Planning for the Twin Cities region's future would become the responsibility of local elected officials, rather than political appointees, under a plan passed by the Minnesota Senate Monday.
The Republican-led Senate voted 34 to 32 to overhaul the Metropolitan Council, which treats the region's wastewater, operates the transit system and oversees land use planning. Supporters of the bill believe the 17 council members are too beholden to the governor, who now selects them.
"The problem is accountability of the Metropolitan Council representatives and making them more accountable to their constituency," said Sen. David Osmek, R-Mound, the bill's author.
The bill would expand the council's membership to 27, comprised primarily of county commissioners and local elected officials like city council members. Each of the region's seven counties, which have widely varying populations, would have one representative.
An amendment aimed at winning Gov. Mark Dayton's support allowed for the governor to appoint the council's chair. But the measure faces long odds at the governor's office.
Dayton vetoed a 2012 measure to restructure the Met Council, following in the footsteps of his Republican predecessors Tim Pawlenty and Arne Carlson.
A similar Met Council proposal was tucked into a broad Republican transportation budget, but Dayton said last week he wants it removed before negotiating over that budget.
Opponents of the bill said local elected officials would face conflicts of interest, weighing regulations and grants as Met Council members that could impact the communities they've been elected to represent.
"Who are you representing then, if you are on the Metro Council and then representing another body that you've been elected to?" asked Sen. Charles Wiger, DFL-Maplewood.
"It would destroy the very concept of our Metropolitan Council's duty to govern as a region," said Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park. "It would Balkanize the region to the disastrous effect for all of our communities."
The potential futility of the effort was on the mind of Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, who welcomed the Senate to the "20th annual spring celebration of 'Let's reform the Met Council.' "
Eric Roper • 612-673-1732
Twitter: @StribRoper
