Hennepin County issued the following announcement on Dec. 18.
On Thursday, the Hennepin County Board approved a 2020 budget of $2.5 billion. The budget includes an $869 million net property tax levy, a 4.75% increase from 2019.
The budget focuses on reducing disparities that impact many residents in the areas of education, employment, health, housing, income, justice and transportation.
“The county’s 2020 budget reflects significant investment in the diverse needs and aspirations of our residents,” said County Board Chair Marion Greene. “I’m proud that Hennepin County’s efforts to reduce disparities are woven throughout.”
In addition to investments in public safety and transit, examples of some key budget drivers include:
- Child well-being – continuing to transform the child welfare system to a child well-being model
- County workforce – recruitment and retention of diverse county employees
- Elections – preparing for the 2020 presidential election and addressing election security
- Census 2020 – establishing the Complete Count Committee 2020 to maximize the number of county residents surveyed in the 2020 census
- Service centers – meeting increased demand and providing better customer and employee experience
- Affordable housing – establishing unprecedented funding for affordable housing and continuing investment strategies that spur the creation and preservation of affordable housing
- Sustainable future – completing a carbon emissions inventory study that will empower the county to act on reducing our carbon footprint
Original source can be found here.