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Irene Fernando

@hennepind2.com
142 followers 10 following 238 posts

She/her. Learner. Listener. Solutions creator. @hennepin.bsky.social Board Chair. Commissioner for District 2.

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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 29/09/2026
Today, the @hennepin.bsky.social County Board set the 2027 maximum levy at 8.15%. I was proud to vote for it. All year, this Board set clear direction to protect democracy, public services, and our most vulnerable neighbors. This budget meets that direction. www.hennepind2.com/statements/2...
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 28/09/2026
The Green Line Extension opens June 12, 2027. I follow a long line of @hennepin.bsky.social County Chairs who pushed this project forward. I’m a lifelong transit user. When my family was new to the country, they relied on transit to get everywhere we needed to go. Transit was our lifeline.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 24/09/2026
September is National Workforce Development Month. At our September 15 @hennepin.bsky.social Board Meeting, I recognized the county programs doing this work and the people behind them. When we invest in the workforce, we invest in people.
Purple graphic labeled Commissioner Communication, Hennepin County Board, dated September 15, 2026. Eyebrow: September is National Workforce Development Month. Headline: "When we invest in the workforce," with "we invest in people." highlighted in green. Below: creating lasting impact that endures beyond any single program or budget cycle. Then: meaningful careers, a vibrant and diverse talent ecosystem, statewide opportunity and economic prosperity. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, Workforce Development, hennepincounty.gov.Purple graphic labeled Commissioner Communication, Hennepin County Board, dated September 15, 2026. Eyebrow: Department of Workforce Development, July 2025 to June 2026. Headline: "Develop. Support. Employ." Three tiles: Develop, 12,234 residents served across state, federal, and county funded programs, up 16.5% over the year before. Support, $22.6M in total contract spending in our communities, with 77 community providers. Employ, 849 residents placed in employment in high-demand industries. Below: employment coaching, one-on-one mentoring, job training, education, and wraparound supports. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, Workforce Development, hennepincounty.gov.Purple graphic labeled Commissioner Communication, Hennepin County Board, dated September 15, 2026. Eyebrow: for the 849 residents placed in employment. Large text reads "$21.43" above "median hourly wage." Below: for residents who were already working when they started, wages rose by an average of $9.64 an hour, highlighted in green, by the time they finished the program. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, Workforce Development, hennepincounty.gov.Purple graphic labeled Commissioner Communication, Hennepin County Board, dated September 15, 2026. Headline: the county is committed to reducing and eliminating income and employment disparities. Under "Upcoming events," three tiles: Tuesday, September 29, "Investing in People" panel, on what it takes to build a thriving community by leveraging workforce development strategies. Thursday, November 19, Hennepin GO Expo, public-sector careers for young people, in-demand roles, green careers, and gateway jobs that offer a livable wage. Ongoing, career fairs and events, career, training, and resource fairs hosted across the county throughout the year. A green banner reads: Resources, CareerForce.MN.Gov, Minnesota's official career exploration and job search resource. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, Workforce Development, hennepincounty.gov.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 23/09/2026
I sent a letter to the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation on the 2027 property tax levies. About 100,000 of my constituents live in Minneapolis. They get one tax bill based on all of our decisions. Read the letter: www.hennepind2.com/statements/2... 1/7
Purple graphic labeled Letter, to the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation, dated September 22, 2026. Headline: "My four specific asks," with "four" highlighted in green. Four white rows, each with a date and topic. September 23, Parks: set the Park Board's maximum levy at its full 5.86% request; 40-plus residents testified for parks at the BET's hearing, and the $3.1 million gap from the 2.5% placeholder equals 26 positions and full recreation center hours. October 14, TIF: present numerical analysis on how Minneapolis TIF decisions affect all local levies; captured value is subtracted from the taxable base that Minneapolis Public Schools, the City, and Hennepin County all levy against, so every dollar captured raises the rate paid by everyone else. October, Shelter: prioritize a larger, ongoing contribution from the City levy toward shelter and homelessness response; in 2025, City property taxes provided $400,000 for street outreach and $0 in ongoing funding for shelter operations, and County property taxes provided $14.4 million for the homeless crisis response system. September 28 and December 10, Overtime: study and manage law enforcement overtime costs, don't just budget for them; I ask that MPD present its overtime review on September 28, and that the Mayor file an overtime management plan before markup on December 10. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, "Read the full letter, hennepinD2.com/statements."Purple graphic labeled Letter, to the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation, dated September 22, 2026. Headline: "Your household gets one tax bill," with "one tax bill" highlighted in green. Below: in 2027, Minneapolis homeowners would pay over $540 more in property taxes on the median-value home under the proposed City and County levies. A bar labeled "Where the increase comes from" shows over 75% from the City of Minneapolis in orange and under 25% from Hennepin County in white. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, "Read the full letter, hennepinD2.com/statements."Purple graphic labeled Letter, to the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation, dated September 22, 2026. Headline: "I am concerned about asking residents for so much more while cutting the very services they are asking us to protect," with "cutting the very services" highlighted in green. Under "Residents are demanding we protect," eight tiles: libraries, elections, HCMC, health services, transit, climate, human services, and parks. Closing line: the City's proposal includes reduced services and layoffs, affecting neighbors who may then need additional County services. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, "Read the full letter, hennepinD2.com/statements."Purple graphic with a photo of Commissioner Irene Fernando speaking, labeled Letter, to the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation, dated September 22, 2026. Quote: "Taxes are the government word for revenue, and a levy is not just a number on a spreadsheet," with the second half highlighted in green, attributed to Commissioner Irene Fernando, PhD. Under "Levies fund," a list: teachers, snowplow drivers, social workers, libraries, emergency response, and more. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, "Read the full letter, hennepinD2.com/statements."
