Council directs manager to explore transfer of assessing services to Hennepin County; work agreement to return for approval

The City Council on April 16 directed the city manager to meet with Hennepin County to develop a possible agreement to transfer property‑assessing services from the City of Edina to the county, and to return a proposed service agreement for council review and approval.

City Manager Neal said the requested action would authorize him to negotiate terms with county staff; any formal transfer would require a written agreement and a future council vote. Neal emphasized that the proposal is not a reflection of staff performance: “The folks that do this work for us are high performers. They’re good at what they do,” he said, noting the effort is being pursued because county consolidation could produce significant recurring savings for the city’s general fund.

Staff estimates approximately $500,000 in reduced city general‑fund spending after a transfer — roughly a 1% impact on the levy — depending on timing and final cost allocations. Seven full‑time city employees currently in the assessing division would be affected; Neal said the county has offered preference to those employees for positions in the county assessing department if they wish to transition.

Council members asked for more detail on the proposed service‑level agreement, total cost comparisons and the potential effect on taxpayers and service quality. Neal and staff said those items would be negotiated and provided in the draft agreement; the county requested a May 1 deadline to indicate interest so it can plan capacity for potential transfers from multiple cities.

The council’s motion directs the manager to negotiate and return a proposed agreement and does not itself effectuate any transfer. Council members emphasized that any final agreement would return to the council for approval and include service‑level commitments, costs, and protections for affected employees.