Overtime (sports)

Overtime costs for St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her's police security detail reached nearly $98,000 through July, already exceeding predecessor Melvin Carter's full-year 2025 total of about $92,761, according to police department data released to the Pioneer Press. Her's office attributes the spike to Operation Metro Surge, a demanding transition into office, and heightened security concerns following the assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, plus two documented death threats against Her. The increase comes as St. Paul faces a projected $26 million budget gap, prompting Her to propose forgoing part of her salary, raising ambulance fees, cutting library and recreation services, and shrinking the police department's authorized officer count.

Tension has emerged between Her and Police Chief Axel Henry, who filed a formal complaint against her in April now under independent investigation, including allegations of inappropriate conduct toward city employees. The two have also clashed over security staffing, particularly Henry's insistence on two-officer details for out-of-state travel, which Her's office called an unwise use of funds; Her has since declined security on subsequent trips outside Minnesota.