David's Leadership Positions for the City of Dayton
Serving on the Dayton City Council these past five years has been an honor, and I have become very knowledgeable about the issues impacting our community. Dayton is probably within the largest period of rapid growth and transformation in its history. The story of Dayton is old, but it has welcomed more than 4,000 new neighbors to this community over the past 5 years.
The rapid growth in Dayton is being driven in large part by the 2040 (Met Council required) Comprehensive Plan, available here: 2040 Comprehensive Plan. This plan (developed in 2019) was built around a population growth of 125 new homes per year. However, the staging plan made large areas of the city available for development in the early years of the plan, resulting in a mismatch between growth and infrastructure. This has put our city staff in a reactive mode when it comes to infrastructure and support. Here is my vision for how I can continue to support city staff while also growing our community in a smart and planful way.
PROPERTY TAXES & CITY BUDGETING
I believe that my many years of work experience in business, finance and leadership has helped me contribute positively to our city budgeting and planning process. For each meeting, I thoroughly review our packet (always available here: City of Dayton) and I always come prepared to ask questions about expenditures and finances. I am keenly aware that each dollar we spend is a dollar paid in by our residents; thus, I treat the city's money like it is my own. This is a key function of a city council member and a duty that I take very seriously. I have the budget management experience needed to ensure that the city spends money on the right things, with the lowest possible financial impact on city residents while recognizing the changing needs as we plan for the future.
The tax rate in Dayton has and will continue to be an ongoing challenge for our community. When I originally ran for City Council in 2020, our tax rate was one of the highest in the Metro area. Growth was already upon us, and property tax rates were increasing every year. I knew that we needed to slow down, and I was ready to put my experience to good use. We have been holding city staff to a higher standard to justify increases in spending, and in the last 5 years we have reduced the tax rate from 55% to 35%. Because of our residential and commercial growth, we have been able add equipment and personnel in support of the increased demand for services while still decreasing the tax rate. We are now at a level comparable or lower than most neighboring communities.
City of Dayton Minnesota tax rates 2020-2027. Provided by Dayton City Administrator (2026).
CITY GROWTH & RURAL CHARACTER
I grew up in Richfield Minnesota and lived in Eagan for many years before moving to Dayton. I watched Eagan grow from a population of 13,000 to the more than 69,000 residents living there today. I moved to Dayton 15 years ago in part to get away from high residential density. I believe that many of our new and longtime neighbors are here for the same reason.
Every 10 years the City is required to create and submit for approval a Comprehensive Plan to the Met Council. The Met Council establishes many requirements that our plan must meet including residential density. Development of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan is a huge undertaking for the city and will take the next several years to complete. It is also our best tool to manage growth and guide zoning so that as we inevitably grow, we can shape the community to fit our collective vision for Dayton.
Having the right leaders in place is critical to the success of the next plan. There are many elements to this plan including infrastructure and transportation. As we have experienced, when population growth outpaces the plan we get behind on critical infrastructure like roads and water. This has resulted in us playing catch-up for the last several years and illustrates how important it is to get the plan right and then follow it.
Growth cannot be stopped by the City Council. The reality is that the State, the County and the Met Council have more control over the laws that govern growth than we (as local city officials) do. What we can do is manage it and I believe the Met Council density requirements (3.5 units per acre) can be achieved with a slower, less dense rate of development than what has been occurring. We can do this by being strategic about where we have higher density opportunities and then encourage lower density to occur in other areas to preserve as much open space as possible. This is one of the biggest reasons we need to get the Comprehensive Plan right. This will allow us to manage residential growth at a rate that is compliant with Met Council and other requirements but also doesn’t outrun our city infrastructure such as water and roads or our ability to pay for it in the long term.
I'll add that a thorough review of the cities' ordinances and policies needs to continue to create a more business-friendly environment in the areas guided for it. If we focus on a stronger commercial tax base along the Dayton Parkway Interchange corridor and manage residential building closer to the comprehensive plan, it will allow us more financial freedom to preserve and enhance our rural character in other parts of the city.
My commitment is to continue to move our city in the right direction and I need your vote to do it.
CITY SERVICES & GOVERNMENT
The population of Dayton has grown more than 36% in the last 5 years. This is around 500 new residents per year more than what was in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. As a result, the city fell behind on infrastructure because our city services were sized for a slower rate of growth. We have now invested in both personnel and equipment to bring our services to a level people expect. This includes increasing the Fire Department budget by 308% over 5 years, Police Department by 261%, Public Works by 142% and Parks by 318%.