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 26/08/2026
Yesterday, meeting as the Resident Services Committee, the Hennepin County Board unanimously affirmed our commitment to free and fair elections. We reaffirmed our oaths, and directed county leadership to oppose unlawful requests for elections data. 🧵
Purple graphic labeled Board Action, Resident Services Committee, top left; Passed Unanimously, August 25, 2026, top right. Eyebrow: The Mail · The Courts · The Polling Place. Headline: "The attacks on democracy have not stopped." Below, highlighted in green: "We haven't stopped defending democracy." Body text: the Hennepin County Board affirmed our commitment to ensuring free and fair elections — reaffirming our oaths and directing county leadership to oppose any unlawful requests for elections data. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, Board Action Request 26-0316, hennepinD2.com.Purple graphic labeled Board Action, Resident Services Committee, top left; Passed Unanimously, August 25, 2026, top right. Eyebrow: At the Polls · August 11, 2026. Large text: "100 feet." Below: "That's Minnesota law." and, highlighted in green, "Hennepin County upheld it." Body text: the federal government asked to monitor inside our polling places; the county did not approve access, and on primary day federal monitors were asked to move away, several times, until they complied. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, Board Action Request 26-0316, hennepinD2.com.Purple graphic labeled Board Action, Resident Services Committee, top left; Passed Unanimously, August 25, 2026, top right, headed "In the Mail and in the Courts." July 2: Hennepin County opposed a federal rule that would let the Postal Service decide whether mail ballots are delivered. August 2: Hennepin County asked the U.S. Supreme Court to keep blocking the federal order creating a national voter list. Closing line: two federal attempts to control how states run elections, with "Hennepin County opposed both" highlighted in green. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, Board Action Request 26-0316, hennepinD2.com.Purple graphic with a photo of Commissioner Irene Fernando speaking, labeled Board Action, Resident Services Committee, top left; Passed Unanimously, August 25, 2026, top right. Quote: "By statute, Hennepin County administers fair, accurate, and impartial elections. By choice, we go further—strengthening access, education, and confidence so every voter can participate with trust in the process," with the closing phrase highlighted in green. Attributed to Commissioner Irene Fernando, 2026 State of the County. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, Board Action Request 26-0316, hennepinD2.com.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 14/08/2026
For months, the federal government withheld evidence about what happened to Renee Good, Julio Sosa-Celis, and Alex Pretti — from state investigators, from their families, and from a community that refused to look away. We kept demanding answers. 🧵 Read: www.hennepind2.com/statements/2...
