Jennissen v. City of Bloomington

938 N.W.2d 808 (2020)

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Jennissen v. City of Bloomington

Minnesota Supreme Court
938 N.W.2d 808 (2020)

Facts

The City of Bloomington, Minnesota (Bloomington) (defendant) was a home-rule charter city, meaning that it had a city charter that governed local government operations. Bloomington’s charter granted broad legislative authority to the city’s citizens, allowing a form of direct democracy in which residents could legislate by ballot initiatives, veto city-council ordinances by referendum, and recall elected officials. Historically, Bloomington had an open trash-collection system in which residents individually chose and contracted with trash-collection companies. In 2014, Bloomington’s city council began the process of changing to an organized trash-collection system in which the city would choose the trash-collection companies for local areas. Joel Jennissen and other residents (defendants) opposed the change, believing it would decrease market competition. They petitioned to amend Bloomington’s charter to add a provision stating that the city could not replace the open trash-collection system with an organized trash-collection system without first acquiring majority approval from voters in a general election. The proposed amendment also specified that it would supersede any relevant ordinances adopted by the city council. Bloomington denied the petition to put the proposed amendment to a vote. The residents sued Bloomington, seeking an order requiring that the proposed charter amendment be put on the ballot for voter approval. The trial court and court of appeals held in Bloomington’s favor, and the residents appealed to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (McKeig, J.)

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