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Hennepin County is a great place to work!
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Linda Higgins
Commissioner, District 2
612-348-7882
www.hennepin.us/higgins
Tina Sanz
Principal Aide
612-348-5335
Beverly Hammond
Administrative Secretary
612-348-3526
You can also send comments via my feedback form.
For past issues of my monthly newsletter, visit my webpage.
District 2 serves the cities of Golden Valley, Medicine Lake, north and northeast Minneapolis, southeast Plymouth and St. Anthony.
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Understanding your property tax
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The County Board has just wrapped up and approved the
budget, and the holiday season is here. Everyone is rushing to
get their end-of-year work and holiday tasks done, so we have a short newsletter this month. We’ll
be back next month with a full issue.
Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday season and a very happy
new year!
Regards,
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Board approves 2017 budget
The Hennepin County Board voted to approve the county’s 2017
budget of $1.9 billion, $14 million less than the 2016 adjusted
budget. The budget includes a net property tax levy of $759.4 million, an
increase of 4.49 percent over the 2016 final net property tax levy.
The 2017 budget supports some of the county’s most vulnerable
residents, by strengthening early interventions and promoting
self-sufficiency.
Priorities include:
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Child well-being, working to identify at-risk families earlier and
providing practical supports to address the root causes of abuse and
neglect
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Hennepin Health, providing a holistic approach to health care for some
of the county’s most vulnerable residents, including not only preventive
physical and behavioral health care, but connections to social services to
help them access shelter and employment
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Hennepin Housing Fund, funding development and preservation of affordable
housing for very low-income adults and families
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Hennepin County Career
Connections, providing training and
public/private-sector career paths for people who face barriers to
employment
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Transit and transportation, supporting the long-term value of neighborhoods
and communities through strategic public investments in infrastructure
that improves mobility and safety and connects people to jobs
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Adult Detention Initiative, providing alternatives to jail for low-risk offenders
who do not need to be detained, but who may benefit from behavioral health
services, or who could be supervised using a variety of detention and
processing strategies
Other budgets
The board also approved the Hennepin County Housing and
Redevelopment Authority budget of $14.2 million. The budget includes a net
property tax levy of $8.5 million.
The board also approved the Hennepin County Regional Railroad
Authority budget of $100.6 million. The budget includes a net property tax levy
of $33 million.
Full board meeting agendas, actions
and background materials may be found at board.co.hennepin.mn.us/hcmeetview/.
November 29
Funding increased for residential organics
recycling programs
Recognizing that organics recycling is the greatest opportunity
to reduce our trash, the board adopted changes to the Hennepin County
Residential Recycling Funding Policy to allocate more money to cities for
organics recycling programs.
To support city recycling programs, Hennepin County distributes
all of the funding that it receives from the state’s Select Committee on
Recycling and the Environment (SCORE) fund to cities. The county distributed
$3.5 million in 2016.
Organic waste, including food and compostable paper, makes up about one-quarter
of residential trash. Increasing organics recycling is the best opportunity
to reduce waste and increase recycling.
Funding approved to replace East 46th Street bridge
The board approved funding to replace the East 46th Street
Bridge over Godfrey Parkway in Minneapolis, at a proposed county cost of $3.6
million.
Three Rivers Park District budget approved
The board approved the Three Rivers Park District’s 2017 budget
with a total property tax levy of $41.5 million, which is a slight decrease
from last year.
December 13
The board commended Commissioner Randy Johnson for his 38-year career as
county commissioner serving the residents of southern Hennepin County suburbs.
Johnson, who was elected to the board in 1978, also served nine
years as county board chair. Throughout his career, he has worked across party
lines on behalf of all the residents in Hennepin County and District 5,
initiating, collaborating and overseeing county staff, nonprofit and business
leaders, regional policymakers and dealmakers to improve residents’ health and
education, safety and self-sufficiency.
Rosemary Lavin was appointed as director of the Environment and
Energy Department. The department, which focuses on responsibly managing waste,
protecting land and water, delivering clean energy and promoting environmental
stewardship, is part of Public Works.
The board awarded the
2017 Hennepin Youth Sports Grants totaling $1.8 million for 14
sports facility projects in Hennepin County and an additional $125,000 in
for 21 small equipment projects. Award details will be in the next District 2 newsletter.
The board accepted a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) to help 100 Hennepin County families experiencing
homelessness transition quickly into permanent, decent and affordable housing.
Last month, HUD awarded the county $883,402 through its new
Continuum of Care Program Grant. Hennepin County will match 25 percent of these
funds. Families will receive housing placement services, links to integrated,
enhanced employment services and continued support to maintain housing.
The board approved its 2017 legislative
platform. These are the priorities the board and county administration will
support during pre-session committee meetings and once the Legislature convenes
in January.
Legislative priorities are updated annually at hennepin.us/your-government/open-government/open-government. For further information, contact 612-348-3233.
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