Statement graphic titled "On the Evidence the Federal Government Could No Longer Hide," dated August 13, 2026. Under "What We Know": May 18, the Hennepin County Attorney charged the ICE agent who shot Julio Sosa-Celis with four counts of assault and falsely reporting a crime; June 22, a federal judge quashed the DOJ subpoenas issued to Hennepin County and others during Operation Metro Surge; July 13, the County Attorney, BCA, and MN AG obtained the evidence withheld since January, including hard drives and Renee Good's car. Highlighted: "We will not stop until the full truth is told." Under "What Has Not Changed": August 4, DHS purchased the Appleton prison for $495.6 million, the first dedicated immigrant detention facility in Minnesota's history. Closing, partly highlighted: "We will not accept a detention economy in our state, and we will not let this administration strip us of our empathy or our shared humanity." Footer: Irene Fernando logo, "Read the full statement, hennepinD2.com/statements."Statement graphic on purple background, dated August 13, 2026. Eyebrow text: "The first dedicated immigrant detention facility in Minnesota's history." Headline: "We will not accept a detention economy in our state." Large text reads "1,600 beds. In a town of 1,400 people." Three stats below: $495.6M, paid by DHS on August 4 for the Appleton prison, empty for 16 years; 3 hours, from the Twin Cities, far from families, counsel, and oversight; $75M/yr, expected by the private operator, at full capacity by mid-2027. Closing text: "A federal administration that dehumanizes and weaponizes immigrants is capitalizing on kidnapping our neighbors and separating our families, and it has now built a business model that requires a steady supply of human beings to fill those beds." Footer: Irene Fernando logo, "Read the full statement, hennepinD2.com/statements."Statement graphic on purple background with a photo of Commissioner Irene Fernando speaking, dated August 13, 2026. Quote reads: "Each new killing, each new facility, is designed to exhaust us into looking away. But it is through the collective wisdom in our bodies and ancestral storylines that we will stay awake to this harm and carry one another through to the other side." Attributed to Commissioner Irene Fernando. Footer: Irene Fernando logo, "Read the full statement, hennepinD2.com/statements."Statement graphic on purple background, dated August 13, 2026. Headline: "Local government is a last line of defense for our residents." Below: "If you are concerned for your safety, help is available," with "concerned for your safety" highlighted in green. A tile reads "Adult Representation Services, for Hennepin County residents in fear of their safety and needing legal representation," with the phone number 612-348-7012 highlighted in green. Below that: "Community organizations and more resources in the full statement." Footer: Irene Fernando logo, "Read the full statement, hennepinD2.com/statements."
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 11/08/2026
Today is the Primary Election. Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Here is what you need to know to vote. Find your polling place and see a sample ballot for your precinct at pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us. 🧵
Voter information graphic from Commissioner Irene Fernando, Hennepin County District 2, on navy blue background with green accents. Text reads "Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m." for the Primary Election, Tuesday, August 11, 2026. A highlighted box reads "Find where you vote: pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us." Three cards below answer: "Not registered?" — you can register at your polling place today with proof of residence, a Minnesota ID with current address or a photo ID plus an address document; "Have an absentee ballot you haven't turned in?" — return it to the office that sent it, during their office hours, by 5 p.m. today, not at a polling place; "Need assistance?" — help is available at the polls, including bringing someone to help, asking election staff, using a marking machine, or voting from your car. Footer: Hennepin County Elections, 612-348-5151, hennepincounty.gov/elections.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 10/08/2026
Community is the heartbeat of Hennepin County's purpose and mission. It steadies us in hardship and inspires us toward possibility. For me, investing in my own community has always been personal. 🧵
: Eight Years of Results graphic on direct investment in District 2. Text lists a $3M Community Asset Transition Fund, a $75K food desert study, $600K for Shiloh Cares food access, an $87M NorthPoint expansion, Marshall Street NE transit expansion, and the Lowry Avenue NE reconstruction.Eight Years of Results graphic on presence and engagement. Text notes the commissioner spent 160-plus hours in District 2 and across the county in 2025, attended 93-plus community events, and voted on 600-plus resolutions — showing up in person, not just at the Government Center.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 07/08/2026
At the heart of Hennepin County's important work is our incredible and vibrant workforce. They're the people behind every public good we deliver, and strong public goods create strong communities. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic on paid parental leave for county employees. Text shows leave tripled in two years — from 3 weeks to 6 to 12 — doubled and then doubled again.Eight Years of Results graphic on the county workforce. Text notes more than 9,000 Hennepin County employees work across 104 service locations to serve 1.3 million residents, that the county earned 34 national awards in 2024, and highlights Employee Resource Groups.Eight Years of Results graphic titled “What it’s actually like to work here.” Text describes student loan repayment assistance, a Total Rewards program with training and tuition reimbursement, and workplace protections including expanded gender identity and expression protections.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 06/08/2026
People ask me: "Dr. Commish, you say light rail increases the tax base. But what does the math say?" Here's what a century of disinvestment looks like in dollars: West Broadway generates about $48 million in property value per mile. 50th and France generates nearly nine times more. 🧵
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 05/08/2026
Yesterday, @hennepin.bsky.social County committed $2.254 billion to the METRO Blue Line Extension. The largest single investment in public transit in Minnesota history, and I enthusiastically voted yes. Strong public goods create strong communities. 🧵 www.hennepind2.com/statements/2...
Graphic. Hennepin County Board Action. Hennepin County just committed $2.254 billion to build the METRO Blue Line Extension — the largest single investment in public transit in Minnesota history. Commissioner Irene Fernando, Hennepin County Board Chair, District 2.Graphic. Hennepin County Board Action. Who this train is for. 83,000 residents live within a half mile of these stations: 60% are residents of color, 37% are low income. An icon row shows half of expected riders come from households with zero cars. Text reads: "They are not choosing transit. They are counting on it." Commissioner Irene Fernando, Hennepin County Board Chair, District 2.Graphic. Hennepin County Board Action. Headline: "The tax base is shifting onto homeowners. Building a new and bigger one is how we push back." Three data points, each with a small chart: downtown commercial values are falling 35%, shown as five building icons with their top third left unfilled to represent lost value. The homeowner share of Minneapolis property taxes rose from 47% to 56%, shown as a line graph crossing above the 50% halfway mark between 2020 and 2025. Development near light rail produces $186 million a year in increased funding for public services, split as $65 million to cities, $55 million to the county, $55 million to schools, and $11 million to other recipients, shown as four proportional bars. Commissioner Irene Fernando, Hennepin County Board Chair, District 2.Graphic. Hennepin County Board Action. "We did not quit." A timeline on a rail-track design shows: 2020 to 2021, the project enters a new phase and nearly 18,000 conversations with residents begin. 2022, a new and stronger route is accepted. 2023, Hennepin County unanimously approves $75 million to keep work moving. 2024, every corridor city votes yes: Minneapolis, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and Brooklyn Park. 2025, the federal government signs off on the final environmental review. 2026, Hennepin County commits $2.254 billion. Commissioner Irene Fernando, Hennepin County Board Chair, District 2.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 05/08/2026
Before I was a Commissioner, I co-founded a youth leadership nonprofit and earned a Master's in Youth Development Leadership. That's why I'm proud to have led the Board toward opening a new Youth Stabilization Center in December 2025, for youth in crisis who cannot safely stay home. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic on a youth stabilization center opened December 2025. Text notes a $15 million capital plus $7 million operational investment, built in just 13 months at Hennepin’s Behavioral Health Center to serve youth in crisis who cannot safely stay home.Eight Years of Results graphic on mental health in schools. Text notes 7,000 K-12 students received mental healthcare directly in 220 schools in 2025 from 230 licensed therapists, plus the Be at School program (8,656 referrals) and Let’s Read literacy tutoring (1,850 students).Eight Years of Results graphic on youth employment pathways. Text notes Hennepin partners with Step-Up, BrookLynk, and Urban Scholars to connect young people 14 and older to paid internships and real jobs, serving 2,909 youth in 2025.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 04/08/2026
Strong businesses and a skilled workforce go hand in hand. Elevate Hennepin launched in 2020 with 11 graduates in one cohort. Today, it's served 4,600 business owners — 68% led by entrepreneurs of color. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic on Elevate Hennepin, the county’s small-business support system. Text notes it launched in 2020 with 11 graduates in one cohort and has since served 4,600 business owners — 68% led by entrepreneurs of color — with over $50 million in financing accessed.Eight Years of Results graphic explaining Elevate Hennepin. Text describes it as the county’s small-business and entrepreneur support system offering free coaching, training, and access to capital.Eight Years of Results graphic on the Pathways workforce program. Text notes it has hired more than 430 graduates into permanent county positions since 2013, with an 89% retention rate.Eight Years of Results graphic on workforce outcomes. Text notes 14,314 residents served in 2025 across all county workforce development programs, 913 people placed in full-time unsubsidized employment, and 2,909 youth served through career pathways.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 03/08/2026
People ask me: "Dr. Commish, you say rail brings investment — but what does that mean for me?" Tax is the government word for revenue. Taxes are how we deliver services and respond to crises. BUT the way governments talk about taxes is not how you experience them. 🧵
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 31/07/2026
The right response to a crisis isn’t always a police car. We built a different kind of first responder into the 911 system itself — and it now serves every city in the county. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic explaining the Embedded Social Worker model. Text describes an ESW as a trained mental health professional working directly alongside 911 dispatch and law enforcement — a different kind of first responder.: Eight Years of Results graphic showing the growth of the Embedded Social Worker program. A timeline notes it began in 2019 as a pilot with one social worker in Plymouth’s 911 dispatch, expanded to 12 more communities by 2021, reached every city in Hennepin County by 2023, and grew to MSP Airport and Minneapolis 911 in 2026.Eight Years of Results graphic on Embedded Social Worker outcomes. Text notes 96% of residents who received an ESW response stayed in their communities rather than being taken to jail or the hospital, 8,700 referrals in 2026, and an 80% reduction in 911 calls among Brooklyn Park’s top 25 callers.Eight Years of Results graphic on gun violence prevention. Text notes a $5 million investment in a holistic, root-cause approach, advocacy for stronger straw-purchase penalties at the state level, and expungement clinics that served more than 600 people in 2024.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 30/07/2026
All people should be able to receive services in ways that recognize and uplift their humanity. That's why I authored the Gender-Affirming Board Action, affirming the gender identity and expression of every resident, worker, and client we serve. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic titled “Built into how Hennepin governs” on gender justice. Text lists actions the commissioner authored: a gender-affirming Board action, a $500K reproductive and gender-affirming care fund, formal recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance, and all-gender restrooms required in every future county building.Eight Years of Results graphic on declaring Hennepin a Safe County. Text notes the commissioner authored the November 2024 resolution, passed by the full Board, declaring Hennepin a Safe County for the transgender, gender nonconforming, and LGBTQIA+ community and reaffirming protection of every resident’s gender identity and expression.Eight Years of Results graphic on a $500K annual investment since 2022 in reproductive justice and gender-affirming care. Text notes Hennepin lobbied for the Protect Reproductive Options Act and the Conversion Therapy Ban, and that Minnesota now sees a 172% increase in out-of-state patients seeking care with zero people on the waitlist.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 29/07/2026
Hennepin County is dedicated to eliminating racial disparities — not just managing them. That distinction is the whole of my equity work: build the systems and the policies that will close gaps. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic titled “Building the foundation” on racial equity. Text lists foundational actions: created a Racial Equity Advisory Council, declared racism a public health crisis, disavowed racial covenants, and made Juneteenth a permanent county holiday — addressing systems, not just outcomes.Eight Years of Results graphic on a $75 million investment to eliminate disparities. Text lists a $3M Community Asset Transition Fund in North Minneapolis, a $300K Anti-Racism Initiative with deep community engagement, and a guaranteed-income pilot for 200 families over 15 months.Eight Years of Results graphic titled “Eliminating racial disparities — not managing them.” Text frames the county’s shift from reducing disparities to eliminating them, building systems and policy to close gaps.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 28/07/2026
A democracy is strongest when every person is heard, valued, and included. That belief shapes how we invest, the initiatives that we fund, and what we fought for at the legislature. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic on voter registration. Text notes 34,000 new voters registered in 2024, built on $320K invested in the 2020 Census (79.6% response) and $1.3 million for voter access in 2021, contributing to 76% turnout in Minnesota in 2024 — among the highest in the nation.Eight Years of Results graphic titled “From the legislature to the ballot box — we made it happen.” Text lists democracy wins: Restore the Vote implemented, automatic voter registration implemented, $1.3 million for voter access in 2021, and civic education added to every classroom.Eight Years of Results graphic on a Code of Conduct for elected officials. Text notes the commissioner drafted and passed it in 2022 — first in county history — creating a real process for the Board to respond to misconduct, since elected officials can’t be fired or have pay docked.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 27/07/2026
People ask me: “Dr. Commish, you keep saying the Blue Line will change the trajectory of what’s possible. But what does that actually mean?” Let me start with two terms: investment and tax base. 🧵
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 24/07/2026
As a daughter of immigrants, defending residents regardless of where they were born is personal for me. That shows up in how the county runs, and in the laws I've fought to change. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic titled “Building county infrastructure for immigrant residents.” Text describes an Immigration Legal Defense Fund, funded every year and now permanent in the county budget, providing universal representation regardless of a case’s merits, plus Northside service access — legal help and basic services regardless of immigration status.Eight Years of Results graphic titled “As a daughter of immigrants.” Text lists state legislative wins the commissioner championed: Driver’s Licenses for All, now state law, and expanded MinnesotaCare extending health coverage to undocumented Minnesotans.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 23/07/2026
Survivors deserve systems they can trust — whether or not they have taken formal steps within those systems. That belief drives how I govern on domestic and gender-based violence: prevention, accountability, and real support. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic on domestic violence. Text notes the commissioner, with Commissioner Conley, authored and passed a resolution directing county staff to produce a report outlining Hennepin’s current domestic-violence services and long-term prevention strategies — long-term strategies, not just reaction.Eight Years of Results graphic on Adult Representation Services. Text notes a 200% increase in residents receiving support through the county’s free legal representation program in 2024, after it was explicitly expanded to reach domestic-violence survivors.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 22/07/2026
Hennepin led on climate before others did — with equity at the center of every action. Cleaner air, resilient infrastructure, and solutions that reach the communities environmental harm hits first. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic on tree planting. Text notes that since 2020 the county has planted 576,000 trees — including 32,000 bareroot trees in 2024 — toward a goal of 1 million by 2030, backed by $12 million in Emerald Ash Borer grants and $500,000 in annual canopy grants.Eight Years of Results graphic on the county’s first-ever Climate Action Plan, adopted in 2021. Text notes it centers equity, targets net zero by 2050, and includes 5 goals and 29 strategies.Eight Years of Results graphic on HERC, the county’s waste-to-energy facility. Text describes the commissioner’s persistence to end burning at the HERC: Board actions that failed from 2019 to 2022, a first-ever unanimous 2023 resolution pushing for 2030 closure rather than 2040, and a responsible path to closure without trucking waste to other communities.Eight Years of Results graphic on household hazardous waste. Text notes 7.5 million pounds collected safely, reaching 143,788 households, through two facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park plus seasonal countywide collection events. Includes the line “Strong public goods create strong communities.”
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 21/07/2026
Transit is not just infrastructure — it is access to jobs, healthcare, education, and opportunity for the people who depend on it most. I advanced the Blue Line Extension from a stalled project with no viable route to a light rail line the community built and demanded. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic titled “The Blue Line is coming.” Text notes the light rail will connect North Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal, and Brooklyn Park to downtown Minneapolis, with unanimous municipal consent, 90% design complete (published May 2026), and federal environmental review complete.Eight Years of Results graphic titled “5 governments. All voted yes.” Text notes every corridor city — Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal, Brooklyn Park — and Hennepin County approved the Blue Line Extension, after the community found a new route through 46,000-plus conversations when the old route was no longer viable.Eight Years of Results graphic on the Blue Line’s anti-displacement commitment. Text states the project’s purpose is to benefit current residents and businesses, not displace them, citing 46,000-plus community conversations and $2 million through the Anti-Displacement Community Prosperity Program, the first community-led anti-displacement board in the nation.Eight Years of Results graphic titled “What’s at stake” on transit. Text frames the Blue Line as access to jobs, healthcare, education, and opportunity for the people who depend on it most.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 20/07/2026
Access to health services is a human right — not a privilege, and never something reserved for the fortunate or the few. When the region's only public safety-net hospital was at risk of closing, I led the fight to keep it open. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic explaining what HCMC is. Text describes Hennepin County Medical Center as the region’s only public safety-net hospital, serving more than 100,000 patients and providing Level I trauma care regardless of ability to pay.Eight Years of Results graphic titled “HCMC remains open.” Text notes that when closure was a real possibility under federal Medicaid cuts, the county led the fight to keep the hospital open, securing $205 million in immediate funding plus a $500 million state reserve.Eight Years of Results graphic on HCMC and federal Medicaid cuts. Text notes HCMC is the region’s only public safety-net hospital and that HR1 Medicaid cuts threaten $1.7 billion in revenue over the next decade; the county secured $205 million in immediate funding plus a $500 million state reserve to keep it open.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 17/07/2026
We keep homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring. That is not a slogan — it is a governing standard, and Hennepin is the only county in Minnesota that funds shelter operations to meet it. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic on family homelessness. Text notes that between January 2024 and the end of 2025, the number of families in emergency shelter dropped 62% — from 529 to under 200 — through investment to keep homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.Eight Years of Results graphic on affordable housing. Text describes the commissioner’s deeply affordable housing strategy launched in 2019, with 11,873 affordable units created or preserved through housing finance from 2018 to 2026, shown as a year-by-year bar chart.Eight Years of Results graphic showing “0 homeless veterans.” Text notes veteran homelessness was effectively ended in Hennepin County, federally certified in 2024, with a system that moves veterans from shelter to permanent housing in under 90 days on average.Eight Years of Results graphic titled “Record need. Record results.” on housing stability. Text notes $37 million invested in shelter operations in 2025 (the only Minnesota county to consistently fund this), 1,713 affordable rental units created or preserved, 446 families transitioned to permanent housing, and 93% of families who exited homelessness still stably housed.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 16/07/2026
The federal government didn't just come for our budgets. It came for our neighbors. When Operation Metro Surge brought a federal crackdown to Hennepin County, we met it with a plan. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic on constitutional values. Text states the Constitution asserts the right to due process for all people in the country, that Hennepin County governs from that principle, and that the law sets the floor while community sets the county’s ambition.Eight Years of Results graphic on Operation Reconnect. Text explains that when Operation Metro Surge brought a federal immigration crackdown to Hennepin County, the county made its property off-limits to ICE, expanded free legal services, sent $2 million in emergency rent assistance, and issued penalty waivers for small businesses in hardship.Eight Years of Results graphic on agreements with ICE. Text states that only the County Board can make agreements with ICE, that the county has not and will not, and that a sheriff’s powers are defined by state law and do not include entering cooperative agreements with the federal government.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 15/07/2026
People ask me: "Dr. Commish, won't the Blue Line displace me or push people out of my neighborhood?" This is a real concern. It's why the Blue Line Extension is the first transit project in the nation to build anti-displacement directly into the project itself. 🧵
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 14/07/2026
