Organization.
Minneapolis City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2
in effect§ 4.2. - Organization.
(a) Composition. The Council comprises one Council member elected by and from each ward.
(b) Term; election. Each Council member's term is four years, unless otherwise provided in section 3.2(d). Each ward's voters elect their Council member in each year following a year whose number is evenly divisible by four, unless otherwise provided in section 3.2(d).
(c) Council judges elections. The Council judges its members' elections, for which purpose it may compel the testimony of any witness who may have relevant information, and may compel the production of any relevant book, document, or thing.
(d) Vacancy.
(1) Early vacancy. When a Council member vacates his or her office before March 1 in the year of the next regular election, the Council must schedule a special election to fill the vacancy. The special election must be held on a legal election day under Minnesota election law that is more than 90 days from the date of the vacancy.
(2) Late vacancy. When a Council member vacates his or her office—
(A) on or after March 1 in the year of the next regular election, and
(B) before filing opens for the election,
—the Council appoints a successor who serves until a member is elected.
(3) Election after vacancy. When a Council membership is vacant at the time of an election, the elected member takes office upon being elected and qualified, and serves out the unexpired term as well as the term for which he or she was elected.
(e) Resources. The City Council must provide for its own staff and the other resources that the Council and its committees and members need for the effective performance of their duties.
(1) Council staff. The Council must provide for a nonpartisan administrative staff, in the classified service, that supports the Council or a committee generally and who cannot be assigned to any individual member. The City Clerk heads and (subject to the Civil Service Commission's rules) appoints, directs and supervises, and may discipline or discharge the staff.
(2) Members' aides. The Council may provide for aides for each member. The Council may provide for any such aide's appointment in the unclassified service, without regard to section 8.4(b).
(f) City Clerk.
(1) Appointment. The City Council appoints the City Clerk, without regard to section 8.4(b). The Clerk serves at the Council's pleasure, in the unclassified service.
(2) Duties. The Clerk must—
(A) keep the corporate seal and all municipal papers and records, including (but not limited to) the Council's proceedings (section 4.4(e));
(B) administer each election under the Council's direction (section 3.1(c)), and may administer an election for the Minneapolis Public Schools board of education if that board so authorizes;
(C) provide for each ordinance that the Council adopts to be promptly codified, and generally review the code of ordinances at least once every five years; and
(D) perform any other duties for which this charter or an ordinance provides, or that the Council requests.
The Council must provide for the Clerk's staff and the other resources that the Clerk needs for the effective performance of his or her duties.
(3) Oaths. The Clerk may administer an oath or affirmation in any proceeding under this charter.
(g) City Auditor.
(1) Function. The City Council must establish, organize, and otherwise provide for an independent City Auditor's office in charge of audit services for the City's finances and operations, with a view toward—
(A) performing risk-based independent, objective assurance and consulting services;
(B) investigating alleged abuse, fraud, or waste involving the City's resources;
(C) monitoring and assuring compliance with this charter, ordinances, and other applicable law;
(D) monitoring and assuring adherence to sound audit practices applicable to municipalities, which the Auditor designates with the audit committee's approval; and
(E) minimizing financial, operational, reputational, strategic, and other risks.
(2) Organization.
(A) Audit committee. The Council must establish an audit committee to oversee the office, and may appoint or by ordinance provide for the appointment of the committee's members, without regard to section 8.4(b). A majority of the committee's members must never have served on the Council. The Council may set the members' terms without regard to section 8.2(c).
(B) City Auditor. The audit committee appoints the Auditor.
(i) Term. The Council must by ordinance set the Auditor's term of at least four years, during which the Council may remove the Auditor under section 8.2(g)(3) only for cause, acting by a majority of its membership.
(ii) Staff. The Council must provide for appropriate staff and other resources. The Auditor heads the staff.
(3) Audit charter. The audit committee must adopt an audit charter defining the office's purpose, mission, authority, and independence.
(4) Annual work plan. The Auditor must annually recommend for the audit committee's review and adoption a work plan setting the office's goals and priorities for the next fiscal year.
(5) Reporting. The Auditor is solely responsible for the office's work product. The Auditor may deliver any such work product to the Council, the Mayor, and any other interested board, commission, committee, department, or officer, for informational purposes.
(6) Access. Notwithstanding anything in this charter to the contrary, the Auditor enjoys—
(A) jurisdiction over the City Council and over each board, commission, committee, department, officer, employee, and other agency or agent, who must cooperate with any audit or inquiry and furnish any information that the Auditor requests; and
(B) prompt and unrestricted access, without charge, to all records, property, and operations, unless an applicable law or court order explicitly prohibits or limits such access.
(Ord. No. 2016-086, § 3, 12-9-16, eff. 3-12-17; Ord. No. 2020-057, § 4, 11-3-20, eff. 12-3-20; Ord. No. 2020-058, § 2, 11-3-20, eff. 12-3-20; Ord. No. 2021-056, § 2, 11-19-2021, eff. 12-2-21)
Source: City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Code of Ordinances, City Charter and Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH_ARTIVCICO_S4.2ORFetched: 11/1/2026