Minnehaha County commissioners get blowback, support on home rule idea

Doubts grow about putting proposal on 2024 ballot

A divided Minnehaha County Commission signaled Tuesday that it will not bring a November ballot measure to consolidate three elected offices into an administrative form of government.

While the commission did not vote on the issue, the discussion among its five members followed more than an hour of testimony from proponents and opponents of adopting a home rule form of government. Commissioners Jean Bender and Jen Bleyenberg said they were open to studying the idea, but they hinted that a move to put home rule on the November ballot was too early.

“To be successful, I think we would really need to see some perspectives from both sides put in the document,” Bleyenberg said.

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