Ramsey County officials warn federal and state funding changes will tighten local budgets

Ramsey County Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire and County Manager Lynn Becker told the Roseville City Council on July 21 that the county is facing a wave of federal and state funding changes that will squeeze local budgets and force officials to prioritize only county-responsible services. McGuire said the county will focus on services “that only counties can do,” while Becker described a convergence of federal grant reductions and state-level cost shifts that are leaving local governments with fewer resources. The county manager said Ramsey County receives roughly $120,000,000 a year in federal grants and is seeing indirect impacts on local services as federal programs and data sources change. Becker said the county is preparing for “a tough budget year,” while McGuire said the board will prioritize core responsibilities such as 911, elections and child protection. McGuire, a Roseville resident who represents the city on the county board, reviewed county activities that affect Roseville, including the county’s environmental services center in Roseville, county parks, library services and road projects on County Road C, Hamline Avenue and other corridors. She noted some county programs supported through the newly created HRA levy, including affordable housing and corridor improvements. On social safety-net programs, Becker cited the scale of local reliance on federal programs: she said about 37 percent of Ramsey County residents receive Medicaid and that the county has about 85,000 MA (Medicaid) cases out of roughly 525,000 residents, and about 35,000 SNAP cases. She said changes in eligibility and administration at state and federal levels could produce significant local impacts and that Minnesota’s particular Medicaid and SNAP administrative arrangements make the state especially exposed to some provisions of recent federal legislation. Both officials said they are monitoring federal actions, including a reconciliation package discussed at the national level, and state budget work. Becker said the county plans to present a proposed 2026 budget to the board on Sept. 2, 2025, followed by public hearings and truth-in-taxation steps later in the year. Council members asked about public safety and jail population trends; Becker said Ramsey County has been managing a high detention census and that mental-health system capacity is a key contributor to pressure on jails and emergency rooms. McGuire and Becker said county staff will continue to coordinate with Roseville staff on road and park issues and provide budget updates as the fall budget process proceeds. What the county said it will do next: the county will continue outreach to cities, make budget materials available to city managers and convene stakeholders around state working groups on cost shifts. McGuire invited residents to sign up for her office newsletter and to apply for county advisory boards. Ending: McGuire and Becker said the county will keep city officials informed through the summer as they finalize assumptions for the 2026 budget and monitor state and federal developments.