One highlight of this increased spending was the pavement study done by the city in 2022. This project assessed, in great detail, every foot of roadway owned by the City of Dayton. Those results were used to create a plan to bring all of our roads up to a high quality and maintain them on a scheduled basis over time. We have funded those road improvements and due to some favorable bidding environments, we are now more than a year ahead on this remediation plan. This will be an ongoing project, but we now have a plan to maintain our roads to a high quality. That said, most of the main roads in Dayton are owned and maintained by Hennepin County so we continue to pressure them to address our concerns with traffic and maintenance on county roads.
As we continue to grow there are big investments that will need to be made over the next several years. These include increased space for city staff, public works equipment and storage as well as a likely third fire station. These are big numbers and it will take careful leadership to support these investments without undue burden on our city taxpayers and residents.
WATER USE & WATER QUALITY
This has been a big topic for a long time, and it needs continued attention to be resolved. Here is a little background. The city built the original municipal water systems in the early 2000’s and fell deeply in debt based on the small size of the population at that time. In addition, these systems did not deal with water quality, only water safety and that is the problem we still have in parts of the city today.
A major success on this topic is the completion in spring 2026 of the water treatment facility on Dayton River Road. This $8 million dollar project resolves the water quality issues in the northeast part of the city. We were fortunate to be successful in lobbying for state and federal grants which covered more than 70% of the project cost. There is more to do, as we still have not addressed the water quality or quantity issues in the old village area so this needs to stay high on our list. We have also learned that Maple Grove is planning significant changes in their water system. The southern part of Dayton is served by the Maple Grove water system and while they are in the early stages of planning we have been told that Dayton will be expected to participate financially (possibly as much as $100M). If that were the case and again, they are in the early stages of planning, it could be significantly cheaper for Dayton to supply its own water in that part of town. Either way there are some big decisions coming up. There is time to figure out the best solution but having the right leaders in place is so important during the planning stages of these decisions.
I feel it is important to note that water projects are NOT paid for by the general levy (taxes). They are paid from the City Water Fund 601. This fund gets its money from connection fees assessed to homeowners, businesses, and developers as well as state and federal grants. In other words, it is what the users pay when they connect to the city water system, as well as the small profit set aside for providing these utilities to those users. I think this is an important distinction because there are around 850 Dayton homes and farms who have private wells and do not benefit directly from municipal water improvements. Only people who use municipal water pay into this fund and thus are the ones who receive the benefits of any large-scale city water improvements.
CITY PARKS & RECREATION
As former Chair and member of the Parks Commission, I believe that the city should continue to use our Park Dedication Funds from developers to create neighborhood parks in our new developments and connect trails to neighborhoods as shown in the Comprehensive Plan. Over the last few years, we have completed new parks in Sundance Woods, River Hills, Hayden Hills, as well as the first phase of the Dayton Farms Park. We replaced the playground equipment at Donahue Dells Park, improved the ball fields at McNeil and Diamond Lake, added features to the Sue McLean and Leathers Parks and paved the parking lot at Brianna Scurry and Central Park.
In the past two years, we have also moved ahead with the third phase of Elsie Stephens Park. This phase adds a great deal of useability to the park with trails, additional parking and river access. All of this work is being done with parks and trails dedication fees that we already have, not tax dollars! Next up is a pavilion cover so bands can protect their musical equipment, along with a bathroom structure, and possibly a splash pad. Elsie Stephens Park is hosting more city events than ever, and we need to ensure that this park is meeting your needs. I believe we on the council are all a little frustrated with the slower pace of the work thus far, but I am committed to keep pushing our progress so we can achieve the vision of this beautiful riverside park.
The water trail is also a yearslong project that is starting to take shape. The canoe and kayak launch at Elsie Stephens Park is under construction in summer 2026, which is funded largely by a federal grant along with the National Parks Service and the DNR. The next phase of this project will be the reconstruction of the landing in the old village to include separate boat and kayak launch ramps and is scheduled for 2027. Our vision for this water trail is for paddle sports enthusiasts to have multiple launch and retrieval sites along the Crow and Mississippi Rivers in Dayton. The larger vision is for this to continue down river through other communities all the way to Hastings. I don't have a timetable on that, but it is kind of cool that it will start here in Dayton!
