Dayton, Johnson present different views to county officials

Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican challenger Jeff Johnson nearly crossed paths Wednesday during separate appearances at a meeting of county officials.

In brief speeches, they outlined competing views of how state and local government should work.

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As a Hennepin County commissioner, Johnson seemed to know the issues that members of the Association of Minnesota Counties wanted to hear about. He said his experience as a county commissioner will make him a better governor and said he would work to lessen state mandates on counties and to give them more freedom in solving local issues.

"Local officials know best what those needs are and how to address them for their citizens," Johnson said. "So, you will see a bias from me as governor towards as much flexibility as possible for our local governments to most effectively serve the needs of their own taxpayers and their own citizens."

Johnson admitted, however, that as a state legislator he voted to cut state aid to local governments. He explained that he doesn't like the formula used to calculate those payments. On transportation funding, Johnson said that instead of raising taxes he would look for money elsewhere in the state budget.

In an appearance a few minutes later, Dayton said he's still working to improve the relationship between state and local governments. He also apologized for problems MNsure, the state's online insurance marketplace, has caused for counties.

Dayton also said transportation funding must be addressed next year, no matter who is governor. He said the idea that the money can simply be squeezed out of the current budget is "just fanciful."

"If we want to increase our expenditures for roads, highways, bridges, we're going to have to face that," Dayton said. "And we're going to have to ask the people of Minnesota what do you want, what are you willing to support. The Legacy Amendment showed that people are willing to reach into their pocket and contribute to something they believe is important and they believe will occur as a result of that commitment."

Officials with the Association of Minnesota Counties said they invited both candidates to share their campaign messages, but there was never any attempt to have them appear together and debate.

Johnson said after his speech that he hopes the debates begin soon.

"Running into him and talking to him and saying 'hi' is fine. It's great. He's a decent guy," Johnson said of the governor. "But I wish we could start debating. I wish we could stand up together in front of people and exchange our visions, because they're very different."

Johnson said none of the proposed debates has been finalized, and he blamed Dayton for stalling.

Dayton is willing to do six events. Under his proposed schedule, the first debate would be October in Rochester.

The governor said after his speech that Johnson's representatives keep changing their position on which ones they'll agree to. He also said that two proposed lieutenant governor debates remain up in the air.

"I'm available for six debates. We've pretty much agreed to the location and sponsorship of five of them, and should be able to get the sixth," Dayton said. "If they don't want to agree to it, we'll settle for five, because it gets to be kind of absurd going back and forth."