>> CATHY: WE HAVE A FULL SHOW FOR YOU TONIGHT.

WE'LL TALK WITH REPORTERS COVERING THE SLAYING OF UNITED HEALTH CARE CEO BRIAN THOMPSON.

THE HEAD OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT IS HERE WITH UPDATES.

AND WE'LL HAVE SOME HOLIDAY MUSIC WITH THE STEELES.

>> ERIC: WE START TONIGHT WITH A BUSY WEEK FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS.

ON TUESDAY THE CITY COUNCIL OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.

ON WEDNESDAY, MAYOR JACOB FREY QUICKLY VETOED THE ENTIRE 2025 BUDGET.

ON THURSDAY THE CITY COUNCIL OVERRODE THE MAYOR'S VETO.

IT'S FRIDAY.

HOW ARE THINGS GOING?

MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR JACOB FREY JOINS US TONIGHT.

MAYOR, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

I WONDER IF A LOT OF THE DISAGREEMENT IS STILL KIND OF A HOLDOVER FROM GEORGE FLOYD.

AND YOU'VE CALLED PUBLIC SAFETY YOUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

BUT IS THAT STILL CAUSING REPERCUSSIONS?

>> OBVIOUSLY WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE AVENUEMATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF IT.

BUT, NO, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE UNDERLYING REASON.

WE'VE HAD -- I'VE HAD TEN BUDGETS, BOTH AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND AS MAYOR.

SEVERAL HAVE HAPPENING AFTER GEORGE FLOYD'S MURDER.

I HAVE SIGNED OR VOTED FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM UNTIL NOW.

THERE IS A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BUDGET WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR AND THE PREVIOUS ONES.

NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I LIKED ALL OF THE PREVIOUS BUDGETS OR I WAS SUPPORTIVE OF EVERY LINE ITEM IN IT.

BUT WE GENERATED SOME FORM OF CONSENSUS WHERE I COULD GET TO A BUDGET WHERE I FELT LIKE IT WAS PRODUCTIVE FOR OUR CITY.

WITH THIS MOST RECENT BUDGET, IT WAS IRRESPONSIBLE.

>> Eric: IS THERE THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND YOU?

I WONDER IF THERE'S SOME HUFFING AND PUFFING GEEING ALONG IN ADVANCE OF THE ELECTION IN 2025?

>> NO, LET ME -- RATHER THAN GIVE YOU MY SUBJECTIVE OPINION ON THIS, LET ME GIVE YOU SOME OBJECTIVE FACTS.

NORMALLY WHEN YOU GO THROUGH A BUDGET, THERE'S FIVE, TEN, 15, AMENDMENTS TO IT IN TOTAL.

THIS BUDGET WE WERE LOOKING AT ABOUT 80.

THE COUNCIL HAD 80 AMENDMENTS.

THE FISCAL MENTALITY HERE WAS ALSO WAY OFF.

>> Cathy: AND WERE THESE PROGRAMMED VETTED PRIOR?

>> NO, THEY WEREN'T.

THE PROGRAMS WEREN'T VETTED.

THE AMENDMENTS LARGELY WERE NOT VETTED.

THEY ARE SPENDING $6.5 MILLION OF NEW SPENDING ON TOP OF THE $15.9 MILLION THAT THEY CUT FROM CORE CITY SERVICES AND THEN FUNDED OTHER PET PROJECTS WITH IT.

AND THAT'S THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM HERE.

IS THAT WE HAVE A COUNCIL THAT NISSWA CUTTING A WHOLE LOT OF NEEDS AND DDING A WHOLE LOT OF WANTS.

AND WHEN YOU'RE CUTTING CORE CITY SERVICES LIKE FILLING POTHOLES AND PLOWING THE STREET AND TURNING ON STREET LIGHTS, AND THEN DIVERTING IT TO AS BENEVOLENT AS THEY MAY BE A NUMBER OF OUTSIDE NON-PROFITS, THAT IS NOT THE RIGHT CHOICE.

>> Cathy: HOW DO YOU MOVE AHEAD THEN WITH A BUDGET THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH?

>> WELL, LOOK, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF INCREDIBLE CITY EMPLOYEES, PEOPLE THAT CARE SO DEEPLY ABOUT MINNEAPOLIS, AND WE'RE GOING TO FIND A WAY.

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT.

BUT, YES THE COUNCIL DID PUT SOME REALLY SERIOUS HURDLES IN THE WAY.

NOTABLY, THIS -- THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THIS BUDGET WE'LL SEE PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES IN YEARS TO COME.

A NUMBER OF THE PILOTS THAT THEY HAVE FUNDED AND POLICIES THAT THEY HAVE PUSHED OUT WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE.

WHY?

BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE INTERNAL RESOURCES, BUT ALSO, WE ARE FACING SOME PRETTY SERIOUS ECONOMIC AND FISCAL TIMES RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE GOT DONALD TRUMP IN OFFICE AND HE'S PRETTY EXPLICITLY SAID THAT HE'S GOING TO DENY CITIES THAT HARBOR UNDOCUMENTS IMMIGRANTS OF FEDERAL FUNDS AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE GOT TO HAVE A RESERVE.

WELL, THE COUNCIL JUST CUT THE REFER.

WE'VE GOT A STATE GOVERNMENT THAT DOESN'T HAVE SUBSTANTIAL MONIES ALSO, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS THE CASE RIGHT NOW.

WE DON'T HAVE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO COME TO OUR RESCUE.

WE'VE GOT TO DO THE RESPONSIBLE THING OURSELVES.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU THINK, THEN ABOUT -- THIS WAS THE FIRST VETO AND THE OVERRIDE IN CITY HISTORY.

WHAT DPUZ THAT SAY ABOUT THE ONGOING ELATIONSHIP YOU THINK YOURSELF AND THE COUNCIL?

>> SO I'VE BEEN THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT COUNCILS.

I WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL MYSELF.

AND LIKE I SAID, YOU'VE NEVER VOTE VETOED A BUDGET BEFORE.

THAT WAS REALLY NEVER PART OF THE CARDS.

WHAT I'M SEEING NOW OVER THIS LAST YEAR IS A COUNCIL THAT WANTS TO PUSH FURTHER AND FURTHER TO THE EXTREME.

ESPECIALLY AFTER DONALD TRUMP IS ELECTED.

I'VE HEARD A NUMBER OF THEM SAY THAT WE'VE GOT TO COUNTER HIM BY OING FURTHER TO THE LEFT.

AND THE OPPOSITE OF EXTREMISM IS NOT THE OPPOSITE EXTREME.

THE OPPOSITE OF EXTREMISM IS GOOD THOUGHTFUL GOVERNMENT WHERE WE LISTEN TO EXPERTS AND WE ANALYZE DATA AND WE USE THAT DATA TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.

MY CONCERN NOW IS ACTUALLY LESS ABOUT POLICY.

IT'S MORE ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT THESE INCREDIBLE EXPERTS T CITY HALL THAT ARE LARGELY IGNORED.

I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN FISCAL ECONOMICS BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE AT THE CITY THAT ARE.

THERE ARE PEOPLE AT THE CITY THAT DO THAT WORK AS A LIVING.

AND WE NEED TO BE TRUSTING THEM MORE.

>> Eric: WELL, FENCES TO