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Counties warn governor's proposed waiver cost shifts would raise property taxes and squeeze services
Summary
County officials and disability service providers told the Minnesota Senate Human Services Committee that the governor's budget would shift millions in waiver costs to counties, increasing local levies and risking access to services for people with disabilities.
Senators heard repeated warnings that the governor's proposed budget would shift significant costs for disability waiver programs to counties, forcing local property-tax increases and risking reduced access to services for people with disabilities.
The concerns came during testimony before the Minnesota Senate Human Services Committee. Stacy Hennen, Western Prairie Human Services executive director and legislative champion for the Minnesota Association of County Social Services Administrators, told the panel that the governor’s proposal would “result in increases in local property taxes.” She cited an example: “For Traverse County in 2025, the proposed shifts would have been $395,000 and it would have been a 39.65% increase to our social services levy for Traverse County.”
Why it matters: Counties administer many waiver services under state policy, and testimony warned that…
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