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 Matt Udermann is providing the current edition.)

Early state budget estimates have Carver County absorbing roughly $7 million of new unfunded state mandates (roughly $500 for the average-sized home in Carver County). Add that to the roughly $3.5 million of current unfunded state mandates (roughly $250 for the average-sized home in Carver County), and roughly $750 of an average sized homes’ property taxes are from unfunded state mandates alone.

This is a classic funding shift and residents have said it’s too much and deserve better solutions. I agree. It’s too much for an average family, a first-time school teacher, a downsizing senior and others. It’s just too much.

While partisan politics are not short on blame and spin, people in leadership positions should lead. Leaders owe you vision, strategy and results that prioritize YOU now and in the future.

We’re in the midst of addressing the now. Will we accept these shifts and pass these mandates along in the form of a higher levy increase? (I’m a no.) Will we get creative in finding solutions? (I’m a yes.)

I often say, “The next 20 years in Carver County shape the next 200 years.” Henry Ford was quoted as saying, “If you asked folks what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.”  Leadership that listens, visions, delivers strategy, action and positive results is rare, hard and worth it. If it wasn’t, we’d still be just riding horses.

We can’t let this moment pass. Here are some community conversation starters that are bold and challenge status-quo thinking. If we prioritize making this place even better for kids, grandkids and future generations, disciplined bets and investments in our future will pay off.

$50 billion by 2050  

What if we unlocked the economic corridor along the roughly 15 miles along Highway 212, a half mile north and south, from Norwood Young America to the city of Carver and had a goal of $50 billion incremental non-residential tax base largely outside city limits? Where will this corridor get their water and sewer? Electricity? What investments, improvements and partnerships would help unlock this potential? 

Once profitable farms, generational owners are realistic that few in the next generation are interested in farming, and even if they are, they can no longer make a full-time living doing so.  Many are seeking to maximize their land and are open to considering the best way to pass on the fruits of their hard work to the next generation. Shouldn’t the land owners be able to do what they want with their land?

We invested $300 million in a highway that promised economic development that will certainly come. Will we wait 50 or more years, or get creative in accelerating and unlocking that much needed tax base now?

Think international enterprises looking to diversify in the US. Think medical technology, data centers, pharmaceuticals, energy and warehouses — perhaps a higher-end version of highway 169 without the billboards.

5 million visits by 2050  

What if we had a community goal of 5 million visits to our regional parks? Perhaps 70 percent of visits from local residents and 30 percent from visitors? Parks are becoming increasingly popular for the health benefits related to mental health, physical activity, as multigenerational connection places and gathering places for community. Regional parks include Lake Waconia, Minnewashta (which is getting a $1.2 million update this spring), and Baylor Park (which is undergoing strategic visioning now). What if we considered a “Red Rocks East,” an 8,000- to 12,000-seat amphitheater for surplus-generating activities to reinvest in our parks and not cost you more on your property taxes?

1 million incremental annual visitors 

What if with intention we invited and welcomed neighbors, friends and travelers to experience the beauty, amenities and attractions of Carver County? We boast parks, lakes, trails and attractions including: three wineries, five breweries, a distillery, University of Minnesota Arboretum, Paisley Park, Barn Quilt Tours, Chan Dinner Theater, Andrew Petersen Farm, quality sports fields, robust STEM programming, robust library programming, school activities from sports to arts and more, Chaska Curling Center, more golf per square mile than all but one other Minnesota county – including Hazeltine, Deer Run, Chaska Towncourse, Dahlgren, The Loop and more.  And what if on average each visitor spent $100 on gas, shops, restaurants and someday hotels? We’d have $100 million annual local economic impact to support the very businesses we built the roads for and that contribute to our tax base helping release the burden from homeowners.

STEM-certified county

What if we were a destination community for parents who want the best Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics enrichment opportunities possible? What if we had a first-of-its-kind outdoor STEM playground and engaged nationally known engineers to partner with students and stakeholders and community partner funding to build as an example and destination for others? What if we had a viewing window at our library to see the “book robot?” What if over half our youth books in local libraries were STEM themed, and what if we had a “Trades 360” program where youth could be exposed to and learn 16 different elements of trades and deliver a rentable camper cabin to our parks (oh wait, we’re already doing that!)?

200 incremental starter homes a year

What if we had a community goal of building 200 starter homes (think $200K to $350K) a year for the next 20 years (a gap largely unaddressed for last 20 years) for the first-time school teacher no longer living with mom or dad, or the person who serves you at a restaurant (or the downsizing senior)?  What if we were creative in lowering barriers so these units could be naturally occurring housing (more where developers want to come build, occupants can earn equity and less of heavy subsidized no equity rental models)? The solution would undoubtedly include policy that allowed smaller dwellings (at current the size of an average home has increased and is nearly 3,000 square feet, new homes being built are averaging in excess of 4.5K square feet. For comparison, my childhood home was 925 square feet (for mom, dad, my two sisters and me).

$100M of philanthropic activity kept here

What if we captured just 10% ($10M) of the estimated philanthropic dollars that leave Carver County each year by being bold in proposing multigenerational amenities to compete for young families (and parents and grandparents as well)? What if we filled our Community Foundation with voluntary funds and future bequeaths and commitments to reinvest in this county and make strategic investments in multi-generational amenities? Perhaps a southwest metro childrens’ museum, a community kitchen (think high-end chefs for multi-course meals on weekends, and enrichment opportunities for kids and families during the week), a 16-court destination field house (intentionally designed for overnight teams to stay together in a dorm setting, features to consider comfort and viewing for college recruiters and the like). What if our local Rotaries, chambers, Lions Clubs, etc. joined together for high impact projects for the lasting benefit of county residents and committed 2% of overall annual collections?

Expanded community gathering places

What if we picked a big annual community project to get behind as a county to help fund and take pride and ownership in (like City of Waconia’s inclusive park, or the one Chaska is planning), and rotated across each of our 11 cities and 11 townships? What if we had expanded access libraries that you could utilize hours before and after staff is traditionally present? What if we had a community resource center as “one front door” for those living on little to gain resources to help accelerate past periods of time folks are down on their luck or need a little boost? What if we built a regional library that served Victoria, City of Carver and Chaska (vs. each community building their own library in the next 20 to 25 years)?

We’ll soon be in the midst of 2050 comprehensive planning – from city to township to county to state and a bunch of other agencies in between – where people in leadership positions get to envision what the next 20 years looks like. We can opt to open and close the plan, or use this period to dare to envision what Carver County looks like in the next 200 years. We can admire problems or solve them. We can stick with the status quo, or lean into opportunities before us. We can simply show up and talk, or we can take our interactions and advocate for something that matters to our residents and deliver results.

I welcome your comments on areas our community can lead, compete and set us up for greatness to come using this moment in time. Most won’t be riding a horse to work or school anytime soon – it took vision and leadership to see past “the way it’s always been.” 

(Matthew Steven Udermann is Carver County Commissioner in District 3 (largely Victoria and Chaska). Share your comments directly to: matt.udermann@carvercountymn.gov of 612.888.4733.)