Hennepin County Taxpayer Watchdog

Minnesota 2020’s Highbrow Critique of the Golden Fire Hydrant

Earlier this month I presented a Golden Hydrant Award to the Property Tax Study Project through which the county uses taxpayer dollars each year to lobby for higher taxes on those same taxpayers. The Project is essentially a contract with one individual, Jeff Van Wychen, who is a fellow with the progressive think tank Minnesota 2020 (founded by DFL gubernatorial candidate Matt Entenza).

Recently, John Van Hecke, Minnesota 2020’s Executive Director, posted a critique of my post:

When a research study reveals a disconcerting truth, readers can challenge and refute the report’s findings or they can fallaciously attack it. I’m always disappointed when an elected official chooses the latter course. I’m especially disappointed when a leader tips into vulgar pandering.

Hennepin County Commissioner and conservative public policy activist Jeff Johnson regularly strides into divisive territory, advancing a conservative policy vision by attacking the public, operational expression of community values. “Hennepin County Taxpayer Watchdog,” Johnson’s campaign blog that appears to be a regular element of his official communications strategy, periodically bestows “the Golden Fire Hydrant” award on whomever he feels is most at odds with his conservative worldview, or at least as it relates to Hennepin County and Minnesota.

That’s fine. Really. Strongly expressed public opinions are essential to our democracy. I’d rather Commissioner Johnson share his views than keep them to himself. He is being, in this regard, a responsible elected official and a good citizen.

Closer reading, however, raises an uncomfortable question. Does he really need to pander in order to advocate his conservative public policy agenda?

First, the “watchdog/fire hydrant metaphor.” Commissioner Johnson wishes us to understand that the responsible exercise and delivery of community services is equivalent to a dog urinating on a fire hydrant.

Actually, no. I believe the irresponsible exercise and delivery of community services is equivalent to a dog urinating on a fire hydrant. That’s the whole point of my silly little award (and I’ll be the first to admit that it’s nothing more than a silly little award). Read more…

Board Unanimously Requires Pay-for-Performance Contracts

The County Board last week unanimously passed a resolution I proposed which will require the county’s Human Services Department and Corrections Department to more widely use pay-for-performance contracts with hundreds of county vendors.In essence, this means that many of the organizations hired by the county to provide services will be paid based upon their ability to prove they have achieved measurable, long-term changes for the people they serve. In my opinion, this constitutes basic accountability in government spending.

The county has been using pay-for-performance contracts with select vendors for the past several years. It is not, however, a widespread practice. Many of our contracts are based solely on “outputs” - how many people a particular vendor served. Read more…

 On Tuesday, the Hennepin County Board voted 6 - 1 (I was the “no” vote) to set our maximum property tax levy increase for 2010 at 4.95%.  This means that when we set our 2010 budget later in the year, we can increase the levy by 4.95% or less, but we cannot go over that amount.  In the recent past, the final level has been set at or very near the maximum level nearly every year.  I would expect this year will be the same. Read more…

Golden Hydrant goes to Property Tax Study Project

The latest Golden Fire Hydrant award goes to the Property Tax Study Project, an endeavor Hennepin County has funded on and off for the past decade.

Bottom line (and pardon my crudeness): Government is giving the finger to the taxpayers of Hennepin County as it spends taxpayer money to lobby the legislature for increased taxes on those same taxpayers. Read more…