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Media Contact:
Dave Martin
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Good Government Institute | goodgovinstitute.org
When Dakota County Commissioner Mike Slavik talks about cleaning up the Mississippi River, he’s not speaking metaphorically. He’s talking about 500 volunteers, 1,300 pounds of garbage, and a civic engagement model that’s saving taxpayers a million dollars a year. Slavik is the featured guest on the latest episode of The Good Government Show, the podcast produced by the Good Government Institute that spotlights effective, bipartisan local leadership across the country.
Slavik, a 19-year veteran of local government, joined host Dave Martin to discuss Dakota County’s participation in the Mighty Mississippi River Cleanup Challenge—a multi-county effort that began just three years ago and has grown into one of Minnesota’s most compelling stories of citizen-powered government. The county assembled hundreds of volunteers across multiple cleanup days, pulling everything from recyclables to car parts to contaminant-leaking debris from the riverbanks of one of America’s most iconic waterways.
“Our volunteers do about $1 million worth of things that the county would have had to pay for,” Slavik told host Dave Martin. “That saves $1 million for the taxpayer a year.” Beyond the cleanup itself, Slavik described a volunteer network so robust the county had to hire a dedicated coordinator—a good problem to have, he noted. Prairie restoration, seed harvesting, and a county-owned greenhouse expected to pay for itself in four years round out what Slavik calls a model for smart, citizen-engaged governance.
The episode also touches on what keeps Slavik up at night—the strain on county-level social services as state and federal funding grows uncertain—and what drew him to public service in the first place: a cracked swimming pool, a city council subcommittee, and a sophomore in high school who said yes when asked if anyone wanted to help.
“The world can be changed by one individual or by a small group of individuals,” Slavik said. It’s a line that captures both the man and the mission of The Good Government Show, now more than 180 episodes deep and still finding proof that local government, done right, works. The episode is available now wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more at goodgovinstitute.org.
Pull Quotes
“If you don’t go and show up and all you do is spend your time on social media complaining, you’re not going to feel better and it’s not going to get better.”
“You become a drop in the bucket unless you really decide to coalesce and work together.”
“I want to tell people that especially in local government, you can change things.”
“We have a responsibility. We’re only on this earth for so long. Let’s get stuff done.”