Dakota County: Four national honors. One remarkable county.
By Joe Atkins | Dakota County Commissioner | August 2026Dakota County has achieved something no other county in America has ever done. At the National Association of Counties (NACo) annual conference on July 19, we officially became the only county in the nation to have earned “Best in Category” honors in four different areas since 2018: Public Health, Volunteers, Public Safety and County Resiliency. This historic distinction places Dakota County at the very top among more than 3,000 counties nationwide.To put this in perspective, these national awards are handed out across 18 distinct categories. If these honors were distributed purely by chance, the mathematical odds of any single county achieving a Best in Category award in a given year would be just 0.58%. The likelihood of securing four would be a microscopic 0.00000011%. While these awards are earned through hard work and merit rather than luck, the math highlights just how remarkably rare it is for a single county to earn distinction across multiple fields nationwide.
Yet the true importance of these honors is not the plaques, the ceremony or the bragging rights. What matters is the work behind them: practical, innovative services that improve lives, stretch tax dollars and can be replicated by communities across the country.Libraries as community health hubs – Our newest honor recognizes a partnership between Dakota County Public Health and our library system. Together, they transformed all 10 county library branches into active Community Health Hubs. Our libraries, which were named the best public library system in Minnesota two years in a row, already welcome roughly two million visitors and loan out nearly six million items annually. By integrating health services into these trusted, convenient spaces, we meet people where they are without constructing new buildings or hiring extra staff. This cost-conscious model is already being studied by counties nationwide.This award continues a long tradition of excellence. In 2019, the National Association of County and City Health Officials named Dakota County the nation’s top local health department. Beyond providing thousands of vaccinations and supporting new mothers, our team used a federal grant to launch a mobile health unit, bringing care directly into neighborhoods so residents do not go without.Engaging volunteers and transforming public safety – Our first two Best in Category awards came in 2018. Our Volunteer Program was recognized for connecting residents with meaningful opportunities across more than 15 county departments. From office support to removing invasive buckthorn in our parks, volunteers expand services while saving taxpayers more than $1 million per year.The public safety award honored a major breakthrough in how we work with high-risk youth. Traditional juvenile justice models rely heavily on secure detention, which research shows can increase recidivism. Dakota County Community Corrections initially launched the New Chance Day Treatment Program to counter this. When early outcomes underwhelmed expectations, staff did not defend the status quo. Instead, they listened, studied the data and pivoted to a “whole family” approach, collaborating closely with parents to address the root causes of delinquency. This willingness to innovate and improve has kept youth safely at home, reduced recidivism and helped place Dakota County in the top 9% of the safest counties of our size in America.Restoring prairies and protecting resources – In 2023, Dakota County earned its fourth honor, in County Resiliency for reintroducing plains bison to the prairie at Spring Lake Park Reserve. In partnership with the Minnesota Bison Conservation Herd and supported largely through outside funding, this project brought a keystone species back to restore the local ecosystem. The bison’s natural grazing habits diversify plant life and strengthen the prairie.It was part of Dakota County’s broader effort to protect natural resources. Over the last 25 years, the county has worked with landowners to permanently preserve more than 12,000 acres of Dakota County’s most pristine woodlands, wetlands and natural areas.A national standard on a lean budget – What makes all of these national honors truly remarkable is that Dakota County operates so leanly. We have the fewest employees per capita among Twin Cities metropolitan counties, the lowest overall county property taxes in the metro – about 55 percent lower than neighboring Ramsey County – and the lowest county property taxes per capita in the state of Minnesota. Our staff works harder and smarter, delivering award-winning, national-caliber results for less money.Four national Best in Category awards show that innovation is a permanent part of Dakota County’s culture. Credit belongs especially to the hardworking employees, volunteers and community partners who keep looking for better ways to serve.
Commissioner Joe Atkins represents South St. Paul, West St. Paul and Inver Grove Heights on the Dakota County Board. He welcomes comments at [email protected] or 651-438-4430.…