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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Carolyn Marinan, Communications, 612-348-5969

Editor's note: A copy of the budget speech is available upon request.

County administrator proposes 2019 budget

On Tuesday, Hennepin County Administrator David Hough proposed a 2019 budget of $2.4 billion to the Hennepin County Board. 

The operating portion of this budget totals $1.9 billion, a decrease of $61.8 million from the adjusted 2018 budget. The capital portion totals $475 million dollars, an increase of $38 million or 8.7 percent over the adjusted 2018 amount.

The proposed net property tax levy is $831.9 million, an increase of 5.5 percent compared to last year. Property tax covers 34.7 percent of the overall county budget. State and federal sources, fees and services, and other revenues fund the remainder of the budget. 

Hough’s proposed budget includes funding for 8,384 full-time equivalent employees, a decrease of 229 employees or 2.7 percent from 2018. 

Focus on reducing disparities

The county is committed to reducing disparities that impact many residents in the areas of education, employment, health, housing, income, justice and transportation. 

“Disparities drive our business and drive the cost of that business,” Hough said. “Our determination in reducing disparities is critical to maintain a sustainable fiscal stance and to best position Hennepin County for the future.”

Investments in child well-being

The proposed budget supports continued work to flip the child welfare system to a child well-being model.

“We are proactively revisioning the system to a child well-being model, where we seek to improve children’s quality of life, particularly those children at risk, to prevent the need for child protection,” Hough said. “This opens up opportunities for creating systems that support healthy children and stable families.”

Capital budget

Some of the key drivers of the proposed 2019 capital budget include:

• $252 million for bus rapid transit and light rail transit infrastructure
• $78 million for road, bridge and trail infrastructure
• $58 million for facilities supporting the Health and Human Services lines of business, including Hennepin County Medical Center, NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center and Regional Medical Examiner’s Office
• $55 million for libraries and general office facilities
• $20 million for public safety and judiciary facilities and infrastructure
• $12 million for environment and energy infrastructure 

Budget hearing schedule  

View the schedule of public meetings at hennepin.us/budgets. 

Property values

Property tax valuations impact the property tax portion of the budget. The Hennepin County Assessor's Office assesses your property and estimates the value it would likely sell for on the open market, which is one factor used in determining your property tax. Other factors include property tax levies set by the school districts, city, county or special taxing districts that the property is in.

Find out more about property values. 

Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at hennepin.us/news.

Discover how we're making a difference in our communities at hennepin.us/stories.