2026 State of the County Address

Intro

Good morning, everyone! Thank you so much for your warm welcome. Let’s give another round of applause for Known MPLS’ uplifting performance. “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” sets the tone for today’s remarks—because at the heart of our work is connection and belonging.

Today, we’re here to talk about the power of community, and for me, it is deeply personal. I am Commissioner Irene Fernando, but you can call me Commish! I use she/her pronouns, am a proud resident of North Minneapolis, and represent District 2 on the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners. I’m also the first Filipino American elected in Minnesota, the youngest woman on this board, and our first board chair of color.

Community is the heartbeat of Hennepin County’s purpose and mission. It steadies us in hardship and inspires us toward possibility. Over the past year, I’ve seen our community lift each other up in extraordinary ways —residents, employees, community partners — all contributing to a powerful, shared story built on resilience and care.

Despite significant challenges and ongoing forces beyond our control, we’ve adapted, continue to support our fellow neighbors, and are moving forward with immense bravery.

I deeply believe in the work we’re doing, and I recognize we’re gathering at a moment of tremendous challenge and responsibility. Today, I’ll highlight how Hennepin County has continued to show up for residents and communities, as well as share our vision for the work ahead.

Before we dive in, a few acknowledgements: First, thank you to everyone joining us, in person and virtually.

I also want to recognize Hennepin’s key leaders. When called, please wave or rise – and then we will have a round of applause at the end of the list:

• My fellow Hennepin County Board Members
• District 3 Commissioner, Marion Greene
• District 4 Commissioner, Angela Conley
• Vice Chair and District 5 Commissioner, Debbie Goettel
• District 6 Commissioner, Heather Edelson
• District 7 Commissioner, Kevin Anderson
• And, District 1 Cmsr, Jeff Lunde, who could not join us today.
• County Attorney Mary Moriarty
• County Sheriff Dawanna Witt
• All Hennepin County elected or appointed policymakers
• County Administrator Jodi Wentland
• Members of our Community Advisory Boards
• Members and sponsors of our Employee Resource Groups
• Our county leadership team
• Our hospital leadership team
• And our NorthPoint Health & Wellness leadership team

Round of applause, please! I am incredibly grateful for your collaboration, leadership, and continued partnership, because residents deserve responsive, compassionate action from their public institutions.

Next, I want to express my sincere gratitude to our Hennepin County employees. From social workers to service center staff to elections specialists, every day, your commitment, resolve, and care make a meaningful difference in the lives of our residents, directly and indirectly.

Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs, bolster our employee community by facilitating connection, belonging, and professional growth. ERGs highlight our shared life experiences and support the county’s mission of serving residents equitably. Special shout out to Event Technology Services, Facility Services, and Communications who planned and produced today’s address.

Let’s give it up for all Hennepin County workers and their families!

To my family and hype crew: your love, support, and commitment to justice mean the world to me. It’s been a tough road. I appreciate yall having my back and luv ya.

Several tragedies have occurred since the last State of the County. Each one profound, painful, and have irreparably changed the shape of our community. First, I want to acknowledge the assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark, and their dog Gilbert last June. Among countless lifetime accomplishments, I will uplift the leadership of Speaker Hortman in the 2023 Legislative Session — she, alongside the late Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic — advanced climate action, improved the lives of families and children, and codified access to reproductive healthcare. I also want to recognize two mass school shootings last year in South Minneapolis, at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and Annunciation Catholic School. And lastly, I extend condolences to the loved ones of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two Hennepin residents who were killed in community this past January. Please join me in a moment of quiet reflection to honor all lives lost to violence, locally and around the world .

Transition to Opening

I invite a collective breath for those in the room and online . Welcome, everyone, to the 2026 State of Hennepin County address! I am grateful to my colleagues for their trust, as it is a privilege to serve as Board Chair for the fourth year in a row, and I’m humbled to provide this address for my third time.

By law, counties are entrusted with core functions that keep daily life running: maintaining county roads, protecting public health, recording property and vital records, administering elections, and delivering human services. We meet those mandates every day, but our mission calls us to do more.

I am fortunate to be raised through matriarchal leadership values, so I experience counties' responsibilities through this lens, and I view counties as the caregivers and chores of government. It may not be the work that is always recognized, but it is vital and necessary work that affects the overall wellbeing and success for all people in our communities.

