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Dear Neighbors,
I hope you and your families are preparing to enjoy a restful holiday break and time together this week. The holiday season always offers an opportunity to reflect on the people and communities we’re grateful for and find ways to show kindness. Whether that means gathering with friends, hosting a food drive (like an Edina student spotlighted in this newsletter), or volunteering with an organization you care about, I encourage you to find a way to give back that feels meaningful to you. Studies consistently show that helping others not only strengthens our community but also enriches our own well-being.
This month, Congress passed a continuing resolution to end the 43-day federal government shutdown - the longest in our nation’s history. The uncertainty it created, from SNAP delays to staffing shortages, was deeply concerning and a reminder of how polarization can affect everyday Americans. As we look toward January, I’m hopeful that our leaders in Washington will choose more collaboration, balance, and a willingness to work across the aisle for the common good. Trust in one another and in our institutions has been strained, but even small steps we each take toward understanding and connection can help rebuild it. I hope that’s something we can all reflect on together.
This month, in response to growing hunger needs, the Hennepin County Board approved $2 million in emergency funding to help local food shelves meet record demand. Far too many Minnesotans are struggling to meet basic needs, and we must step up where we can in the face of rising food insecurity driven by the cost of groceries, heating, and other essentials.
In the last few weeks, Hennepin County residents received their proposed 2026 property tax notices, and I want to acknowledge how stressful these increases can feel. The County’s preliminary levy increase is 7.79%, driven by several factors - including rising public safety demands, uncertain federal funding, growing healthcare costs, and the need to provide our 9,000 employees with a cost-of-living adjustment.
Nearly 47% of our county budget supports health and human services, much of which is mandated by state and federal law. While we worked hard to keep the levy as low as possible, we must continue to meet these essential needs for the residents who rely on us.
Information on the Homestead Exclusions and Questions about Your Assessment:
Please be sure to take note of the Homestead Market Value Exclusion, as well as additional exclusions available for people with disabilities and veterans, which may reduce the taxable value of your home. You can learn more HERE.
Also, if you believe your property value or assessment is inaccurate, I encourage you to first contact the Hennepin County Assessor’s Office at (612) 348-3046. Many issues can be resolved informally through a conversation, a property inspection, or by reviewing comparable sales and documentation.
If concerns remain, you may submit a formal appeal through the Local or County Board of Appeal and Equalization, which typically convenes in late June, or file a property tax petition with the County. Information on how to appeal your valuation or assessment can be found HERE.
As always, if you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. It is an honor to represent District 6, and I genuinely appreciate hearing from you. Wishing you and your family a nice holiday.
With gratitude,
Heather Edelson
Hennepin County Commissioner, District 6
Hennepin County Board of Commissioners Meetings
Recent actions by the Hennepin County Board include:
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Honoring the Sudanese Farming Group - The County Board was proud to recognize the Sudanese Farming Group as Hennepin County’s 2025 Farm Family of the Year at a recent board meeting! This incredible community of families is keeping agricultural traditions alive, practicing sustainable and chemical-free farming, and passing their knowledge on to the next generation through hands-on growing, cooking, and leadership. Their work is a beautiful reminder of how food can preserve culture, build community, and strengthen our local food system. Congratulations to Khalid, Haytham, and the entire Sudanese Farming Group - we are so grateful for your contributions! Learn more about the program here.
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Honoring Speaker Melissa Hortman - The Board approved the dedication of a tree in memory of Melissa Hortman, Speaker Emerita of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Speaker Hortman was an avid gardener and was passionate about increasing green space and cleaning our air by planting more trees.
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Preserving Affordable Housing in Edina - The County authorized the issuance of tax-exempt housing revenue bonds to support the preservation of affordable apartments at 3400 Parklawn Avenue and 5010 Summit Avenue in Edina. This helps keep existing affordable units available for residents.
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Expanding Police Embedded Social Worker Services - Hennepin County approved an agreement with Edina and Richfield to continue and expand the Police Embedded Social Worker Program through December 31, 2027. This program pairs social workers with police to respond to mental health, substance use, and social service needs.
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Funding for Child and Teen Checkups Program - The County approved a $2.3 million agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Services to continue the Child and Teen Checkups Program in 2026. This program ensures children and teens on Medical Assistance receive regular health and developmental checkups.
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Supporting Youth Career Pathways in Healthcare - The County approved a partnership with NorthPoint Health & Wellness to continue the Career Pathways to Healthcare for Youth program in 2026 (up to $100,000). The program helps youth and young adults of color (ages 11–24) explore and enter high-demand healthcare careers.
