Minneapolis Charter Commission rejects putting proposal to drop police funding requirement on ballot

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minneapolis Charter Commission has voted against putting an amendment on the November ballot that would have allowed voters to decide on whether or not to remove language from the charter that requires the city council to fund a police department.

The motion was rejected 6 to 8 during a meeting Wednesday. The amendment, which was submitted by a commissioner and not the Minneapolis City Council, would have removed a line in the charter that requires the council to provide .0017 officers per Minneapolis resident.

The commissioner plans to vote next week on a separate measure from the Minneapolis City Council that would completely replace language requiring a police department in Minneapolis and instead replacing it with a department for community safety. The council's proposal would give them power over choosing the leader of the new department -- compared to the current charter that gives the mayor full purview over the police department.

Next week, the commission will decide on a separate motion to consider putting the council's proposal onto the November ballot. If that measure is voted down, however, the council could move on their own to get the amendment on the ballot.