We design services with residents, invest for long-term outcomes, and innovate beyond compliance, because just being in-line with statute is not enough for the communities we serve. There’s what the law requires of us, and then there’s what our values demand of us. The law sets the floor, but community sets our ambition.

Counties work to meet legal mandates. Then alongside workers, partners, and residents – we collectively and courageously work to meet the moment. That’s why, even amid complexity, the state of Hennepin County is strong.

The power of community

The power of community is one of our greatest strengths, and it’s worth pausing to reflect on why this matters.

What connects us

Community begins with people who share a place, a set of values, or a purpose larger than themselves. We come from different cultures and lived experiences, but our lives intersect here, in Hennepin County. This shared place brings us together in meaningful ways.

What connects us is more than geography or borders; it’s the belief that this can be a place where people are safe, families can grow, and everyone has equitable opportunities. No matter your connection to this place, we all have a role in shaping it for future generations.

What sustains us

Community grows when we establish meaningful relationships built on kindness, consistency, and making the choice to show up for each other.

We see our relationships in action across everyday moments: volunteers offering their time, small businesses organizing mutual aid, and care workers serving the most vulnerable. We see them in the people who ensure no one feels overlooked in our libraries, clinics, or shelters.

Our collective relationships are essential to the foundation of a supported, connected county.

What drives us forward

Building community creates belonging, and with belonging comes responsibility. Our actions shape the experiences of those around us and those who come after us.

We have a responsibility in how we speak and listen, how we bridge differences, and how we contribute to the community we want to live in. It’s a responsibility we share, and it drives us forward.

One powerful example of shared responsibility is the work of our Community Advisory Boards, which bring residents into the heart of decision making. These groups bring together people with different lived experiences to help shape county programs and services. When residents share how policies affect them, propose community‑grounded solutions, and collaborate to advance ideas, they demonstrate belonging and responsibility in action.

With work like this, community becomes a shared promise to support one another and to create a place where everyone can lead full and vibrant lives, authentic in their unique personhood and with a genuine sense of belonging.

Our core county commitments

In Hennepin County, our work is guided by our mission, vision, and values, as well as our core commitments to eliminate disparities and take bold climate action. We know that many communities do NOT have equal access to safety, stability, or opportunity in Hennepin County.

To eliminate disparities, we analyze data and examine gaps in outcomes across 7 domain areas: connectivity, education, employment, health, housing, income, and justice.

We’re designing services to close gaps by meeting people where they are, investing in historically marginalized communities, and ensuring all residents have a chance to thrive.

We also know the impacts of climate change are NOT experienced equally.

Hennepin County is committed to accelerating a zero-waste future, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting our precious natural resources and environment, preparing for extreme weather and disaster response, as well as making environmental health a priority in every neighborhood.

We are collaborating to increase the resilience of our community and build a future with cleaner air, energy-efficient homes, climate-resilient infrastructure, and solutions focused on communities most impacted by environmental challenges.

A strong community doesn’t ignore tough realities. It faces them with intention and asks what we can do together. When we work to eliminate disparities and take bold climate action, we strengthen and nurture all of us.

Our core commitments are active, ongoing, and built upon every day.

The law sets the minimum we must do, but our values set the higher standard we strive to meet on behalf of community and future generations.

Our collective strength

So, as we are gathered here, I invite us to reflect not only on the community we have, but on the community we are continuously shaping. Community is not a finished product. It is something we build, cultivate, and renew every day – with every choice, curiosity, and action.

We strive to ensure residents have what they rely on today, as we prepare our region for tomorrow. We respond quickly and compassionately in a crisis and invest steadily in the systems that will endure.

That’s what strong counties do. Then we meet the moment with heart, courage and commitment to every resident we serve.

This is the power of community.

Meeting the moment

At Hennepin County, we focus on what people need today and what will keep our community strong for the future:

• We adapt our resources and services to address residents’ immediate needs.
• We provide reliable, accessible support for everyone.
• We foster connections by investing in systems and spaces designed to help people engage, and
• We maintain essential programs to ensure ongoing dependability.

This year, our community faced exceptional pressure on systems and services, and we responded with speed, coordination and care. We strengthened programs and partnerships, building on our strong foundation to better meet the moment.