Finally, we have recently commissioned a utilization study through the parks commission to assess the need for building an athletics complex in Dayton. This study should give us demand and use data to predict what kinds of athletic fields will be needed as our population hits certain thresholds. We have continued to look for land opportunities in Dayton, and with land prices continuing to rise it is incumbent on the city to acquire the land for this park. There are still questions to be answered about what activities would be supported at this complex, and also its optimal and minimum size. That said, I continue to think for the build-out of this new complex we must partner with other organizations like the Champlin Dayton Athletic Association (CDAA) and School Districts (we have 3), because this should not be the cities' cost to bear alone.
RESPECTFUL & ENGAGED LEADERSHIP
Finally, I believe I have proven in my time on the Dayton City Council that I bring a balanced, respectful approach. I am trustworthy, experienced, and have a strong reputation for providing thoughtful leadership from a lens of public service. I have already made my mark on the council by the level of preparation I do for each meeting, with the goal of understanding each and every issue that comes in front of us, and through collaboration with city staff and other members of the council. I have, and I will, continue to seek the best possible solutions for our city.
I am honored to be running for Dayton City Council for another term, and I would love to earn your vote. If you have questions about any of my positions on these or other topics, please contact me anytime.
Sincerely, David Fashant
CITY GROWTH & RURAL CHARACTER
I grew up in Richfield Minnesota and lived in Eagan for many years before moving to Dayton. I watched Eagan grow from a population of 13,000 to the more than 69,000 residents living there today. I moved to Dayton 15 years ago in part to get away from high residential density. I believe that many of our new and longtime neighbors are here for the same reason.
Every 10 years the City is required to create and submit for approval a Comprehensive Plan to the Met Council. The Met Council establishes many requirements that our plan must meet including residential density. Development of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan is a huge undertaking for the city and will take the next several years to complete. It is also our best tool to manage growth and guide zoning so that as we inevitably grow, we can shape the community to fit our collective vision for Dayton.
Having the right leaders in place is critical to the success of the next plan. There are many elements to this plan including infrastructure and transportation. As we have experienced, when population growth outpaces the plan we get behind on critical infrastructure like roads and water. This has resulted in us playing catch-up for the last several years and illustrates how important it is to get the plan right and then follow it.
Growth cannot be stopped by the City Council. The reality is that the State, the County and the Met Council have more control over the laws that govern growth than we (as local city officials) do. What we can do is manage it and I believe the Met Council density requirements (3.5 units per acre) can be achieved with a slower, less dense rate of development than what has been occurring. We can do this by being strategic about where we have higher density opportunities and then encourage lower density to occur in other areas to preserve as much open space as possible. This is one of the biggest reasons we need to get the Comprehensive Plan right. This will allow us to manage residential growth at a rate that is compliant with Met Council and other requirements but also doesn’t outrun our city infrastructure such as water and roads or our ability to pay for it in the long term.
I'll add that a thorough review of the cities' ordinances and policies needs to continue to create a more business-friendly environment in the areas guided for it. If we focus on a stronger commercial tax base along the Dayton Parkway Interchange corridor and manage residential building closer to the comprehensive plan, it will allow us more financial freedom to preserve and enhance our rural character in other parts of the city.
My commitment is to continue to move our city in the right direction and I need your vote to do it.
CITY SERVICES & GOVERNMENT
The population of Dayton has grown more than 36% in the last 5 years. This is around 500 new residents per year more than what was in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. As a result, the city fell behind on infrastructure because our city services were sized for a slower rate of growth. We have now invested in both personnel and equipment to bring our services to a level people expect. This includes increasing the Fire Department budget by 308% over 5 years, Police Department by 261%, Public Works by 142% and Parks by 318%.
One highlight of this increased spending was the pavement study done by the city in 2022. This project assessed, in great detail, every foot of roadway owned by the City of Dayton. Those results were used to create a plan to bring all of our roads up to a high quality and maintain them on a scheduled basis over time. We have funded those road improvements and due to some favorable bidding environments, we are now more than a year ahead on this remediation plan. This will be an ongoing project, but we now have a plan to maintain our roads to a high quality. That said, most of the main roads in Dayton are owned and maintained by Hennepin County so we continue to pressure them to address our concerns with traffic and maintenance on county roads.
As we continue to grow there are big investments that will need to be made over the next several years. These include increased space for city staff, public works equipment and storage as well as a likely third fire station. These are big numbers and it will take careful leadership to support these investments without undue burden on our city taxpayers and residents.
WATER USE & WATER QUALITY
This has been a big topic for a long time, and it needs continued attention to be resolved. Here is a little background. The city built the original municipal water systems in the early 2000’s and fell deeply in debt based on the small size of the population at that time. In addition, these systems did not deal with water quality, only water safety and that is the problem we still have in parts of the city today.
