Hennepin County board approves maximum tax levy increase

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Emily Baude KSTP
September 20, 2023 - 11:01 AM

The Hennepin County board has voted to approve a tax levy for the 2024 county budget.

The $991.3 million maximum property tax levy voted on Tuesday marks a 6.5% increase from last year.

In early September, Hennepin County Administrator David Hough proposed a $2.64 billion budget for 2024 that focused on disparity reduction, climate action, safe communities, and investment in employees, according to the county.

The property tax covers around 36% of the overall county budget, officials say.

The operating budget and capital portion of the 2024 county budget are both lower than in 2023, with a $34 million decrease from the total operating budget and a $118 million decrease in the capital portion.

“It is our job to invest in services and infrastructure that keep our municipalities and communities as resilient as possible,” said Commissioner Debbie Goettel, who chairs the committee in charge of the budget process. “This proposed budget prioritizes deep investments into affordable housing and our Hennepin County workforce, while also maintaining innovative programming borne out of pandemic response and recovery.”

In addition, the board acted as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and approved a $17.9 million maximum property tax levy, down from a staff budget proposal of $19.2 million.

They also approved a $33 million maximum property tax levy while acting as the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. Staff members had proposed a budget of $33.8 million.