Counties warn Walz budget would shift millions in human services costs to local property taxpayers

County administrators and human services directors from across Minnesota told the House Health and Human Services Finance Policy Committee on Feb. 11 that parts of Gov. Tim Walz’s budget would shift millions of dollars in state service costs to counties, with consequences for property taxes and access to care.

"Most of the areas I'm here for today, if passed, would result in increases in local property taxes," Angela Jungerberg, director of business operations for Blue Earth County Human Services, told the committee while representing the Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators and the Minnesota Inter-County Association. "Shifting costs related to our most vulnerable Minnesotans onto property taxes will create inequities in access to services."

Jungerberg described three program areas singled out in the governor’s proposal: the behavioral health fund, the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP), and competency restoration services. She said the budget would raise the county share of the behavioral health fund from about 22.95% to 50%, an increase she said would add roughly $9 million per biennium statewide to county…