Launching Operation Reconnect

At the core of public service is our shared humanity. Our shared humanity guided us as we launched Operation Reconnect, Hennepin County's response to keep services accessible to residents during and following Operation Metro Surge. Through this work, we are ensuring consistent, community‑centered practices across our services by engaging with residents about how the county can best support them. Operation Reconnect isn’t separate from our core work – it strengthens our work and outcomes.

We prioritized transparency and accessibility by placing county and partner resources into a centralized hub on our website. We’ve met these challenges by updating county policies and adapting our services to meet residents’ needs. And we’re using data to continue to shape our participation in the long‑term recovery and resilience of our community.

Some of our actions include:

Establishing a Small Business Recovery Fund

Waiving penalties for Environmental Health–licensed businesses

Expanding eviction‑prevention pathways alongside the City of Minneapolis and partner organizations ……

And authorizing property tax penalty abatements for those experiencing economic distress.

Ultimately, Operation Reconnect is about people and a reminder to every resident: you matter, you belong, and Hennepin County is here for you.

The taxpayer-funded harm and violence we endured was inhumane and unconstitutional. Hennepin County is proud of our diversity because it is through the collective contributions of all our neighbors that enrich our cultural, social, and economic vibrancy.

I am deeply proud of Operation Reconnect, and the County Board extends heartfelt gratitude and care to our staff and partners, the people behind this important and ongoing work. You turn values into action and ensure Hennepin's response is both coordinated and compassionate.

Defending democracy and human rights

Our shared history is not a single thread. It is a vibrant tapestry that we are all part of. As the nation marks 250 years and Hennepin County approaches its 175th anniversary next year, we reflect, learn, and imagine a better world.

We continue to champion equality and rise up for each person in our neighborhoods, including and especially the most vulnerable.

We must also acknowledge when systems fall short. Operation Metro Surge caused immense harm and lasting impacts across our communities.

What has emerged is powerful: a community unwilling to be divided. Residents, partners, and county staff came together — in the streets, across institutions, and as service providers — to demand respect and rise in solidarity toward justice, in recognition of our shared humanity.

We listened, we learned, and we recommitted ourselves to building a shared future where everyone belongs and governments care for people.

Administering elections

By statute, Hennepin County administers fair, accurate, and impartial elections. By choice, we go further—strengthening access, education, and confidence so every voter can participate with trust in the process.

A democracy is strongest when every person is heard, valued, and included. As we approach elections this August and November, we are taking actions now to ensure all eligible ballots are counted, participation is accessible, and processes are transparent.

Hennepin’s commitment shapes the resources we offer voters and the support we provide communities. Our elections team directly partners with cities, community organizations, and residents to make information accessible, strengthen voter education, and support the people who administer our elections – from judges and volunteers to local leaders.

We invest in ongoing training, customer service, and technology. And our commitment shows in both our voter turnout and election certification records. Minnesota had a 76% voter turnout in 2024.

We are consistently among the highest nationwide, and we are also a national leader in election administration. In an external election review and certification process of the 2024 election, observers reported that:

Hennepin County elections were conducted fairly, clearly, and above-board; election officials demonstrated professionalism; and there were no outside disruptions observed or reported.

When voters are informed and election processes are transparent, it builds confidence in the election system. Encouraging communities to take part in elections reinforces the fundamental values that support healthy democracy.

I’m proud that Hennepin has continually bolstered and invested in our democracy, and we will continue to do so because resident voice matters.

Putting people first

Community is powered by people, and at Hennepin County, we put people first. This is a value we hold and practice, as we work to close gaps through intentional investments and evidence-based strategies.

In housing, economic opportunity, food security and youth supports, we design for stability, mobility, and long-term success—not just compliance.

Housing stability

Putting people first means focusing on housing stability. I joined the County Board in 2019, and access to safe and stable housing has been among our top priorities, with incredible results! As a county, we are both a funder of affordable housing and a provider of services connecting people to housing.

We achieved great progress in 2025 in reducing housing disparities and making homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.

We allocated almost 30 million dollars to shelter operations alone, making us the sole local government agency in Minnesota with consistent shelter funding for operations.

We responded to record levels of family homelessness by helping a record number of families secure housing.

In January 2025, we had 245 families in shelter, 213% of our usual capacity. Hennepin County is proud of our Shelter-all Policy for families with dependent children — the only one of its kind in Minnesota, and among the last jurisdictions across the country — because we believe no child should sleep outdoors, ever and especially not in subzero temperatures.

