A vision for improving Minnesota by redesigning government to be more flexible, fair, and efficient.

The Basics:

  • Minnesota counties play a unique dual role in Minnesota’s government structure.

  • Counties are a local government unit meeting the needs of the community. As such, counties are responsible for maintaining roads, managing land records, providing jails, handling solid waste, preserving the environment, and responding to the general needs of citizens.

  • Counties, in addition to their specific local government functions, also serve as the administrative arm of the state by providing services on its behalf. The bulk of these state services are delivered by county human services, health services, and environmental services departments. Some of these services are funded by the state, some are unfunded, some are entitlements, and some services are discretionary. Counties are often asked to levy local property taxes to pay for these important services.

  • County officials are extremely concerned that current county/state relationship is not sustainable. Counties and county property tax payers have been used as the state’s personal ATM to pay for services which the state is unwilling or unable to pay for from its own coffers.

  • County officials believe that not only is the state/county relationship is not sustainable, but its inequities and inefficiencies are actually damaging to citizens. State officials, local officials, and citizens are encouraged to work with county officials to meet the challenges of a new era of government.

The Key Issues:

  • Governance: Just like the governor and legislators, county commissioners sign election certificates and pledge to carry out the laws of the state. It is imperative that county officials be given the authority to make the decisions that most affect their counties and communities. The Legislature must focus its efforts on outcomes rather than inputs.

  • Redesign, Reform, Responsibility: Too many county services are built on system delivery models that are geographically based or were constructed 30, 40, or even 50 years ago. Communities have changed and so too must state and local governments. Governments no longer have the luxury of delivering government services in a vacuum that does recognize nor reflect the real world of community and county.

  • Innovation, Integrity, Improvement: Thomas Jefferson once described local government as the laboratory of democracy. State legislators must give local governments the space needed to be innovators. Local government officials are in the best position to understand the unique world that is their community and given the appropriate tools to do the job, are in the best position to meet the goals, objectives and outcomes envisioned by the state.

  • Transparency and Trust: The relationship between the state and counties needs to be more transparent. The foundation for the relationship must be trust. It is not acceptable for the state to transfer new costs to counties without presenting clear and convincing evidence that the new costs are a county responsibility. The public defender costs for parents in CHIPS cases and the reduction in payment for STOs are perfect examples of how the state transfers its budget responsibility to counties without consideration of the impacts on counties. State legislators and the state administrators must trust counties to carry out the delivery of services that meet the intended outcomes.

  • Vision and Flexibility: Maintenance of Effort requirements (MOEs) take flexibility away from counties. Arbitrary decisions by the Legislature and state departments, whether it is an MOE for public libraries, chemical dependency, mental health, septic systems, etc., reduce the ability of county boards to make decisions that are in the best interest of their communities, constituents and the people we serve.

The County Plan:

  • Create public awareness regarding the critical role that counties play as an administrative arm of the state by refusing to carry out mandated or other services.

  • Identify services that are paid for with local property tax dollars that should be discontinued or delivered by the state.

  1. Highlight state required services that affect county property taxes.

  2. Provide information to the media regarding property tax fiscal drivers.

  3. Identify for the legislature opportunities for reform and innovation.

  • The future for the state of Minnesota and its local governments is now.

  • The fiscal shell-game being played by the Legislature is always a bad business practice and an even worse government action.

  • County officials are inviting the Administration, Legislators, local government officials and citizens to work with them to meet the challenges faced by our community and our state.