State Auditor Julie Blaha Releases 2026 County Budgets Summary Report - March 20, 2026

Contact: Nadine Kottom-Dale | 612-391-7000

State Auditor Julie Blaha Releases 2026 County Budgets Summary Report

“This report gives Minnesotans a look at how counties are planning to use public resources,” said State Auditor Julie Blaha.

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, State Auditor Julie Blaha released the 2026 Minnesota County Summary Budgets Report. The 2026 county budgets, adopted in 2025, provide insight into county priorities and financial planning for the upcoming year. This report presents 2026 summary budget data alongside revised 2025 budget data, offering a comparative view of county plans across two consecutive years.

“County budgets represent the day-to-day operations and work of local government,” Auditor Blaha said. “It’s a snapshot into county priorities every year.”

Overall, county budgets show decreases in both total governmental fund revenues and expenditures. Total revenue budgets are slated to decrease one percent, while total expenditure budgets decrease four percent. On the revenue side, a seven percent increase in property taxes helped offset a 13 percent decrease in federal grants and a three percent decrease in state aid. On the expenditure side, the decrease is driven by significant reductions in capital outlays, including an 18% decrease in streets and highways capital spending and a 38% decrease in all other capital outlays.

The data reflects unaudited budgeted revenues and expenditures reported by counties to the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) in January. The report should be used as a tool to review county budget decisions and planning trends. Since budgets are financial plans rather than actual outcomes, the OSA recommends referring to the Minnesota County Finances report for audited financial data.

The data provides insight into how counties fund core services and prepare for future development through capital projects and debt service planning. Counties only report budget information for funds that have an annual budget. It excludes funds like Enterprise Funds, such as county-run hospitals or nursing homes, which can significantly affect the overall financial overview.

View the 2026 County Budgets summary on the OSA website.