MN: Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle to step down

Metropolitan Council Chair Charlie Zelle will step down from his role leading the regional planning agency in September, Gov. Tim Walz announced Tuesday.

Zelle, 70, has chaired the 17-member Met Council, which oversees regional planning and development, including land use, wastewater and transportation, since his appointment by Walz in 2020. The Met Council’s 2025 budget was $1.6 billion.

In a statement, Walz touted Zelle’s work to secure funding for and advance the Green Line light-rail extension, set to open in 2027, as well as his work supporting other transit and regional parks.

“Chair Zelle’s years of public service have made a lasting impact on not only the Met Council but public transportation and infrastructure across Minnesota,” Walz said. “His service has positioned the council and our state for continued success and innovation.”

Challenges also marked Zelle’s tenure for Metro Transit, the council-run regional transportation agency, which has struggled with crime, poor public perception and a slow return of ridership after the pandemic.

The Met Council has also faced flare-ups of longstanding calls to reform the council from critics who argue that it is an unelected decisionmaking agency that is not accountable to voters or communities. They cite, among other things, the cost overruns and delays related to Southwest light rail, also known as the Green Line extension.

At the State of the Region address in January, Zelle hit back at some critics, praising the council’s work on equity, resiliency, innovation and climate change, and praising its build-out of transit.

“More than once, I’ve been told that Met Council is losing its audaciousness,” he said. “I do know that we’re fully capable of being bold. I know we also will do that boldness together.”

Before his role on the Met Council, Zelle was the chair, president and CEO of Jefferson Lines bus service. He served as the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation under Gov. Mark Dayton.

Zelle was not available for an interview Tuesday, Met Council spokesperson Terri Dresen said. In a statement, Dresen said Zelle’s strategic vision has steered the council through unprecedented challenges and laid the groundwork for prosperity.

Zelle’s tenure will end Sept. 10. The Met Council will determine interim leadership plans, according to Walz’s statement. The governor has the authority to appoint a new Met Council chair.

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