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The Minneapolis City Council failed to override Mayor Jacob Frey's veto of their vote against the reappointment of Toddrick Barnette as commissioner of community safety, leaving the position in limbo.
The council voted 7-6 Monday, falling short of the nine votes needed to override the mayor's veto. The vote came after the council initially rejected Barnette's reappointment in April, and Frey vetoed that decision.
The procedural outcome means the council's original rejection of Barnette does not stand, but it also does not result in his permanent reappointment to a new term.
"If this body overrides the veto then the permanent, the next permanent person could not be the incumbent. If the veto is not overridden we are sort of in a limbo position," Minneapolis City Attorney Kristyn Anderson said.
The council first voted 7-6 against Barnette's reappointment in April. Frey nominated Barnette for reappointment earlier that month.
City Council President Elliott Payne said Barnette had not met expectations in the role.
"To put it plainly, in his time in this role, I don't believe Toddrick Barnette has met the mark," Payne said. "In my experience, Mr. Barnette has been far too absent and often disconnected from the role."
Payne cited what he called "preventable tragedies and mishandling" of cases under Barnette’s watch, specifically those of Davis Moturi, Allison Lussier and Mariah Samuels. Moturi was shot in front of his home in 2024, allegedly by a neighbor who was the subject of more than 20 police reports before the shooting. Lussier and Samuels were victims of domestic violence, and their families say Minneapolis didn't do enough to keep them safe.
Other council members argued Barnette failed to control overspending and poorly managed the city's violence interruptor program.
Councilor Jamal Osman said Barnette made a mistake by not funding violence interruptors in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
"We've been trying to improve public safety since 2021. I haven't seen really any improvement," Osman said.
When Frey renominated Barnette, his office said the commissioner's "leadership is delivering results." The mayor's office touted resurgent police staffing levels, diversity in the police force and "safe streets."
After the council's initial rejection, Frey issued a veto. A spokesperson said no one has issued a veto over a cabinet appointee before, at least not since 2013 when the current city government structure was established.