Nearly 100 Minnesota mayors have sent a blistering letter to Governor Tim Walz and state lawmakers warning that St. Paul’s fiscal mismanagement and a growing fraud scandal are already wreaking havoc on local governments and families. The mayors—98 in total—say an $18 billion surplus has evaporated and Minnesota faces a multibillion-dollar shortfall while city services, infrastructure and public safety are squeezed.
Local leaders didn’t couch their alarm in partisan fluff; they put it plainly: “Fraud, unchecked spending, and inconsistent fiscal management in St. Paul have trickled down to our cities.” That blunt assessment follows reporting that the state’s books show a disappearing surplus and a projected $2.9 billion to $3 billion deficit for the 2028–29 biennium — evidence that the Walz administration’s stewardship has real consequences for property taxes and pocketbooks.
What pushed these mayors over the edge was the eruption of large-scale fraud tied to pandemic-era programs and school aid, including allegations of “ghost students” and nonprofits siphoning off taxpayer dollars. Federal and congressional investigators have opened probes and oversight letters into the matter, underscoring the seriousness of the charges and the need for a full accounting from state leaders.
Small-town mayors like Stewartville’s Jimmie-John King and others have told reporters and national hosts they feel ignored by the governor even after signing the letter and sounding the alarm for their residents. Their anger is not performative; these are officials who balance budgets, audit line items and answer to taxpayers who will be forced to pay when the state fails to manage its books.
This is precisely the moment for leadership and accountability — not press statements and PR. Governor Walz should meet with the mayors, cooperate fully with federal investigators and allow the audit and oversight necessary to restore confidence, because Minnesotans deserve to know where billions went and who will be held responsible.
The mayors’ letter also highlights a familiar conservative truth: when state governments expand programs without stable funding, local taxpayers get the bill. Unfunded mandates and budget mismanagement force cities into impossible choices—raise taxes, cut services, or let infrastructure rot—while families and small businesses shoulder the burden.
Hardworking Minnesotans are watching to see whether their governor will answer honestly or duck accountability. Patriots who care about fiscal sanity, honest government, and secure communities should stand with these mayors and demand real audits, prosecutions where warranted, and a return to responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
