Hastings council member to run for County Board
Mike Slavik
Hastings City Council Member Mike Slavik said on Tuesday that he will seek election to the Dakota County Board seat that is being vacated by longtime District 1 Commissioner Joe Harris.
Harris’ seat will be on the 2012 ballot along with that of fellow commissioners Tom Egan (portion of Eagan and area to the north), Will Branning (Apple Valley-Rosemount), and Liz Workman (Burnsville).
“Joe has been a dedicated public servant who has served the district well” Slavik said in a press release of the board member since 1981. “I am running because the county will face a new generation of challenges and I represent a unique mix of private and public sector skills that can meet those challenges.”
District 1 includes Farmington, Hastings and the townships of Eureka, Empire, Castle Rock and others in southeast Dakota County.
Slavik, a Hastings native, is serving his second term on the Hastings City Council as an at large member.
He also serves on the Dakota County Communications Center Board and the Highway 61 Bridge Visual Quality Team.
While on the council, Slavik has chaired the parks and recreation, operations and public safety committees and serves on the finance and planning committees.
He describes himself as a moderate with a record of bringing different views together to accomplish initiatives.
“The most important and rewarding part of my job as an elected official is to listen to citizens’ concerns and work with them to find resolution,” he said.
Slavik stresses the balance county government must have between preserving a high quality of life and services while addressing budget pressures.
“It has to start with innovative thinking and bold vision,” he said. “We can all be proud of the fact that Dakota County is a well run county, but we face aging populations and infrastructure, constant technology advances, and reduced state funding. These challenges present untapped opportunities to be truly inventive in how local government functions.”
Slavik is a graduate of St. John’s University in Collegeville, with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
He works as a Realtor at Keystone Real Estate in Hastings.
He is part owner and president of Hometown Laundry LLC, a laundromat and real estate holdings company.
He serves on the Hastings Area YMCA Board of Directors, the Hastings High School Alumni Board and his church council.
State Rep. Patrick Garofalo, R-Farmington, said in early August he is considering running for Harris’ open seat, but that he won’t make a decision until early 2012.
– Tad Johnson
