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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carolyn
Marinan, Communications, 612-348-5969
County board actions
The board approved a $796.9 million maximum tax levy for 2018, along with a Regional Railroad Authority maximum levy of $36 million and a maximum Housing and Redevelopment Authority levy of $8.5 million.
 Board approves maximum tax levies for
2018
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners
voted Tuesday to approve a $796.9 million maximum property tax levy.
State law requires the board to adopt a maximum property
tax levy in September. The 2018 maximum property tax levy represents an
increase of 4.95 percent from 2017.
Earlier this month, Hennepin County Administrator David Hough presented a $2.4 billion proposed budget. The operating portion of this budget totals $1.9 billion dollars, an increase of $180.9 million from the adjusted 2017 budget. The capital portion totals $433.3 million dollars, an increase of $99 million or 29.6 percent over the adjusted 2017 amount.
Read the board action.
Next steps
The
property tax levy that commissioners ultimately approve in December may be
lower than the approved maximum, but it cannot exceed the maximum levy adopted
at Tuesday’s meeting. In November, property owners will receive a notice that
shows the impact of the county’s maximum levy on their properties, as well as
the impact of those taxes proposed by other local units of government, such as cities
and school districts.
Acting as the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority,
the board approved the authority's proposed maximum property tax levy of $36
million and a proposed budget of $109.1 million for 2018.
The proposed budget supports advancement of the following
priority projects:
- Southwest Light Rail Transit
- Bottineau Light Rail Transit
- Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit
The budget also supports debt service, maintenance of the 55
miles of corridor, staff support for transitways and oversight of
infrastructure assets and operational needs.
The proposed maximum levy will be discussed at the county's
Truth-in-Taxation hearing, Tuesday, November 28, at 6 p.m. The board will adopt
the levy Tuesday, December 12.
Read more about the Railroad Authority's maximum levy.
The board, acting as the Housing and Redevelopment
Authority, approved an $8.5 million maximum 2018 property tax levy and an $11.2 million proposed budget for the authority.
Along with operations and administration, the budget
supports affordable housing, including the Affordable Housing Incentive Fund,
and community and economic development, including the Transit Oriented Development
program.
The proposed maximum levy will be discussed at the county's
Truth-in-Taxation hearing, Tuesday, November 28, at 6 p.m. The board will adopt
the levy Tuesday, December 12.
Learn more about the proposed maximum levy.
Below is the schedule of public hearings related to the adoption of the 2018 budget and levy:
Operations/Library
Thursday, September 28, 1 - 4 p.m.
Health
Thursday, October 5, 1 - 4 p.m.
Human Services
Tuesday, October 24, 9 a.m. - noon
Public Works
Tuesday, October 31, 1 - 4 p.m.
Capital Budgeting Task Force and fees
Thursday, November 2, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Public Safety
Tuesday, November 21, 9 a.m. to noon
Truth-in-Taxation public meeting
Tuesday, November 28, 6 p.m. Participants can park for free after 5 p.m. in the Government Center ramp. Enter on 3rd Avenue.
Commissioner amendments
Thursday, November 30, 9 - 11:30 a.m.
Commissioner amendments
Wednesday, December 6, 1 - 4 p.m.
County Board vote on 2018 budget and levy
Tuesday, December 12, 1:30 p.m.
The board approved an agreement to add the
City of Minnetonka to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office public safety
dispatch system beginning in December. This action will allow the city and
county to consolidate services. Currently, Sheriff's Office telecommunicators
provide dispatch services for 24 law enforcement agencies, 23 fire departments
and four emergency medical service providers. The facility handles over 600,000
calls each year, answering approximately one emergency call every two minutes.
Read more about 911 dispatch in Hennepin County.
Read more about this action.
The board voted 5-2 to approve a purchase agreement for the Thrivent Financial building adjacent to the
Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
Hennepin County plans to purchase the 18-story,
525,000-square-foot building for $55 million. The county also plans to acquire 332
parking stalls and skyway connections through a $11.5 agreement with Interstate
Parking Company. The future parking lot will be built east of
the Thrivent Building.
These actions will allow the county to address long-term
space needs, consolidate operations and expand connections to other county
buildings. Thrivent Financial's decision to sell the building also aligns with its goal
of developing a new corporate center across 5th Avenue from its current location.
Hennepin
County expects to close on the building purchase during the first quarter of
2018. The county will then lease the building back to Thrivent for two to three
years while the company builds its new corporate center. After this time,
Hennepin County staff will begin moving into the building.
Read more about these agreements.
The board, voting as the Hennepin County
Regional Railroad Authority, approved the negotiation of a purchase agreement to sell
approximately three acres of surplus property to the Federal Reserve Bank of
Minneapolis for $7.5 million. Located adjacent to the Federal Reserve office
building, the property is currently being used as a surface parking lot. The
Federal Reserve plans to develop the property to support its current
operations.
Read more about this action.
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners appointed incumbent Jodi Peterson of Bloomington and Erin Hunker of Edina to the Nine-Mile Creek Watershed District Board. The five member board is responsible for the developing and updating a water management plan.
Read more about this action.
The board approved an action that will
provide services to 80 men transitioning from the corrections system to the
community and workforce. Hennepin County will contract with Network for Better
Futures to provide employment, housing, health and life skills services.
Participants will also receive specific job skills training in a variety of
sectors through a partnership with the Hennepin-Carver Workforce Development Area.
Read
more about this action.
The board authorized gifts with naming rights
for spaces at HCMC Clinic & Specialty
Center, scheduled to open in spring 2018:
- Rockswold Family Traumatic Brain Injury Center, which celebrates Dr. Gaylan Rockswold’s
legacy in the field of neurosurgery and research and recognizes a $1.5 million donation.
- Wanzek Family Breast Care Center, which recognizes
a $175,000 donation by a grateful patient family.
The Clinic &
Specialty Center, under construction in the 700 block of Eighth Street
in downtown Minneapolis, will feature six floors of clinics and services.
Earlier this month,
the Hennepin Health Foundation accepted these two donations, along with five
others.
Read
the full list of donations with naming rights.
Read
the full board action.
The board approved a request to host a
domestic violence and sex trafficking resource fair October 4 in the Hennepin
County Government Center. This event will provide information regarding
organizations and services available to the community. The Fourth Judicial
District Hennepin County Family Violence Coordinating Council will host the
fair from 11:30 - 1 p.m. on the skyway level of the Government Center.
Following the fair, a panel discussion will take place in the A-level
auditorium on the intersection between domestic violence and sex trafficking.
For more information on the resource fair, contact Anne Taylor at Anne.Taylor@hennepin.us.
For more information about the panel discussion, contact Michelle Jacobson at Michelle.Jacobson@minneapolismn.gov.
Read more about the event.
Below are changes to the meeting schedule:
- October 3 Housing and Redevelopment Authority meeting canceled
- December 5 board committee meeting rescheduled to December 7
Current and archival board meetings, agendas and minutes are available online. View at www.hennepin.us/boardmeetings.
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the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.
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