Hennepin County Board Approves 2017 Budget
Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 5:01PM
Via a December 13 e-newsletter from Hennepin County:
Board approves 2017 budget
The Hennepin County Board voted Tuesday 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:
• Child well-being, working to identify at-risk families earlier and providing practical supports to address the root causes of abuse and neglect
• 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
• Hennepin Housing Fund, funding development and preservation of affordable housing for very low-income adults and families
• Hennepin County Career Connections, providing training and public/private-sector career paths for people who face barriers to employment
• 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
• 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
“It just makes good sense to help residents become more self-sufficient and successful," said County Board Chair Jan Callison. “We believe that today’s investment will lead to a more prosperous future for everyone."
Our commitment to taxpayers
The budget adoption follows more than six months of budget preparation and hearings focused on the county’s continued commitment to help residents to be healthy, protected and safe, self-reliant, assured due process and mobile.
The budget also demonstrates a commitment to solid fiscal priorities and responsibilities that are reflected by more than three decades of AAA bond ratings.
“As commissioners, we understand the enormous responsibility to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money,” Callison said. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done over the past several months, culminating in the adoption of a budget that shows our commitment to serving residents, improving lives and continuing to attract and retain a talented workforce.”
