A tight 2009 Hennepin County budget means proposed cutbacks that include eliminating 259 jobs, restructuring child protection programs and Saturday closing of three service centers that allow residents to get driver's licenses and motor vehicle tabs.
"The mantra of 'doing more with less' has begun to wear very thin," county Administrator Richard Johnson told the county board on Tuesday. "The fact is, we're talking about doing less with less."
Commissioners have the final word on the proposed $1.7 billion budget, which they will vote on in December. About $644 million of the county budget would come from property taxes, which includes a proposed property tax increase of 6.98 percent.
Other county levies, including those for the Regional Railroad Authority and solid waste management fee, are dropping, while a new Housing and Redevelopment Authority levy will raise $1.3 million. Overall, county taxes would increase by 2.1 percent.
While state and federal funds coming to the county have gone down, needs are going up, Johnson said. Almost one in five county residents receives some form of public assistance, and uncompensated care costs for people at Hennepin County Medical Center are rising 10 percent a year.
About half of the 259 jobs suggested for cuts are vacant, Johnson said. The county already has begun a hiring freeze.
Programs including child protection and youth correctional out-of-home placement as well as departments such as information technology would be reorganized. Service centers in Midtown in Minneapolis and in Maple Grove and Eden Prairie would close on Saturdays, with weekday hours extended to make up for the change.
Libraries would see an 8 percent budget increase, as would the Sheriff's Office. Taxpayer Services would be cut by almost 10 percent.