A major success on this topic is the completion in spring 2026 of the water treatment facility on Dayton River Road. This $8 million dollar project resolves the water quality issues in the northeast part of the city. We were fortunate to be successful in lobbying for state and federal grants which covered more than 70% of the project cost. There is more to do, as we still have not addressed the water quality or quantity issues in the old village area so this needs to stay high on our list. We have also learned that Maple Grove is planning significant changes in their water system. The southern part of Dayton is served by the Maple Grove water system and while they are in the early stages of planning we have been told that Dayton will be expected to participate financially (possibly as much as $100M). If that were the case and again, they are in the early stages of planning, it could be significantly cheaper for Dayton to supply its own water in that part of town. Either way there are some big decisions coming up. There is time to figure out the best solution but having the right leaders in place is so important during the planning stages of these decisions.
I feel it is important to note that water projects are NOT paid for by the general levy (taxes). They are paid from the City Water Fund 601. This fund gets its money from connection fees assessed to homeowners, businesses, and developers as well as state and federal grants. In other words, it is what the users pay when they connect to the city water system, as well as the small profit set aside for providing these utilities to those users. I think this is an important distinction because there are around 850 Dayton homes and farms who have private wells and do not benefit directly from municipal water improvements. Only people who use municipal water pay into this fund and thus are the ones who receive the benefits of any large-scale city water improvements.
CITY PARKS & RECREATION
As former Chair and member of the Parks Commission, I believe that the city should continue to use our Park Dedication Funds from developers to create neighborhood parks in our new developments and connect trails to neighborhoods as shown in the Comprehensive Plan. Over the last few years, we have completed new parks in Sundance Woods, River Hills, Hayden Hills, as well as the first phase of the Dayton Farms Park. We replaced the playground equipment at Donahue Dells Park, improved the ball fields at McNeil and Diamond Lake, added features to the Sue McLean and Leathers Parks and paved the parking lot at Brianna Scurry and Central Park.
In the past two years, we have also moved ahead with the third phase of Elsie Stephens Park. This phase adds a great deal of useability to the park with trails, additional parking and river access. All of this work is being done with parks and trails dedication fees that we already have, not tax dollars! Next up is a pavilion cover so bands can protect their musical equipment, along with a bathroom structure, and possibly a splash pad. Elsie Stephens Park is hosting more city events than ever, and we need to ensure that this park is meeting your needs. I believe we on the council are all a little frustrated with the slower pace of the work thus far, but I am committed to keep pushing our progress so we can achieve the vision of this beautiful riverside park.
The water trail is also a yearslong project that is starting to take shape. The canoe and kayak launch at Elsie Stephens Park is under construction in summer 2026, which is funded largely by a federal grant along with the National Parks Service and the DNR. The next phase of this project will be the reconstruction of the landing in the old village to include separate boat and kayak launch ramps and is scheduled for 2027. Our vision for this water trail is for paddle sports enthusiasts to have multiple launch and retrieval sites along the Crow and Mississippi Rivers in Dayton. The larger vision is for this to continue down river through other communities all the way to Hastings. I don't have a timetable on that, but it is kind of cool that it will start here in Dayton!
Finally, we have recently commissioned a utilization study through the parks commission to assess the need for building an athletics complex in Dayton. This study should give us demand and use data to predict what kinds of athletic fields will be needed as our population hits certain thresholds. We have continued to look for land opportunities in Dayton, and with land prices continuing to rise it is incumbent on the city to acquire the land for this park. There are still questions to be answered about what activities would be supported at this complex, and also its optimal and minimum size. That said, I continue to think for the build-out of this new complex we must partner with other organizations like the Champlin Dayton Athletic Association (CDAA) and School Districts (we have 3), because this should not be the cities' cost to bear alone.
RESPECTFUL & ENGAGED LEADERSHIP
Finally, I believe I have proven in my time on the Dayton City Council that I bring a balanced, respectful approach. I am trustworthy, experienced, and have a strong reputation for providing thoughtful leadership from a lens of public service. I have already made my mark on the council by the level of preparation I do for each meeting, with the goal of understanding each and every issue that comes in front of us, and through collaboration with city staff and other members of the council. I have, and I will, continue to seek the best possible solutions for our city.
I am honored to be running for Dayton City Council for another term, and I would love to earn your vote. If you have questions about any of my positions on these or other topics, please contact me anytime.
Sincerely, David Fashant