Minnesota counties are objecting to pay the Department of Human Services (DHS) a total of $9 million following the department issuing a letter to all counties explaining they will begin to see monthly invoices starting this month because of its accounting mistakes.
Some of the largest counties are required to pay the largest fees. Hennepin County owes $2.1 million, Ramsey and St. Louis counties both owe $629,000 and Dakota County was billed $423,000.
The DHS made critical errors in billing counties for federal chemical dependency programs the DHS provided. The department underbilled the counties and is billing them for the deference.
Many politicians appeared before DHS officials and legislatures during a Minnesota House Committee to express their frustrations with the department’s actions, including Rep. Tony Albright (R-Twin Cities).
“How would you respond to counties saying it wasn’t our fault that you overspent money, and you’re making us to double down and take more money out of our county taxpayers,” Albright said during the Committee meeting.
Other legislators are trying to determine alternate solutions for the DHS to collect its money. Rep. Mohamud Noor (D-Twin Cities) suggested the state should pay due to Minnesota expecting a $1.3 billion surplus.
“If the counties are unable to pay, we have to come back with a structure to help the counties pay,” Noor said.
Noor believes the current plan will cause more budget cuts to programs benefiting a million Minnesota residents.
Gov. Tim Walz is additionally working with the Legislature to figure out how to support the counties affected by the billing errors, as mentioned in a statement.
WCCO 4 reported that the DHS also fined the White Earth Band and Leech Lake Nations Native American tribes $29 million for drug addiction programs DHS overpaid. Both tribes are currently unable to afford their payments.
The DHS said that the counties and tribes are required by law to pay their dues.
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