Hennepin County's 2027 budget is now in the department-by-department part of the process. Commissioners took up Public Works and Law, Safety, Justice on Oct. 7, and the County Attorney's and Sheriff's offices are on the schedule for Oct. 8. The board has already set the limit on how much property tax it can collect: a $1.219 billion county levy, 8.15% more than 2026. The final number can come in lower than that, but it can't go higher.
That 8.15% would be the largest increase in 11 years. Since 2017 the county's levy has grown an average of 4.5% a year. County CFO Joe Mathews said, "The biggest change really has been the reduction in revenue for services that we're already required to provide." Here's where the county says the roughly $92 million would go: $27.7 million to cover state and federal funding gaps in SNAP, Medicaid, MnCHOICES and long-term support services; $35.8 million to public safety and justice; and $10 million to the debt levy for projects the board already approved. Commissioners also warned that harder years are coming. Federal cuts expected to deepen in 2028 could cost property taxpayers about $51 million a year.
Here's how it started. On Sept. 22, County Administrator Jodi Wentland presented the board with a $2.993 billion proposed 2027 budget. That's $167 million less than the 2026 budget.
Most of the cut is on the capital side, which falls by $100 million to $273.4 million. The operating budget of about $2.7 billion drops 2.4%, or about $66 million. The county also plans to eliminate about 390 vacant positions, which would leave 9,605. Those jobs are already empty, so this is mostly cleanup on paper, not layoffs. Property taxes cover about 37% of the budget. The county said the levy is rising anyway because of employee health care costs, inflation and nearly $28 million in projected state and federal cost shifts. It said the plan protects library hours, operational improvements and staffing at the Adult Detention Center. Wentland said the budget "balances foundational mission-driven services that continue to invest in our communities, infrastructure and employees."
One week later, on Sept. 29, the board voted to set the 8.15% increase as its maximum levy. That works out to $91.8 million. The board also set maximums of $22.2 million for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority and $34 million for the Regional Railroad Authority. Board Chair Irene Fernando said the board had told staff to protect democracy, public services and the county's most vulnerable residents, and that "this budget meets that direction."
What will it cost a homeowner? Fernando said the increase works out to $129 a year for a median-value home in Minneapolis. Bloomington homeowners will get their own number on the proposed tax statements that arrive later this fall.
The remaining hearings all start at noon. Resident Services and Operations is Oct. 19, the capital budget and fees Oct. 21, and Human Services and Health Oct. 26. Amendments come next: the administrator's on Nov. 9 and the commissioners' on Nov. 18. To comment, call 612-688-3545 between 7 and 11 a.m. the day after any hearing. Give your name and keep it under 2 minutes. You can also speak in person at the public budget meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. on the 24th floor of the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South 6th Street in Minneapolis. The full schedule is on the county's budget page. Final adoption of the budget and levy is set for December.