Over the course of the year, along with our partners, we worked with a total of 386 families to help them transition from shelter into housing. Ninety-three percent of those families remain housed today.

In addition to family shelter, we now offer more than 1,000 beds for individuals who lack housing of their own.

We know that health, educational, and economic outcomes improve dramatically with stable housing. This is why we continue to lead the development of new affordable housing for residents. In 2025, we invested in projects to create or preserve a total of 1,292 affordable rental housing units.

41% of these units are deeply affordable, at 30 percent of area median income, with additional units designated for people exiting homelessness.

Homeownership offers a unique pathway for residents to build long‑term stability and wealth. We approach this work by funding first-time homebuyer opportunities and making essential improvements to preserve homes.

We invested 2.7 million dollars to create 60 first-time homeownership opportunities. And the home repair team finished 286 projects – removing toxic lead and making health-related repairs for resident safety.

Economic opportunity

On Economic Opportunity: We want all residents in Hennepin County to have access to economic stability and opportunity.

Our county plays a vital role in preparing residents for the workforce and connecting them to meaningful careers. By championing strategies that expand access to quality jobs with living wages, benefits and advancement pathways, we are reducing barriers to employment.

We’ve served 14,314 people across workforce development programs and helped place 913 people in full-time, unsubsidized employment.

Elevate Hennepin continues to provide transformational support for businesses through county-funded consulting, cohorts, programming, and a curated hub of vital resources. This work has helped over 4,600 business owners to start, grow, and scale their businesses in Hennepin County.

Launched in 2020, last year was another year of growth and evolution for Elevate Hennepin and the entrepreneurs and business owners it serves.

Consulting hours increased more than 33% in the past year to more than 20,000 hours. Cohort programming also continued to expand to reach businesses at every stage, growing from one cohort class with 11 graduates in 2020 to 11 cohort classes and 156 graduates in 2025.

Over 480 participants have now graduated from cohort programming since inception. Elevate Hennepin advisors have helped business owners access over 50 million dollars in non-county financing.

Food security

On food access: When the federal shutdown disrupted SNAP benefits for 110,000 Hennepin County residents at the end of 2025, we stepped up to help fill the gap – by directing an additional 2 million dollars to local food banks, food shelves, community food providers, and food rescue organizations – as well as leveraging our relationships with partners who already were and are on the ground every day making sure families have access to healthy, reliable meals.

This funding helped our partners keep up with spiking demand, strengthen distribution systems, and respond quickly when our neighbors needed support. By investing in the organizations that know our communities best, we’re helping make sure no one has to navigate hunger alone.

And we know that this fight is not done because SNAP benefits remain under threat — with new federal work requirements, eligibility restrictions, and cost-shifting onto states and counties that will affect tens of thousands of Hennepin County residents in the months and years ahead.

Youth empowerment

Hennepin County is also dedicated to our youth. Our youth shape our future and play a vital role in our community every single day.

Every young person is their own unique universe of possibilities, each with the capacity to make a difference and change the world for the better.

When we equip young people with the tools and supports they need to thrive, we all benefit. Strong youth outcomes lead to higher earning potential, better long‑term well-being, and a more skilled regional workforce.

Through the volunteer-supported Let’s Read and Homework Help programs in county libraries, students can take part in both scheduled and drop-in tutoring to build skills and stay on track. When more individualized support is needed, county-connected youth can access additional tutoring through contracted partners.

Beyond direct student support, we partner with families and school districts to strengthen learning at home and in classrooms. Book giveaways with materials selected by our library staff help children build their own libraries and promote reading routines to reinforce literacy development at home.

Families also receive guidance navigating school systems and tools for supporting their students’ Individualized Education Programs, leading to better learning experiences.

And beyond education, we help young people prepare for the ever-changing workforce. Hennepin County Growth and Opportunity is the county’s program to provide residents ages 14 and older with internships and employment pathways.

In 2025, 2,909 youth received employment services across all workforce programs, including career expos and internships.

And for youth who need care for complex mental health and behavioral needs, the county’s new Youth Stabilization Center opened in December.

This youth and community led center helps address gaps in the human services and juvenile justice systems by offering treatment, therapeutic supports, and collaborative planning with families.

Building connections

On to building connections, which includes mobility, services, and access:

To the places you need to go

When people can move safely through neighborhoods, access services, and participate in activities, our community is stronger.

