See all posts in the Carver County Commissioners series
(Hear from Carver County Commissioners is a regular feature where Carver County commissioners share updates, insights, and messages with their communities. Commissioner chair Tom Workman is providing the current edition.)
If you find yourself living in the happiest, healthiest, wealthiest and just about every “otherest” County of Carver County, I would like to say CONGRATULATIONS! You make good decisions.
And if it sounds like I am being braggadocious, then you are perceptive, too. I have lived in Carver County most of my life and have been in elective office for much of that time, so I have a great view. Thank you for the opportunity.
And thank you to Carver County Local News for providing me and my fellow county commissioners the opportunity to not only brag about our great area but keep you better informed about us. I feel as though we have been in a local news hibernation since our local print newspapers vanished, so let’s awaken from our slumber and shine a bright light on our governments.
County government is the least sexy of your government levels, I like to say. The state Legislature (I was a House member from 1993-2003) is hard to avoid with everything going on there. Your city government (I was a council member from 1989-1993) is always up to fun building new neighborhoods and planning events.
If you have a contact with county government, it can often be unpleasant. The Sheriff’s Office, County Attorney, Health and Human Services and the Jail are all there to assist us, but many times it is in a moment of trouble or distress. Carver County does all of these things remarkably well and most of us do avoid contact with these departments.
County government also gets the privilege of sending out your property tax statement. We do this on behalf of all the taxing agencies including schools, cities, Met Council, watersheds, etc. But it still comes in a county envelope.
Things we do at counties that are fun include our libraries. Your city owns the building, but Carver County funds everything in it including the friendly librarians.
Carver County has three regional parks you should visit. Baylor near Norwood-Young America, Lake Waconia (including Coney Island) and Minnewashta in Chanhassen.
We are also the folks in charge of elections. I am putting that under the “fun and patriotic” category.
I also find the construction of new and better roads to be a positive asset of counties, and we have much going on. Highway 5 upgrades in Chanhassen over Lake Minnewashta are currently underway at a cost of $130 million. The extension of County Road 18 behind the Arboretum is a major part of this.
So hopefully we can all get to know Carver County a little bit better with the help of Carver County Local News. Contact me or any of your county commissioners at: carvercountymn.gov. My contacts are tworkman@carvercountymn.gov and 952-250-4924.
