At its May 14 meeting, the council took the first step toward outsourcing a function currently handled by seven city employees. City Manager Scott Neil will spend the coming weeks working with Hennepin County to hammer out the details of the transition. The council plans to vote on the final agreement on June 2.

Property assessment — determining the estimated market value of homes and businesses, classifying properties, maintaining records, and handling appeals — is a core municipal service. Edina is one of only eight Hennepin County cities that still runs its own assessing division. Most other county municipalities, including Minneapolis, Bloomington, and Eden Prairie, already rely on the county for this work. Maple Grove is also exploring a similar transition.

City leaders framed the proposal as a cost-cutting measure aimed at reducing the property tax burden on residents. Financial projections show the city would save approximately $500,000 in 2026 and $1 million annually starting in 2027 by consolidating with the county's existing operation.

The exact details of how the transition would work — including what happens to the seven current city assessors and how smoothly the handoff would occur — remain to be determined through negotiations. The council's action Wednesday was simply to authorize staff to begin those discussions in earnest. Residents and council members will have another opportunity to weigh in when the final agreement comes back for a vote next month.