Counties are the caregivers of government. When Washington pulls back, we're what stands between a resident and the loss of their coverage, their food, their hospital. This is the work that doesn't make headlines — and it's more urgent now than ever. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic titled “The last line of defense.” Text explains that as the federal government cuts funding, local governments are the last line of defense for residents — protecting health coverage, food assistance, and county services.Eight Years of Results graphic showing $170 million protected. Text explains Hennepin County sued the federal government and won $170 million back in court, keeping services funded despite federal cuts.Eight Years of Results graphic on the county’s SNAP response. Text notes that when food assistance was disrupted for 110,000 Hennepin County residents, the county redirected $2 million to local food banks and food shelves.Eight Years of Results graphic on HCMC and federal Medicaid cuts. Text notes HCMC is the region’s only public safety-net hospital and that HR1 Medicaid cuts threaten $1.7 billion in revenue over the next decade; the county secured $205 million in immediate funding plus a $500 million state reserve to keep it open.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 13/07/2026
Our systems are not broken. They do not work for all of us because they were never designed for all of us. That's the lens that shapes how we govern. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic titled “Building the foundation” on racial equity. Text lists foundational actions: created a Racial Equity Advisory Council, declared racism a public health crisis, disavowed racial covenants, and made Juneteenth a permanent county holiday — addressing systems, not just outcomes.Eight Years of Results graphic on gun violence prevention. Text notes a $5 million investment in a holistic, root-cause approach, advocacy for stronger straw-purchase penalties at the state level, and expungement clinics that served more than 600 people in 2024.Eight Years of Results graphic on the Pathways workforce program. Text notes it has hired more than 430 graduates into permanent county positions since 2013, with an 89% retention rate.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 10/07/2026
Some of our biggest wins started as just one idea. Being good at governing isn't about having every answer — it's about building off each other, staying tied to community, and refusing to stop. 🧵
Eight Years of Results graphic showing the growth of the Embedded Social Worker program. A timeline notes it began in 2019 as a pilot with one social worker in Plymouth’s 911 dispatch, expanded to 12 more communities by 2021, reached every city in Hennepin County by 2023, and grew to MSP Airport and Minneapolis 911 in 2026.Eight Years of Results graphic on Elevate Hennepin, the county’s small-business support system. Text notes it launched in 2020 with 11 graduates in one cohort and has since served 4,600 business owners — 68% led by entrepreneurs of color — with over $50 million in financing accessed.Eight Years of Results graphic on paid parental leave for county employees. Text shows leave tripled in two years — from 3 weeks to 6 to 12 — doubled and then doubled again.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 09/07/2026
For the next several weeks, I'm sharing eight years of results from my time on the Hennepin County Board — the wins, the fights, and the work still ahead. I'm Irene Fernando, and you can call me Commish. Follow along, and see it all now at hennepinD2.com/results. 🧵
Portrait of Commissioner Irene Fernando in a navy blazer against a purple background. Text reads: "Who is Commish?" and identifies her as Hennepin County Board Chair, District 2 Commissioner — the first Filipino American elected in Minnesota, the youngest woman to serve on the Hennepin County Board, and its first Board Chair of color.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 08/07/2026
People ask me: "Dr. Commish, why Light Rail? Why can't the Blue Line just be a bus?" To be clear — I'm a regular bus rider. But this corridor needs buses AND Light Rail. Because Bus Rapid Transit brings only one-quarter of the investment Light Rail does. 🧵
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 06/07/2026
People ask me all the time: "Dr. Commish, why did the Blue Line Extension get more expensive?" The honest answer is because we listened. And it's still the most affordable federal light rail project of its kind, per mile, in the entire country. 🧵
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 03/07/2026
People ask me all the time: "Dr. Commish, hasn't the Blue Line Extension project been going on forever?" The honest answer is yes — this has been a long journey. But it's because we've never quit. 🧵
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 01/07/2026
People ask me all the time: "Dr. Commish, why does it matter so much who will ride the Blue Line Extension?" Because who rides tells us everything about who has been waiting for it. And these communities have waited long enough. 🧵
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 30/06/2026
I've had the privilege of serving in elected public office since 2019 with conditions intensifying each year. Minnesotans have endured and persevered through so much especially over the last 12 months — just as we care for our neighbors, we must prioritize care for ourselves. 1/
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 25/06/2026
Four years ago yesterday, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. For 49 years, generations grew up never having to imagine a country where the government could force them to carry a pregnancy against their will. That is what was lost. 🧵 My statement: www.hennepind2.com/statements/2...
