Minnesota Municipalities/Cities
Function
There are 854 cities in Minnesota. There are home-rule charter cities, which operate under a local charter, and statutory cities, which operate under the statutory city code. Home-rule charter cities may establish any form of government they see fit. Statutory cities must choose from three alternatives of government structure according to statute. City responsibilities traditionally include police and fire protection, street maintenance, sewer and water services, parks and recreation, but some cities may also choose to provide utilities, sell liquor, operate hospitals, maintain airports, provide ambulance services, or other services. Municipal approval of final geometric layouts is necessary for many projects, so it is best to coordinate with cities early in the process. There are times when a city may take the lead role to develop a project on a trunk highway.