Selected Demographics

1
The Size and Scope of theTwin Cities
Metropolitan Council
2
The Size of the Met Council

• The Councils 7-county jurisdiction contains more
  than one-half of the states population.

3
Met Council Expenditures(630 million per year)

• The Met Council spends more per year than every
  other general purpose government in the metro,
  except Hennepin County and Minneapolis
• Unlike state agencies, it provides direct
  services to residents and municipalities in
  several dimensions, including transit, sewers and
  water treatment
• Unlike state agencies, it serves only a portion
  of the state

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Met Council Bonded Debt

• The Council has more bonded debt than every other
  general purpose government in the metro, except
  Minneapolis
• It has more bonded debt than county governments
  in its seven component counties combined

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Met Council Bonded Debt1991-2005

• The Councils bonded debt is increasing steadily
  from about 500 million in 1991 to more 1
  billion in 2005

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Met Council Revenues(650 million per year)

• 39 from Charges
• 28 from Taxes
• 18 from Motor Vehicle Excise Tax
• 10 from Property Tax
• 24 from State and Federal Aid

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Met Council Revenues Property Taxes

• The Met Council collects more than 67 million in
  property taxes per year more than every other
  general purpose government in the metro, except
  Minneapolis, Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, and Dakota
  Counties

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Electing the Met Council

• Based on recent elections and current district
  boundaries, an elected council would usually have
  a Democratic majority
• In 2002, when Republicans carried the House and
  Senate, Met Council districts split 9 Republican
  to 7 Democratic
• In 2004 and 2006, Met Council districts split
  10 Democratic to 6 Republican
• The actual split on the appointed Council from
  2002 2006 was 16 Republicans and 0 Democrats

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Electing the Met Council (cont.)

• Over a longer period from 1992 to 2006, the
  Council would have had a Democratic majority in 5
  of 8 election years (or during 10 of the 16
  years)
• In only 1 of the 8 election cycles did the
  appointed Council have more Democrats than an
  elected Council would have had
• In 6 of the 8 cycles (12 of 16 years), the
  Council had no Democrats at all

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The Scope of the Met Council

• The Council is committed to provide sewer, water
  treatment and transportation infrastructure to
  31 of the area in the 7 county region
• This is expected to increase to 40 by 2030

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The Scope of the Met Council

• The Council oversees local planning in roughly
  200 municipalities in the 7 counties
• The 7-county area is urbanizing rapidly

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Planning Issues

• Land is being urbanized (converted from
  undeveloped to developed) significantly more
  quickly than population is growing

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Planning Issues

• Without strong regional coordination, expected
  future growth threatens many of the regions
  remaining sensitive natural areas
• Growth projections put much of the regions
  future growth in the region just beyond the
  current MUSA

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Planning Issues

• Much of the regions remaining sensitive natural
  areas also lie in the areas just beyond the MUSA

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Planning Issues

• The municipalities in these areas are largely
  middle class places with modest tax resources,
  especially in the northern part of the region
  where sensitive natural area concentrations are
  greatest
• Without strong regional planning, they will face
  strong incentives to develop in ways and in areas
  not in the overall regions best interests

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Planning Issues

• Simulations from Growth Pressures in DNRs
  Central Region show that if projected future
  growth occurs at current densities then either
• Much of the regions remaining sensitive natural
  areas will be lost, or
• Sprawl will sky-rocket as sensitive areas are
  bypassed