2019.01.23 CC Packet - Goal Setting Session

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Washington County is both an administra- tive agency of the state providing mandat- ed services, and a local government. The county only has the power and authority given to it by the state legislature. Wash- ington County provides an array of ser- vices, including health and human ser- vices, road construction and maintenance, public safety and probation, election ad- ministration, water quality, parks, libraries, solid waste management, prosecution, property valuation and taxation, and re- cording public property records. County programs are funded through a combination of state and federal aid, local property taxes, a local sales tax, and fees for services. As the cost of providing man- dated services increases, if state and fed- eral funding does not increase proportion- ally, the pressure on the local property tax increases. In 2019, the county anticipates spending more than $200 million on services that are required by the state or federal government to provide. Below is an example of various mandated services and percentage of costs funded through the county's property tax levy. Source: 2019 Inventory of Mandates and County Core Functions report. Jail Detention $9,747,800 96% Adult Probation $4,963,800 59% Sheriff Patrol $4,671,000 93% 911 $3,596,400 90% Communications Out -of -Home $3,206,800 73% Placements Adult $2,897,700 97% Prosecution Juvenile $1,577,100 100% Prosecution and Child Protection Waste loton 00-muftft-00 '00muftftwoo o��unty FUNDING SAFETY NET SERVICES In recent years, the state legislature has shifted costs for state mandated safety net programs onto county governments. This shifting has allowed the state to balance its budget, but has led to increasing property taxes at the county level. Often these shifts are for costs that the county has little or no ability to manage or control. Examples of recent costs shifts that should be eliminated, and state funding provided include: Minnesota Security Hospital —St. Peter • 10% daily cost of care • 50% Transitional Program care Forensic Nursing Home —St. Peter • 10% - 50% daily cost of care, depending on program requirement eligibility Community Behavioral Health Homes • 100% daily cost of care, depending on medical criteria for placement eligibility Community Restoration • 20% - 100% daily cost of care, depending on program requirement eligibility Minnesota Sex Offender Program • 10% - 25% of daily care, depending on date individual entered program LICENSE CENTER COST INCREASES IMPACT THE 2019 COUNTY BUDGET Washington County's three license centers process more than 300,000 transactions each year and remit more than $37 million in fees to the state. Recent changes to the state technology systems utilized in the license centers have moved more of the work related to each transaction to the license center staff and away from state employees within the divi- sion of motor vehicles. However, the fee structure has not changed and all of the increased costs are now being borne by county property taxes to support this state function. In the 2018 and 2019 county budgets, an additional 8 staff members were approved, costing over $300,000 annually just to deal with the in- creased work and to alleviate long wait times for customers. The 2019 Legislature must approve an increase to the fees retained by the counties, and other deputy registrars, if access to these state ser- vices is to remain available throughout the State of Minnesota. 11