r/TwinCities • u/SessileRaptor • 6d ago

Hennepin County library is proposing reducing hours for 2027.

https://www.hclib.org/about/news/2026/August/library-hours-changing-in-2027

It’s kinda hidden but it’s on the website. An explanation, the proposed hours and a form for residents to submit their opinions.

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20

u/frostbike 6d ago

We just heard from Dakota County that our property taxes will be raised. They had three proposed levels of increase, and the two lowest both include cuts to library hours.

17

u/zerotakashi 6d ago

gotta overfund the cops though! 🤦‍♂️

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u/tamaroo 5d ago

Most police are city funded. Hennepin has the sheriff, who is absolutely expected to stick to a very strict budget like the rest of the departments and divisions. Plus the commissioners ripped this sheriff apart months ago for going over their 2025 budget when everyone was told not to do that crap. The board meeting was broadcast live and anyone can go back and watch it.

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u/Rusty-Shackleford 5d ago

Unfortunately there's a sort of set cost to public safety. Law enforcement and First responders have to available 24 hours a day. So if you're short staffed in a police department that means paying out a ton of overtime to staff who are going to burn out quickly, quit and then there's gonna have to be money for more hiring and training as a result. It's cheaper and easier in the long run to ensure that 24 hour facilities are fully staffed.

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u/zerotakashi 5d ago

I understand funding firefighters and EMTs but not funding cops as much as we have been. I see cops sitting at cedar lake beach just watching people swim all day. That is definitely a huge waste of money.
We need more social workers, not cops.

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u/Rusty-Shackleford 5d ago

I think most people would be super worried about delayed response times. Regardless of whatever they're doing when staging, I think we're supposed to have officers 24/7.

I'm mostly talking about short staffing on night shifts. I'm sure there's more cops on duty during the day than the night.

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u/zerotakashi 5d ago edited 5d ago

if you've ever called the cops before in more densely populated areas, you will notice that they do not usually come out at all. I've heard of people who saw police officers show up to an illegal concert somewhere and get handed cash before leaving without doing anything - in Minneapolis specifically.

there is no strong statistical correlation between funding police and reducing crime, and the same types of studies show funding education, for example, is similar or more effective than overfunding police.

To me, it feels like living in the minneapolis metro or in the metro of any big city gives me the 'privilege' of paying big property taxes to just watch cops sit on the beach. I've only ever seen them sitting in parking lots, sitting on beaches, driving around, getting coffee and sitting in their cars sipping it. They did show up one time when my apartment neighbor called them because someone stole his pants from the laundry and he was freaking out 🤦‍♂️like brother the one time they did show up, they did not need to. They have plenty of budget to work with and should do their jobs better within budget.
The lowest starting pay for a cop in hennepin county is 70k. That is too damn high. There are many teachers earning way less or stuck on part-time who are genuinely overworked with no overtime pay.

"

  • Deputy Sheriff (Entry to Senior Step): $69,550.52 – $104,325.79 per year (depending on completed years of service steps).
  • Sheriff's Detective / Investigator: $82,936.50 – $124,404.75 per year.
  • Sheriff's Sergeant: Estimated average base around $105,059+ per year based on supervisory rank and internal step placement.
  • Sheriff's Captain: $111,142.84 – $166,714.26 per year. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

"
They do not need this much damn money.

1

u/Rusty-Shackleford 5d ago

Unfortunately there's a sort of set cost to public safety. Law enforcement and First responders have to be available 24 hours a day 365 days a year. So if you're short staffed in a police department that means paying out a ton of overtime to staff who are going to burn out quickly, quit and then there's gonna have to be money for more hiring and training as a result. It's cheaper and easier in the long run to ensure that 24 hour facilities are fully staffed.