The second area of the approved Hennepin County Budget is in two parts: Disparity Reduction and Public Works. Disparity reduction makes up about $40 million of the new budget while public works makes up about $190 million of the new $3.09-billion total budget. Disparity reduction has the budget to employ the equivalent of up nearly 130 full-time employees, and the public works has the budget for around 510.
Below is more on how Hennepin County taxpayer money is being spent and how these areas of the budget impact the community.
Disparity Reduction
Disparity reduction is a countywide goal that stretches across departments. Hennepin County says it recognizes racism as a public health crisis and the root cause of disparities in the county. This budget seeks to reduce disparity with a list of priorities including connectivity, education, employment, health, housing and income.
The disparity reduction budget did get a boost in taxpayer funding of more than $10 million to a total of nearly $26 million or an increase of 66%. County Officials say that is to make up for a loss in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) but say some of that increased taxpayer burden will come from moving money designated for similar goals from other budgets.
The goal of the county’s connectivity plan is to help provide computer and internet access, and to help improve the digital skills of the community. One way it says its working to achieve that goal is expanding fiber access to residents, providing connectivity subsidies and providing training through the county’s large library system.
Educational support services targets youth and families experiencing educational disparities. It provides tutoring, GED support and career and college readiness support. It also provides support to new arrival families living in Hennepin County shelters.
Part of this budget also includes promoting food security in areas known as food deserts, which are areas where it is difficult for people in communities to have access to affordable, healthy food options nearby. One thing being done to help is converting 64,000 sq. ft. of vacant land into urban agriculture spaces across ten different lots in the county. Officials say it will give increased access to quality, locally grown agriculture and teach people life-long growing skills.
One area of contention was the reduction in some areas of the budget was lowering funding for community support officers in the Office of Community Safety. It was explained to commissioners certain reductions in the budget, despite an overall increase in the budget, was due to adjustments because of reduced ARPA funding. Commissioners were reassured needs were still being met, if more needs arise it could be addressed in the future and some of the reductions reflected in the budget are because of costs being shared across departments.
Public Works
The public works budget is nearly $190 million, down a little more than 1% from 2024. The total tax cost from Hennepin County is just below $23 million. This covers transit and mobility programs, transportation operations, environment and energy and The Glen Lake Golf Course.
The Public Works department says its priorities are to connect people to places, advance climate action, protect natural resources and manage waste responsibly. The department is working to achieve these goals through current and future road projects by focusing on how they impact traffic, safety and environmental needs. It’s also managing long-term sustainability with a goal of getting to zero waste in the county.
To reach the zero-waste goal the county is investing more money into policy development and implementation. Some of those policies are to require all packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030, encouraging cities to adopt organic waste program and increase access to recycling services. One program cited by the department was the recycling champions program where it says 17 citizens picked for the program to promote recycling at their apartments were able to reach more than 1,000 fellow residents in six months.
The county also hopes to develop a recycling recovery facility near the Brooklyn Park transfer station to increase the amount of recovered metals and cardboard from the trash.
As part of the Public Works Department’s climate change efforts, it is planting one million trees across the county. It says about 465,000 of those were planted by the end of 2024. It is also looking at areas to improve stormwater treatment methods including new rain gardens, new retaining ponds and adding natural rock filtration systems that improve water quality.
The department says road projects are now implementing a green streets policy which focuses on safety, green spaces and sustainable planning. It includes increasing access for multiple transportation options by creating bike lanes and safer crossings for pedestrians.
The impact this construction has on access to local businesses and neighborhoods was a major concern expressed by commissioners who have heard about struggles from their constituents. They say it can be difficult for a business to navigate a small closure, but an extended one can make it difficult for the business to survive. The department assured commissioners concerns were being listened to and efforts were being made to cause as little impact as possible including securing extra materials to sell to contractors like lighting and signage to prevent work stoppages from supply shortages.
You can find meeting materials below. Commissioners meet for the first time this year on January 7th at 1:30 p.m.
Meeting Videos:
Oct. 8 Committee Meeting –
https://hennepinmn.granicus.com/player/clip/5331?view_id=10&redirect=true
Oct. 9 Budget Meeting –
https://hennepinmn.granicus.com/player/clip/5336?view_id=10&redirect=true
Disparity Reduction and Public Works Documents:
