What kinds of state funding does Blue Earth County receive?
Since nearly one-third of county budgets are funded by state dollars, counties across the state will be required to make difficult local decisions because of funding decisions made by the state legislature. Cuts will arrive on the doorstep of county government through one or more of the following ways: 1. Reduction in County Program Aid Beginning with aid paid in 2004, County Program Aid replaced HACA and other aids such as Criminal Justice Aid and Family Preservation Aid. HACA was often used to facilitate changes made by the legislature. County Program Aid is a general purpose aid that consists of three components: County Need Aid, County Tax Base Equalization Aid, and County Transition Aid. Blue Earth County’s total Program Aid in 2005 was $2,650,319. County Need Aid is distributed based on households receiving food stamps, population weighted percent of people 65 and older, and part I crimes. Blue Earth County’s 2005 share was $1,046,037. County Tax Bas Equalization Aid is apportion
