Leading the Way…On Property Tax Relief
Dakota County property taxes are the lowest in Minnesota … 29% lower than the metro county average. Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord reduced Dakota County property taxes in 2014 with the largest county tax CUT in Minnesota. Every year, she continues her efforts to control property taxes. Last year the County Board cut the county regional rail…
Thompson Lake Restoration
Starting this fall through May 2019, Thompson Lake will undergo a restoration effort led by Dakota County, the City of West St. Paul and the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization. The restoration project will focus on removing contaminated sediment from the lake and improving storm water management. During this project several trail segments will…
Galaxie Library Reopens
Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord addressed excited library patrons at the new re-opening of the Galaxie Library in Apple Valley on September 25. There were more than 1.7 million in person visits to Dakota County libraries last year and 2.3 million online visits to the library website. Commissioner Gaylord noted the popularity of libraries in her remarks…
Dakota County’s Park System is 50.
This year the Dakota County Park System is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Through those 50 years, we have set aside over 5,600 acres of land for recreation, learning and preservation in county parks, trails and greenways. We are now in the first full year of a 5-year plan Natural Resource Management System Plan to restore…
2018 Legislative Wrap-up
Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord and the County Board met with our Dakota County Legislative delegation in June to discuss our successes during the 2018 legislative session. With bipartisan support, Dakota County received requested funding for our public safety training facility, the Safety and Mental Health Alternative Response (SMART) Center. The Legislature and Governor Mark Dayton approved…
Volunteer Appreciation Event – Thank you
Our county volunteer program is thriving with more than 3900 volunteers who have put in over 40,000 hours of service across 190 different opportunities. County Board Chair Kathleen Gaylord thanked the volunteers for their time and dedication at a pig roast/appreciation event held May 17th at Lebanon Hills Park. Those volunteer efforts saved the county…
Suburban counties say Met Council plan ignores transportation needs.
Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord works on county transportation issues as a member of the County Board, and as a member of the National Association of Counties Transportation Steering Committee and the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Advisory Board (TAB). In 2014, she participated in a historic meeting on transportation policy for the Twin Cities Region. Commissioners from five…
Gaylord elected MICA President
Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord was re-elected President of the Minnesota Inter-County Association for 2018. Her leadership at the regional, state, and national levels of government, business and non-profit organizations benefits all of us and all of Dakota County. The MICA organization works on planning and implementing projects and promoting legislation of interest to its 13 member…