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Hennepin County Commissioner Edelson outlines budget priorities, services and housing initiatives
Summary
Hennepin County Commissioner Heather Edelson briefed the Edina council on county priorities including a $3.1 billion biennial county budget, Health & Human Services representing 42% of spending, investments in youth mental health facilities, eviction and homelessness prevention, and library and public works projects affecting Edina residents.
Hennepin County Commissioner Heather Edelson visited the Edina City Council meeting on Jan. 7 to present a district and county update addressing budget choices, public health and human services priorities, housing instability work, and county services available to cities in her district. She said the county's biennium budget is approximately $3.1 billion and that Health & Human Services accounts for about 42% of county spending.
Edelson highlighted investments intended to address youth mental health, including a nearly $15 million youth facility to be operational in coming months, and described county initiatives on eviction prevention and the county's "shelter-all" policy guaranteeing temporary shelter for families in need. She also described efforts to expand library-based literacy and after-school programs and said the county is seeking a ballot/tax solution for needed capital investment at Hennepin County Medical Center.
Edelson urged cities to use county resources where appropriate and noted the county's role in public safety functions such as corrections and probation supervision. She offered to follow up with city staff on specific local projects (sidewalk and pedestrian safety work, transit connectivity and street projects) and flagged grant opportunities for municipalities to pursue.
The county commissioner said many of the county's programs—mental health, shelter and housing stabilization, library services, and public works coordination—are intended to be available to Edina residents and local partners. Council members thanked Edelson for the overview and for prioritizing county-city collaboration.