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Increasing Support for Employment Services for American Indian Residents - The County expanded its agreement with American Indian OIC, extending services through December 31, 2026 and increasing funding by $250,000 (new total: $500,000). The program provides training and employment support for residents facing barriers and receiving public assistance.
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Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Funding - Hennepin County accepted $6.1 million in federal funding from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration to support the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part A from March 2025 through February 2026. This funding supports medical care, medication access, and support services for residents living with HIV.
You can view all agendas for Hennepin County Board meetings (updated regularly) here.
🎨 Hennepin County Student Art Contest - Spread the Word!
The Hennepin County Student Art Contest was recently launched, and we are so excited to see pieces starting to come in from young people across Hennepin County! Please help us share information about the contest with students to ensure that as many young people as possible can participate and have the chance to display their art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
The contest is open to all students in grades 6–12 who either reside or attend school in Hennepin County. The winning art will be given the incredible honor of being exhibited at the Mia, sharing wall space with famous works!
The formal submission period runs from December 1, 2025, through January 4, 2026. Students can submit work in various categories, including Painting, Digital Art, Photography, and Sculpture.
You can view the full rules and find the link to submit artwork here: Hennepin County Student Art Contest. Please share with young people in your network who may be interested in submitting work!
Federal Government
The federal government reopened on November 13th after the President signed a bill that funds federal agencies through January 30, 2026. The legislation guarantees back pay for furloughed federal employees and includes specific funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and a new ban on the unregulated sale of certain hemp-derived products.
For weeks, Senate Democrats held back their votes because the bill did not include an extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies. These subsidies help make health insurance more affordable for roughly 24 million people enrolled in ACA plans and are set to expire at the end of this year. On November 10th, eight Senate Democrats ultimately joined Republicans to approve the bill in a 60–40 vote, sending it to the House, where its passage allowed the President to sign it into law.
As part of the compromise, Senate leaders agreed to hold a vote in December on extending the ACA subsidies. However, there is currently no guarantee that the House will take up such a measure, leaving the future of these subsidies uncertain.
Commissioner Edelson's Community Highlights
Honoring Retiring Minnetonka Mayor Brad Wiersum
Yesterday, the Minnetonka community and I had the honor of celebrating Mayor Brad Wiersum and his 20+ years of service to Minnetonka. Brad has led with steadiness, optimism, and a deep commitment to community!
On behalf of Hennepin County and District 6, I was proud to present him with an award recognizing his dedicated leadership. The inscription reads: “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
Minnetonka is better because of you, Brad. Congratulations on your well-earned retirement!
Celebrating CEO Now Graduates
It was an honor to join the latest CEO Now graduates - incredible business owners who’ve spent the past eight months growing their skills, building strategy, and strengthening their businesses through Elevate Hennepin.
Small businesses like these are the heart of Hennepin County, creating jobs, fueling innovation, and shaping vibrant communities. Thank you for investing in our county’s future!
Tour of the Prairie Island Composting Facility in Shakopee
Last week, Commissioner Angela Conley joined my team and Hennepin County environmental leaders for a tour of the Prairie Island Composting Facility in Shakopee, where a huge portion of Hennepin County’s organics are transformed into nutrient-rich compost.
Where our county's food and leaf organics go:
- 40% to Prairie Island
- 60% to Rosemount CTC
This new Shakopee facility has dramatically expanded capacity, growing from a capacity for 80,000 tons processed each year to 155,000! This growth will help keep organic waste out of landfills and return it to our soil.
Proud to see this innovation in action and grateful for the teams doing this work every day!
Town Hall in Hopkins on the Impacts of H.R.1
Thank you to ISAIAH and the MyHealth team for hosting Commissioner Greene and me for a conversation on how H.R.1 and upcoming Medicaid changes could impact our community.
At its heart, county work is about people - making sure families can access food, housing, and health care when systems fall short.
MyHealth is such a model for what care should look like: welcoming, confidential, and focused on young people’s needs. Programs like this keep our community healthy and strong.
Recognizing Edina High School Senior Mia Kapoor
We are so proud of Edina High School senior Mia Kapoor for organizing a successful food drive with students and families at her club organization, Minnesota Vortex and Minnesota A's Fastpitch! They were able to deliver 431 pounds of food to VEAP and Southern Anoka Community Assistance - what an impressive accomplishment!
It was wonderful to meet Mia at my recent visit to Edina High School's Girls United group. Her drive to serve our community is inspiring to me, and I hope it inspires the rest of our community to step up and make a difference as well. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Mia!
