson, Aurin Chowdhury and Aisha Chughtai, while Mayor Frey’s office called the latest vote “mean‑spirited.”
- Council President Elliott Payne is open to a work group to prepare standardized questions for future mayoral public-safety nominees.
- If nothing changes, the nomination‑veto loop could continue until early August, leaving the city’s top public-safety leadership unsettled.
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