AFSCME union members representing Ramsey County workers are opposing the county’s proposal to close its Detox and Withdrawal Management Program.
In a statement last week the AFSCME Council 5, AFSCME Local 8 and AFSCME Local 151 called on the county to reconsider the closure in order “to prioritize community health and safety over short-term budgetary decisions.”
“Our members at Ramsey County have dedicated themselves to helping people in crisis — guiding them through some of the darkest and most dangerous moments of their lives,” said Bart Andersen, executive director of AFSCME Council 5 in the statement. “Closing this program down is not just a loss of jobs; it will be a betrayal of our community. It means fewer people will get the essential care they need, and more families will face the heartbreak of losing a loved one. This is wrong and preventable, and we will not be silent about the harm it will undoubtedly cause.”
County officials earlier this month shared their proposed budget for 2026 and 2027 which includes closing the program on Dec. 31 if the budget is approved. The proposed budget also includes the reduction of 43 staff positions, most of whom work for the program.
Those services would then transition to community providers, according to county officials.
“This service has underperformed expected financial targets year-over-year and has had significant deficits for several years. Transitioning to a community-based model aligns with best practices of other counties and is anticipated to reduce county costs by at least $2 million annually,” county officials said in a statement Thursday.
They also noted that Ramsey is one of two counties in the state running their own detox and withdrawal management service management service. “Our facility averages approximately 10 clients a day when we have the operational capacity to serve 50.”
County officials said the decision to propose closing the program came after ensuring that other metro area substance use disorder treatment resources are available with other community providers.
“Our most strategic role is to build the capacity of other agencies who have experience providing substance use disorder treatment, by enhancing and expanding their services,” county officials said in the statement. “We will be offering capacity building grants this fall as part of our transition plan.”
Union officials said in their statement that the closure will displace frontline workers and strip critical resources from the community.
“We also have serious concerns surrounding the potential privatizing of these services to organizations with questionable ethical ties to county leadership staff and hired analysts who were contracted to study the public program’s effectiveness,” union officials said.
County service teams are holding budget presentations throughout this month. Community members will be able to provide feedback on the proposed budget during public hearings Monday and Dec. 11 before its expected approval on Dec. 16.
Union officials said affected workers and others will attend the next public hearing which will take place at 5 p.m. in the council chambers of the Ramsey County Courthouse on Monday.
For more information on the public hearings on the proposed county budget and tax levy, visit ramseycounty.us/your-government/leadership/board-commissioners/board-meetings-information/public-hearings-notices.
To learn more about the proposed budget, go to ramseycounty.us/your-government/budget-finance.
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