The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners met on August 25, 2026, at 9:03 a.m. in the Council Chambers of the Courthouse. The meeting focused on the presentation of the 2027 Supplemental Budget and Performance Measures by County Manager Ling Becker. The board also approved the agenda and minutes from August 18, 2026. No public comments were heard; the first public hearing is scheduled for September 10, 2026. The meeting adjourned at 10:48 a.m., followed by a board workshop on the projected impact of 2027 taxes.
I'd like to call to order the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners Roll Call, please. Jeffin Sain. Here. Maguire. Here. McMurtry. Here. Miller. Here. Moran. Here. Zhang. Here. And Ortega. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Every community owes its existence and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life. And some have lived on this land since time immemorial. Truth and acknowledgment are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage and difference. We pay respects to their elders, past and present. Okay. Thanks. All right. Good morning, Mr. Chair, members of the board. My name is Ling Becker, and I have the honor to serve as the Ramsey County Manager. I'm going to present the 2027 supplemental budget today for your consideration. As we begin this year's budget conversation, I want to start by acknowledging what we have been through as an organization, and more importantly, thank the people who have carried it carried us through it. Our dedicated employees have remained deeply committed to the work and to the people we serve. Even as we have navigated uncertainty, change, and circumstances well beyond our control. Through it all, federal actions, federal shutdown, Operation Metro Surge, and recent encampment responses, our focus as a county has remained steady, maintaining continuity of services, being responsible stewards of public resources, and showing up for our community when it matters the most. Much of the work of county government happens behind the scenes, but its impact is felt every day. It is felt when a family can access critical services that they need. It is felt when our employees answer nearly a million 911 calls a year. When we plow and ensure the safety of nearly 300 miles of county roads, when we serve nearly 10,000 residents a month at our service centers across the county, connecting people to essential services during some of life's most difficult moments. Ramsey County employees show up every day with dedication, creativity, and a deep commitment to serving residents, businesses, and our partners. That context matters in this budget. The decisions before us are not simply about numbers on a page. They are about sustaining services people depend on, supporting the workforce that delivers them, and making thoughtful choices in an environment where many of the pressures that we face are out of our control. We have been asked to adapt before, and we have. As we look ahead, our responsibility is to build on that resilience, protecting what matters most, being clear-eyed about the challenges before us, and positioning the county to continue to serve our community with strength and stability. Ramsey County has more than 20 years of biannual budget experience. That experience gives us an established framework for looking beyond a single year and making thoughtful, longer-term decisions about our resources and the services our community depends on. We are navigating structural cost shifts and significant state and federal funding uncertainty, rising costs for mandated services, and growing pressure on property taxpayers. These are not one-year challenges, and they cannot be solved with one-year fixes. A biennial approach focuses us on looking beyond the simple balancing the next budget.