Dakota County District 1 Candidates Clash Over Budget, Highway 50 Safety, and Data Centers at Farmington Forum
Published: September 12, 2026.
FARMINGTON, MINNESOTA - On August 25, 2026 Dakota County Commissioner District 1 candidates Mike Slavik and Nathan Ryan faced off Tuesday night at a League of Women Voters forum in Farmington, trading sharp differences on taxes, road safety, and development near the Vermillion River.
The nonpartisan forum, hosted by League of Women Voters Dakota County and recorded by Apple Valley–Farmington–Rosemount Community TV, featured the two candidates seeking to represent Farmington and surrounding townships on the County Board. Election Day is November 3, 2026.
Slavik, the incumbent and a former Hastings City Council member, is seeking another term. Ryan is challenging him, saying the seat has gone unopposed for too long and that too few residents know what a county commissioner does.
Budget and levy pressure
Both candidates described 2026 as a difficult budget year, but they disagreed on how the county got there and what to do next.
Ryan argued Dakota County paid a price for years of keeping taxes among the lowest in the metro without incremental increases, and said core services such as the sheriff’s office, jail, county attorney, and roads must be protected. He also said commissioners should more aggressively fight unfunded state mandates, including by banding with other counties, arguing a legal fight could cost less than absorbing millions in new costs.
Slavik said large growing counties across Minnesota are talking about average levy increases around 9%, even where boards raised taxes gradually each year. He pointed to state and federal program shifts as a major driver, including long-term support and waiver services he said will add about $5.2 million starting in 2027, nearly 7% of next year’s levy tied to mandates and shifts.
County budget figures cited during the forum put overall spending near $430 million to just under $500 million, with roughly $185 million coming from property taxes and the rest from state, federal, and fee revenue.
Slavik, who chairs the Dakota County 911 board, said mandated social safety-net services and public safety are his top priorities to protect. Ryan agreed sheriff and social services funding are essential, especially in townships and smaller cities in District 1 that rely on the county for patrol.
Highway 50 safety in Farmington
The candidates agreed the top transportation priority in the district is Highway 50 through Farmington.
Ryan pointed to the intersection near McDonald’s, where he said a 13-year-old boy was struck and killed. He called for better lighting, a lower speed limit, saying the stretch toward Pilot Knob should be closer to 40–45 mph instead of 55, in addition to stronger enforcement and clearer pedestrian markings.
Slavik said he agrees Highway 50 is the district’s top road priority, but framed it as a full corridor issue, not only one intersection. He said Farmington and Dakota County staff are working to hire a consultant for a study and noted other recent safety and reconstruction work, including near Boeckman Middle School on Denmark Trail. He also said the county has roughly tripled road spending over the past decade and now relies more on state transportation tools than property taxes for major projects.
Data centers, farmland, and the Vermillion River
Development pressure became one of the clearest divides.
Ryan criticized county leaders over data center zoning and said commissioners failed residents by not taking a harder line, including on a Farmington proposal he said sits near the West Branch of the Vermillion River and an existing dump. He said trout habitat and wetlands are at risk and pledged to be a “second level of protection” for voters. He also called for helping next-generation farmers stay on the land so farmland is not lost to development.
Slavik said planning and zoning authority largely sits with cities and townships under Minnesota law, not the County Board, except for floodplain and shoreland. He said commissioners can partner and advise, but cannot simply reclaim zoning once it has been transferred. He pointed to farmland preservation work dating to a 2002 voter-approved referendum and water-quality investments through the Vermillion River Watershed, which Dakota County shares with Scott County.
Other issues locals asked about
- Elections: Slavik said Dakota County rebuilt its elections operation after problems about a decade ago, growing staff from two to eight and updating equipment. Ryan said elections are free and fair and favored more training for election officials.
- Immigration: Ryan said he supports legal immigration and opposes county services for people who entered the country illegally. Slavik said immigration enforcement is primarily federal and that the board’s role is to “stay in its lane” while following the law and working with the sheriff’s office.
- Human services: Both flagged mental health and senior housing as growing gaps. Slavik said Minnesota lacks enough mental-health beds and that some people are being sent out of state. Ryan said the state should revisit hospital and mental-health facility limits and not push all costs onto counties.
- Access to government: Ryan said he would push stronger social media outreach and consider moving daytime board meetings so more residents can attend. Slavik said Zoom public comment has increased participation and that he regularly attends evening city and township meetings across District 1’s 21 communities.
More candidate and voting information is available at https://mnvotes.org and https://vote411.org
Written by: Bradley Patton
