The following article by Steve Brandt was published in the April 7, 2016 on-line edition of the Star Tribune.

City Attorney and Depression-era Precedent Clear Legal Path for Charter Amendment on Parks Levy

Bolstered by past precedent and a fresh oral opinion by the city attorney’s office, backers of a potential charter amendment to fund Minneapolis neighborhood parks say there’s a clear legal path to put it on the ballot.

Assistant City Attorney Burt Osborne told the city’s Charter Commission Wednesday that a charter amendment to authorize a levy increase for parks is a “proper topic” for a charter amendment.

“That’s pretty significant,” Brian Rice, an attorney for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, said.

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