Four Years of Resistance: My Statement on the Fourth Anniversary of the Overturning of Roe v. Wade.Local government is so often the last line of defense for our rights.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 24/06/2026
Dr. Commish is back! And I’m so excited to talk about the Blue Line Extension. You've asked, "what IS the Blue Line Extension?" Learn about why transit is a public good, and why this project matters to me — not just as a commissioner, but as a Northsider.🧵
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 17/06/2026
Ending waste incineration at the HERC requires Mayor Frey to act. The Mayor needs to make a decision: he currently wants to use the HERC through 2027, while also wanting burning to conclude in the same timeline. That’s incongruent with reality. Statement: www.hennepind2.com/statements/2...
Graphic: Ending HERC incineration requires Mayor Frey. Hennepin County has a plan. The City of Minneapolis has a contradiction.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 13/06/2026
Eight years of results — documented. Housing built and preserved. HCMC kept open. The Blue Line advanced. Veteran homelessness effectively ended. Democracy defended. Our full Eight Years of Results governing record, across 15 issue areas, is now live at hennepinD2.com/results
Eight Years of Results. A governing record: 2019-Present. Commissioner Irene Fernando - Hennepin County District 2. hennepinD2.com/results
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 28/05/2026
There was real closure risk for HCMC in 2026. Today, that is off the table. Thanks to every single person who took action - HCMC remains open! The only public safety-net hospital in the upper Midwest will continue to care for every person who walks through its doors.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 28/05/2026
HCMC Remains Open! The People Saved the Public Hospital! The #MNLeg passed a bipartisan deal that sends $205 million in immediate funding to HCMC & creates a $500 million reserve account usable by HCMC over the next five years. That is a profound win. www.hennepind2.com/statements/2...
hennepind2.com
HCMC Remains Open! (The People Saved the Public Hospital) — Hennepin County District 2
The Minnesota Legislature passed a bipartisan deal that sends $205 million in immediate funding to HCMC and creates a $500 million hospital reserve account usable by HCMC over the next five years. Ear...
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 28/05/2026
HCMC Remains Open! The People Saved the Public Hospital! The #MNLeg passed a bipartisan deal that sends $205 million in immediate funding to HCMC & creates a $500 million reserve account usable by HCMC over the next five years. That is a profound win. www.hennepind2.com/statements/2...
hennepind2.com
HCMC Remains Open! (The People Saved the Public Hospital) — Hennepin County District 2
The Minnesota Legislature passed a bipartisan deal that sends $205 million in immediate funding to HCMC and creates a $500 million hospital reserve account usable by HCMC over the next five years. Ear...
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Rep. Katie Jones @repkatiejones.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
HCMC will continue to serve patients because of @aishagomez.bsky.social & Rep. Agbaje in the House. These representatives are the heroes of the MN legislature in brokering a solution for this critical Minnesota hospital. It also would not have happened but for the advocacy of @hennepind2.com. ♥️🙏♥️
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Debbie Goettel @hennepindebbie.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) will stay open thanks to a funding package passed by the MN Legislature this session. People across the county and the state made their voices heard, saying: "HCMC is too essential to our collective health to close." 🌟 Read my statement. ⤵️
A graphic reading: "HCMC receives $705 million funding package; 2026 post-session update." Commissioner Goettel's full statement, which can be read on Facebook @HennepinDebbie.
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Irene Fernando @hennepind2.com · 18/05/2026
HCMC will stay open! No matter who you are or how you arrive at our doors, we’ll take care of you. That’s only possible because we’re a public hospital, accountable to community. Thanks to the State, healthcare workers, and all MN residents for investing in HCMC’s mission!
Graphic saying that HCMC stays open and thanking those who made it happen.
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Ilhan Omar @ilhanmn.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Minnesota’s largest safety-net hospital, Hennepin County Medical Center is on the verge of shutting down. GOP cuts to Medicaid are leading to hospital closures across the country. We can’t let that happen to HCMC. Here’s #MyHCMCStory
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Lindsay @lindsaympls.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
In March, my husband needed a surgery to remove a “mystery lump”. The tumor was benign and his prognosis is excellent, as was the care he received from EVERYONE at HCMC’s Specialty Center. I’m so grateful for them!
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Brandi Bennett @bbennettesq.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
HCMC saved my life when I got cancer 3 years ago. Don't let Republican malfeasance destroy our safety net hospital.
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Eric Harris Bernstein @ehbinmn.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Really appreciate Commissioner Fernando's leadership. Share your HCMC story and tell your legislators to fund this critical hospital!
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