Honoring Senator Steve Cwodzinski's Service
Senator Steve Cwodzinski, who represents Minnetonka and Eden Prairie in the Minnesota Senate, recently announced that he will retire from the Senate after his current term. I have had the honor of working with Senator Cwodzinski since my time in the State House and am proud to consider him a friend. As Chair of the Education Policy Committee in the Senate, he has shown true dedication and passion for improving the lives of students in Minnesota. He has been a steadfast champion for our community and leaves behind a legacy of genuine and selfless public service.
Thank you for your service, Senator Cwodzinski, and best wishes to you and your family for this next chapter!
Events in the Community
Striving for Resilience: Sustainable Celebrations
Join us at Ridgedale Library on December 6th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm to learn about creating less wasteful celebrations! Meet staff from Hennepin County’s Environment and Energy Department as they table in the library, with information about creating sustainable celebrations with ideas for gifts, decorations, and reducing food and plastic waste.
- Go green for the holidays by attending our “Cards From Scratch" workshop! Create your own holiday greeting cards and envelopes using all sorts of fun and unusual scrap materials, images from used holiday cards, inked stamps, and glittery mylar.
- Visit our Family Activity Table to make ornaments and garland with used book pages, enjoy coloring and activity sheets, and find a book to learn about sustainability. Adults will find a book display with a selection of books to help you and your family create enjoyable and sustainable celebrations.
Learn more about this festive event here.
Walk to End the Silence on January 22
January is Human Trafficking and Exploitation Awareness Month in Minnesota.
Join us to uplift, support, and empower survivors and their families at Walk to End the Silence at the Mall of America. The event will also educate the community on how to identify and prevent human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
The walk will be held on Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 7:00 am - 9:30 am at the Mall of America's Huntington Bank Rotunda (60 East Broadway, Bloomington, MN 55425). Register online here.
Hennepin County News and Resources
Food Assistance Available
Too many Hennepin County residents don’t have the resources to feed their families. In response to the recent federal shutdown, the Hennepin County Board approved a request for up to $2 million to support local food banks, food shelves, and food rescue organizations serving Hennepin County residents. Read the story from November 6.
The county is now in the process of distributing that funding to partner organizations to support ongoing community needs.
Additional Assistance Available
Programs like SNAP and WIC can help, too.
WIC is a nutrition and breastfeeding program that serves pregnant people, new mothers, babies, and children up to age 5. In addition to nutrition education and breastfeeding counseling, WIC provides nutritious foods. Learn more at https://www.hennepin.us/wic.
Both programs are accepting applications.
Highway 7 Study Comment Period Extended Through November 30
In response to feedback from the community, Hennepin County has extended the comment period for the Hwy 7 study through Sun, Nov. 30. We value community input as a part of our study and are committed to listening as we move forward with this study and future projects on Hwy 7.
You can learn more about the recommendations and next steps by watching the recommended improvements video or reading more online.
Please share your thoughts with us by filling out the online comment form by Sun, Nov. 30. Your comments will help guide future design updates in the study area.
Get your Limited-edition Prince Library Card!
Hennepin County Library has released a limited-edition Prince library card celebrating one of Minnesota’s most iconic artists. The card is available at all library locations while supplies last. Choose the Prince design when signing up for a new library card or when replacing your existing card! Details can be found at hclib.org/prince.
Library cards are free, yet one of the most valuable cards you can carry. Discover millions of books and audiobooks, research tools, creative spaces, and services that support learning for you and your family at every stage of life.
Stay Connected!
We want to ensure that our residents are as informed as they can be with County business. To that end, you can view our County Board and Committee meetings here, as well as view past meetings. Please reach out if you have any questions about viewing meetings online or in-person. As always, I encourage you to reach out to me with any other questions or feedback you’d like to share at heather.edelson@hennepin.us or 612-348-6885. You can also follow me on my official Facebook page for updates.
Sincerely,
Heather Edelson
County Commissioner, Hennepin County District 6
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners consists of one commissioner from each of seven districts. I am proud to represent Deephaven, north Eden Prairie, Edina, Excelsior, Greenwood, Hopkins, Long Lake, Minnetonka, Minnetonka Beach, northern Mound, Orono, Shorewood, Spring Park, Tonka Bay, Wayzata and Woodland.
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Heather Edelson
Commissioner
6th District
Raina Meyer
Policy Director
Clara Wicklund
Assistant to the Commissioner
Office Phone Number: 612-348-6885
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