Council divided over police chief nomination; motion to deny fails, nomination removed from agenda

A sharp, procedural dispute over the mayor’s nominee for Minneapolis police chief played out on the council floor June 11, culminating in a failed motion to deny the nomination and then a unanimous vote to remove the nomination from the agenda.

Council Member Chughtai moved that the council deny the nomination, arguing the nominee’s record raised serious concerns and that a formal denial would start the statutory process that gives the council additional leverage if multiple nominations are rejected. That motion failed on a roll call, 6 Ayes to 7 Nays (see roll call recorded in SEG 4006–4036). After further procedural debate about what constitutes a formal denial versus a deletion of a now-resigned nominee, the council voted 13–0 to delete the item from the agenda.

City legal staff and the clerk offered procedural context. The City Attorney recited the charter’s vacancy rules and the 30-day window for the mayor to nominate a successor to the police chief; she explained that if the mayor does not place a nomination within the vacancy period (or if three nominations are rejected), the council may, by majority, present a slate of candidates for the mayor to choose from.

Council Member Chughtai said she sought a formal denial because, she argued, recording a denial preserves the charter’s ‘‘three-attempt’’ mechanism and publicly documents the council’s judgment. Vice President Osman and several other council members opposed pressing a denial on an item that the mayor’s office had already rendered moot by the nominee’s resignation; Osman said deletion was the appropriate procedural cleanup.

What comes next: The city remains in the charter-defined vacancy period. The mayor may nominate a new candidate within the vacancy timeline; if not, the council has the option, by majority, to forward a slate of candidates to the mayor. Several council members said they expect to participate in a collaborative search process rather than forcing a rapid replacement.

Notable votes
- Motion to deny the mayor’s nomination for police chief: failed 6 Ayes, 7 Nays (recorded roll call in SEG 4006–4036).
- Motion to delete the nomination from the agenda: passed 13 Ayes (SEG 4044–4071).

Representative quotes
"What I'm concerned with is that this body is taking dispositive action ... to deny the appointment of someone who has been accused of abusing their power," Council Member Chughtai said in urging a formal denial.
"There's nothing to deny here. He's no longer with the city," Vice President Osman replied, arguing deletion was the appropriate procedural step.

The council’s legal advisors recommended that the body and the mayor’s office coordinate a transparent recruitment and vetting process for any subsequent nomination, and several council members said they would seek to be part of that process.