Newsmakers: Hennepin County Commissioner Kevin Anderson Reflects on Tragedy, County Budget Challenges
Hennepin County Commissioner Kevin Anderson says elected officials are still processing the weight of the tragedy involving the Hortman family and the Hoffman family.
“It is such a scary time right now,” said Anderson, who represents District 7 which includes Maple Grove. “We are all looking at ways to process and take care of ourselves and our communities to make sure we are focusing on safety for everybody.”
In addition to focusing on community safety, Anderson says county leaders are also closely watching federal and state policy decisions that could affect essential services like Medicaid and food assistance.
“Policies that are being talked about in Washington DC are likely to have an impact on local budgets whether it’s city, state or county, so that’s something we’re paying close attention to right now,” said Anderson. ”What’s begin discussed at the federal level is additional administrative burdens or responsibilities being put on counties and that’s going to make the system more complicated.”
Anderson says one of the most frequently asked questions that he receives out in the community is how polices impact individual families and property owners.
“I think what mostly gets asked is how is this going to affect me,” said Anderson. “The answer is obviously different for every person, but we are committed to doing the work for the people. From a county perspective, a lot of this is filling the need through property taxes.”
Anderson says the county has to be responsible with the funds available and balance the cost with the obvious needs. He invites the public to say hello at one of the public events that he attends as well as the upcoming Maple Grove parade.