Hennepin County is building connections by investing in regional transit and generational infrastructure. By improving roadways, sidewalks, bikeways, crossings, and public transit options – we make it easier and safer for people to get to work, school, health care, and civic spaces.

We have continued to advance the Blue Line Extension light rail project alongside our community and agency partners. We reached two major milestones last year, including completing the federal environmental review process and reaching the 60% design milestone. And we provided oversight and accountability for the county’s investment in the Green Line Extension, which began running test trains this past fall.

Hennepin County’s commitment to mobility goes beyond large transit projects, as we continue to better our entire roadway system.

We added accessible ramps, improved sidewalks, installed audible crosswalk signals, and expanded tools designed to benefit everyone –especially aging residents and people with disabilities who seek greater independence in their travel. These improvements reduce barriers and create a sense of safety, belonging, and connection in every corner of the county.

To the services you need

We are also proud to provide facilities and services to support our residents through every stage of life.

Hennepin County Service Centers provide convenient touchpoints to county programs throughout a person’s life – including licensing, records, housing support, and human services.

In 2025, our service centers completed over 457,500 transactions across seven locations. This included processing roughly 260,500 driver’s licenses and performing more than 2,230 marriage ceremonies.

Our service centers make it easier to connect with county resources, offering in-person and hybrid assistance countywide.

And Hennepin libraries continue to serve as true community hubs.

In 2025 alone, our 41 county libraries had over 4.9 million visits and 12.8 million check-outs. The number of our library card users also grew more than 9% from the previous year.

Libraries remain one of the few places in some communities where people and youth are allowed to exist without having to make a purchase first – which must be protected because libraries are foundational to our democracy. They are trusted institutions and play key roles in community building, knowledge and literacy, as well as essential for the protection of our intellectual freedom.

Libraries are essential for our communities and our shared humanity.

To the digital world and beyond

In addition to physical spaces, we live in an increasingly digital world – which includes our connections to each other and to county programs.

Over the past few years, we’ve redesigned Hennepin County’s website and branding, putting users at the center and supporting an engaged, empowered, and informed community.

In February, we launched the new and improved HennepinCounty.gov.

It is simpler to navigate, easier to understand, and built to help you quickly find the services and information you need from the county.

Thank you to the community members, expert partners, and skilled employees who helped us reimagine and rebuild the site so it can better serve everyone – today and into our shared future.

More broadly, the county is committed to increasing computer and internet access while helping residents grow their digital skills and online safety practices. We work alongside those already receiving county services to provide online navigation support as they seek opportunities within education, employment and other areas.

In 2025, we supported more than 1,300 people with digital navigation help.

And at the center of all this work is a simple belief: When residents have access to resources and opportunities, they can participate more fully and contribute more meaningfully to their communities.

Preserving essential services

Our focus on residents and results is most prominent in Hennepin’s commitment to preserving essential services, especially during a time when resources are compressed and needs have intensified.

Public Safety

Public safety is foundational to county government and is a shared responsibility across jurisdictions and policymakers.

I want to again acknowledge the important work of the County Sheriff and Attorney's Offices — thank you and your teams for pursuing justice, accountability, and safety for all of us.

In addition to mandated functions like 911 systems and community corrections, Hennepin County strengthens public safety outcomes by integrating health and human services, embedding social workers, and preventing crises before they escalate.

We are committed to innovating, working with our partners, and ensuring these systems remain strong for our most vulnerable residents – as well as reliable for generations to come.

Community safety

Since launching our initial embedded social worker model in six cities in 2019, we have expanded and strengthened this approach to improve our communities’ health and safety. We now have social workers embedded with law enforcement and 911 call centers serving EVERY city across the county!

Recently, the program further expanded to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center.

Last year, social workers received more than 8,700 referrals – and more than 96% of residents remained in their communities, not transported to jail or hospitals. Through data, innovation, and compassion, Hennepin addresses disparities in our justice system through programs and partnership.

In 2025, Hennepin County Adult Representation Services, or ARS, saw a 66% increase in prevention services over the previous year. ARS ensures equitable outcomes for clients through early and expanded access to holistic legal services for civil matters. By providing prevention services, ARS is reducing barriers to stability and success for those experiencing extreme poverty.

