Newsmakers: County Commissioner Lunde Talks Budget Challenges
Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Lunde said county leaders are “watching with bated breath” as state and federal budget decisions could impact local services.
“When you hear about Medicaid cuts and SNAP benefit cuts, it’s the counties in Minnesota to deliver those services so we are watching with bated breath to see what’s going to happen,” said Lunde.
The county board recently wrapped up its budget briefings and hearings, which included setting a proposed maximum property tax levy of $1.1 billion, a 7.8 percent increase from last year.
Lunde said people should contact him directly, or consider coming to a Truth in Taxation meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Hennepin Government Center.
Youth Stabilization Center Nears Completion
Hennepin County will soon open a Youth Stabilization Center at 1800 Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis that will serve youth from all over the county.
“There’s a gap right now in the system that we will kind of fill in for a little bit,” said Lunde. “When kids are found mentally incompetent within the justice system or whether they’re not in the justice system and they are found in need of care, there’s no place for that first 35-45 days to get them to a stable diagnosis.”
The center will serve youth with complex mental health and behavioral needs, but Lunde is adamant that “it’s not just for kids who have committed a crime.”
“We’re excited to have something, but it’s like a leaky roof. You put a bucket under it and it fills up, so we need more resources,” said Lunde.
New HCMC Board Chair
In addition, Lunde will serve as the new HCMC Board Chair as the county takes direct oversight of the hospital amid financial challenges, emphasizing a continued commitment to ensuring accessible healthcare for residents.
“When people who need health care, it’s there and available and HCMC really has some units that it’s the only place in the state to go to get help,” said Lunde, who points to the trauma and burn unit as an example. “Forty percent of the patients over the last five years [for the trauma and burn units] came from out of Hennepin County. Why is that important? Because the only lever we have as a county to help fill in the missing money is the property taxes of Hennepin County. So, we’re going to go to the legislature and ask for ways that we can not put the burden on Hennepin County to provide 40 percent of health care and emergency services.”
See also: ‘Catastrophic’: Hennepin Healthcare Expects to Lose $1.5B With Medicaid Cuts
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