Dakota County: Looking Back, Looking Ahead (2025)
By Joe Atkins | Dakota County Commissioner | January 2025
One year ago, I was elected chair of the Dakota County Board of Commissioners and outlined several key objectives for 2024. Below is an update on our progress toward achieving those goals.
Remained debt-free – Dakota County maintained its position as one of the few counties in the nation with zero debt. Although this may not continue indefinitely, a decade of being debt-free has saved our county and taxpayers millions of dollars in interest payments.
Nationwide recognition – Dakota County became the only county in the U.S. to receive top national awards in four distinct areas: public safety, public health, infrastructure, and transportation services. These accolades, awarded by the National Association of Counties, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, and two prominent national publications, reflect our continued commitment to excellence.
Enhanced Public Safety Protection – Dakota County worked to improve public safety. We maintained operations at the county jail and partnered with local cities on initiatives like Dakota911, our Electronic Crimes Unit, SWAT, and the Drug Task Force. We also handled felony prosecutions for all cities and towns within the county. Our collaboration with West St. Paul and South St. Paul police officers – pairing social workers with law enforcement to address mental health crises – marked its fifth successful year, enhancing safety for all involved.
Community services that work – Dakota County constructed the grant-funded Crisis and Recovery Center next to the Northern Service Center in West St. Paul. This new facility opens next month and will provide essential support to individuals and families facing mental health challenges. Additionally, we strengthened our efforts to transition people from homelessness to housing stability and launched a new grant-funded substance-abuse prevention effort, saving lives and reducing long-term costs.
Lowest county property tax rate in the state – While Dakota County provides high-quality services, we also pride ourselves on keeping costs low. On a per capita basis, the county’s share of property taxes on a median-value home is now the lowest of any county in Minnesota. In fact, Dakota County residents pay $1,000 less annually for the county portion of their property taxes on a median value home than homeowners in neighboring Ramsey County.
Elections that ensured accuracy – Our election officials successfully coordinated multiple elections across the county, including the presidential election, while ensuring security and efficiency. Comprehensive audits, including hand counts in several precincts, confirmed 100 percent accuracy.
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Historic energy savings – Dakota County reached a major milestone with the completion of upgraded turbines at our county hydroelectric dam. Together with enhanced conservation efforts, we became the first county in the U.S. to generate more renewable energy than our county buildings and facilities consume. In fact, we will produce twice as much electricity as we use, generating $1 million annually in revenue to help fund county services and reduce property taxes. Additional grant-funded energy projects will save the county more than $8 million over the next 20 years while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 4.57 million pounds annually.
Enhanced library accessibility – Dakota County’s libraries were named the best in Minnesota in 2024, drawing more visits per capita than any other metro county library system. In the last year, over two million visitors borrowed more than four million materials. Our new Kaposia Library in South St. Paul, which opened in February 2024, added significantly improved services and accessibility, with half of its construction funding coming from outside grants.
Improved parks and trails – Thanks to the support of volunteers and outside grants, Dakota County made several enhancements to Thompson County Park in West St. Paul. We also completed the 27-mile Mississippi River Greenway, which stretches from South St. Paul to Hastings, and added accessible trailheads to the River to River Greenway, which runs from South St. Paul through West St. Paul to Mendota Heights and Mendota.
Putting more service in service centers – Innovation remained a cornerstone of our service centers, with new conveniences like license plate tab kiosks and digitized property records, making it easier for residents to access services.
Transportation and pedestrian safety – We completed more than a dozen transportation projects to improve county highways, bridges and key intersections, enhancing both motorist and pedestrian safety. We also continued our focus on safety near schools.
Next month – We will turn our attention to opportunities and challenges for the year ahead.
Joe Atkins represents District 2 on the Dakota County Board, which includes South St. Paul, West St. Paul and Inver Grove Heights. He welcomes feedback. To share comments, concerns or questions, contact him at Joe.Atkins@co.dakota.mn.us or 651-438-4430.
Dakota County libraries named best in Minnesota (April 2025)
Dakota County challenges and opportunities in 2025 (March 2025)
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