State Likely to Continue Funding Counties During Shutdown

Hennepin County Administrator Richard Johnsonsaid much of the county’s state funding, particularly that used for critical human services, will likely be distributed during the state government shutdown.

Johnson spoke Wednesday at a special meeting of the Hennepin County Board. Commissioners discussed their next steps during the state government shutdown, including any special requests commissioners would like to make before Judge Kathleen Blatz, the special master of the court proceedings.

Blatz will issue recommendations to Ramsey County Chief District Judge Kathleen Gearin as to which items of state spending fund "critical" functions of state and local government. Gearin is widely expected to adopt Blatz's recommendations whole.

“She took the zoo and the racetrack petitions on Friday, and ruled over the weekend,” Johnson said of Gearin. “She’s been pretty expeditious (with her rulings), and I think the Justice recognizes the criticality of these issues.”

Gearin would make her rulings regarding Hennepin County, Johnson said, long before the next state aid payment to the county is due, in another few weeks.

While it isn’t a done deal, the commissioners agreed with County Attorney Mike Freeman’s recommendation not to petition Blatz. Presentations by officials from Ramsey County, the Association of Metropolitan Counties and the Metropolitan Inter-County Association had already covered much of the same ground, he said. Judges, he added, typically don’t like hearing the same information again.

In response to questions from Commissioner Gail Dorfman, Freeman said Hennepin County still will have an opportunity to appeal Blatz’s recommendation should she decide against funding counties, or if her recommendation doesn’t cover all the funding streams for human services and mental health programs.

Board Chair Mike Opat suggested this approach to the shutdown may take the pressure off legislative leaders and the governor to compromise on a budget agreement.

“The clients (of the county’s social services) will feel the effects of a shutdown, of course,” he said. “But their family won’t, necessarily, and they’re the people who need to start pressuring legislators. The easier (the shutdown] is, the longer it will go on.”