Rosemount City Administrator Dwight Johnson Announces Retirement: 'I Wouldn’t Trade These Years"

Dwight Johnson notified local officials this week that 2016 will be his final year serving as Rosemount's city administrator.

“I told the council that I have really enjoyed my eight years in Rosemount and wouldn’t trade these years for anything," Johnson wrote in a letter to city staff members. "Together, we have made a lot of progress in which we can all take pride.”

He has served as city administrator since August 2008, according to local announcement shared on Wednesday. His duties included supervising the city’s budget to lower the tax burden on Rosemount residents and businesses.

"Since his arrival, the city’s ranking for property tax rates has improved from the top tax rate to the fourth-lowest rate among the ten major cities in Dakota County," the notice said. "Under the proposed budget for 2017, the city’s portion of property taxes on the median-valued home will still be less than it was in 2008."

Johnson was one of 38 applicants for the leadership post in Rosemount. The council selected him for his impressive experience leading staffs in Plymouth and Shoreview, Minnesota; as well as his work in Nebraska and Illinois.

During his tenure in Rosemount, the city has remodeled and opened an expanded Steeple Center to serve programs for senior citizens and local arts initiatives. Other new developments in Downtown Rosemount have included three apartment complexes; several new or remodeled stores; and the city’s first park and ride facility.

The paving of Akron Avenue, the extension of Connemara Avenue, and the construction of a frontage road along County Road 42 opened large sections of the city to accommodate more residential and businesses. Additionally, the community gained three new parks and two athletic complexes which included a splash pad water play area. Last year, Money magazine ranked Rosemount as the 12th Best Place to Live in the nation, as well as the 4th Best Place to be a Kid.

Along with his duties supervising the city’s seven departments, Johnson has been active with the Rosemount chapter of Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, which helps military families. He also lent a hand with the group OneRosemount — a coalition of public, private, and nonprofit organizations serving social needs in the community. Johnson served as co-chair of a countywide group exploring new and innovative partnerships among the governmental units in Dakota County.

The city council has authorized a request for proposals from executive search firms to help find Johnson’s successor. The selected firm will create and distribute a job description advertising the position's opening and will then begin recruiting potential candidates.

Johnson plans to stay in the position until a new administrator is hired.