These legal services include:

• Connecting with clients before initial court hearings
• Assisting individuals with obtaining and retaining citizenship
• Modifying child support obligations to align with their ability to pay
• Helping vulnerable adults gain autonomy via supportive decision making
• Supporting victims and survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence – fighting for their safety, dignity, and justice
• And working with parents who are at risk for child protection involvement

Upstream and prevention work keeps families together, leads to stronger outcomes overall, and is more cost effective for taxpayers.

Health and Wellbeing

Now I’d like to turn to health and wellbeing: what we accomplished over the past year and the critical work ahead.

At Hennepin County, we hold a simple but profound belief: access to health services is a human right, not a privilege. Never something reserved for the fortunate or the few. Every resident deserves dignity, healing, the chance to live a full and healthy life, and importantly – the opportunity to grow old.

How we care for one another defines who we are as a community. It is a measure of our values. We commit to keeping health care in our community accessible, equitable, and responsive.

As you’ve seen in the headlines, hospitals across the country are facing a growing gap between the cost of care and reimbursements they receive. The gap is driving an acute financial crisis in our own safety-net system.

Hennepin County is doing everything we can to protect our subsidiary corporation and safety-net health system – Hennepin Healthcare, or HHS. And as many affectionately still call it, HCMC.

HCMC is an irreplaceable partner in healthcare delivery, public health, human services, housing, public safety, and emergency response. Every person has an HCMC story. And over the past year, time and time again, we have seen how deeply this system shows up for our community and beyond.

This essential service merits dedicated, reliable revenue in order to remain open for generations to come – we extend gratitude to lawmakers and the Governor as they thoughtfully consider proposals for a funding solution, as well as to advocates and community members who have shared their stories.

HCMC is the cornerstone of our safety-net system, providing essential medical care, trauma services, behavioral health support, and life-saving interventions to thousands of patients every day.

HCMC is not just a Hennepin County service. It serves all Minnesotans and also many other areas in the upper Midwest – providing high-acuity care that may not be available in some communities or rural health settings.

Across the region, experts recognize our providers and programs as essential. In addition to offering unique trauma and specialty care, half of Minnesota’s doctors are trained at HCMC. Reducing services or losing Minnesota’s last public safety net hospital would send shockwaves far beyond our county.

This moment is not easy. It is not quiet. It demands courage, clarity, and collective resolve. Hennepin County believes HCMC’s mission is vital and must remain open for generations to come.

Because HCMC offers a promise to all people, no matter your background or bank account. A promise to provide exceptional care, without exception. A promise to be there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – for every person who enters its doors. A promise reflected in its role as the largest provider of Hennepin County’s human services and public health programs.

The Hennepin County Board is profoundly grateful to the people who make this promise real. Through challenge and uncertainty, HCMC staff continue to save lives and support healing throughout our communities – world class workers providing world class health care to anyone who arrives at our doors.

Our responsibility is clear: protect essential care and the people who deliver it, work with partners on durable solutions, and keep the promise of a safety net system worthy of this community. That’s how we show this county’s strength — not by avoiding hard truths, but by meeting them together.

And we remain committed to ensuring every Minnesotan — every child, elder, and family — has access to quality care meeting their needs, honoring their dignity, and supporting their opportunity to thrive.

Because health is more than treating illness; it’s about creating whole communities where every resident can live a full, stable, and healthy life.

Closing

As we move forward, I want to leave you with this.

Our strength lives in the people of Hennepin County and Minnesota — in helping hands, advocating voices, neighbors protecting neighbors, and most importantly in our shared humanity and love for one another.

Our collective strength lives in how we show up for one another, support each other through change, stay connected, and serve.

County staff, partners, leaders, residents and neighbors all play a vital role in shaping a safe, welcoming and vibrant Hennepin County.

As new challenges emerge, we will respond with resilience, adapt with care, and protect the services our residents depend on. This is what strong and connected communities do.

Community informs our decisions. Community inspires our work. And our community is what will carry us confidently into the future.

The challenges are real, and the work is demanding — and thanks to each of you, the state of Hennepin County remains strong.

Collectively, we are strong because you invest in us through property taxes, because you hold us accountable, and because you partner with us to make our community better for everyone.

We will keep meeting the mandate, and we will keep meeting the moment.

Thank you for your commitment, your partnership, and for being an essential part of our Hennepin County community.

Let us move forward together – grounded in, inspired by, and united for

the power of community.

THANK YOU, and please join me in welcoming Known MPLS one more time!

Exit stage for Known MPLS’ performance.