Hennepin County Braces for ‘Largest Tax Levy Increase in History’: Commissioner
Hennepin County is bracing for a steep tax hike — one of potentially historic proportions.
“We are, and I’m being honest with everybody, looking at possibly the largest tax levy increase in history of Hennepin County,” said District 1 County Commissioner Jeff Lunde, who spoke Friday to the Brooklyn Park City Council.
Lunde said legislation at the state Capitol would shift costs from the state to counties to help the state address a looming deficit.
That includes shifting the cost of Medicaid disability waivers to counties.
Lunde said Hennepin County is looking at $53 million in additional costs just from the state alone. He told Brooklyn Park council members that the figure doesn’t take into account any county increases or changes in funding from the federal government.
“That doesn’t include anything the county is planning on, whether it’s increased wages, whether it’s infrastructure investments,” said Lunde. “That’s not even on the table.”
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners is also working under the assumption that federal grants will go away, said Lunde.
State lawmakers are trying to pass a budget by May 19, the final day of the legislative session.
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