By Amanda Lillie, staff writer

AUSTIN — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton stopped in Austin to discuss local issues — including local government aid and job creation — with city officials Tuesday morning.

With the election less than a week away, Dayton’s stop in Austin is one of many on his final statewide campaign tour called Jobs for Minnesota.

Dayton said if he is elected, he will make certain that Minnesota cities receive the LGA on which they rely.

“My budget restores the funding cuts for LGA,” Dayton said. “It is over half of the funds for the entire operation of the city of Austin. It’s crucial to keeping property taxes from going up further.”

Dayton explained that he plans to raise income taxes on the wealthiest 4 percent of Minnesotans to generate revenue for LGA restoration. He stressed that raising sales tax, like both of his opponents have proposed, would negatively affect the middle class.

“That’s a tax that falls heavier on the middle class,” Dayton said regarding sales tax. “I wanted to aim for upper income.”

Dayton said if he is elected he hopes to collaborate with the Minnesota Legislature to fix the state budget deficit of nearly $6 billion.

“(The budget) is a moving target,” Dayton said, explaining that there will be two more budget forecasts before the Legislature votes on it, regardless of who wins the gubernatorial election.

The democratic candidate said he spoke with Austin city officials about flood mitigation, partnering with the city for economic development and startup funding for small businesses.

Dayton also touched on education policy, stating that education is his No. 1 priority.

“We have to balance a $6 billion deficit. My first priority is education,” he said. “You can’t keep cutting the funding.”

Dayton said the government needs to focus less on testing and more on being an ally and improving the quality of education.

Dayton also talked about the individual school diagnostic test that a few Minnesota schools have been using. He said students take the diagnostic test at the beginning of the school year to measure their reading levels and other areas of proficiency so each child’s potential learning difficulties can be identified.

Dayton said he wants to encourage individual diagnostic testing. He said 80 to 85 percent of students were reading at their grade level by the end of the year at schools that administered the diagnostic tests.

Among Dayton’s other priorities are issues concerning senior citizens. Dayton said that his running mate, Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon, DFL-Duluth, would head the Senior Services Center if the duo is elected.

The Senior Services Center would have a toll-free number for seniors to call for help or questions regarding nursing homes, state and federal agencies and any other issues. Dayton said Prettner Solon has visited over 50 senior centers across the state to learn the issues that are most important to seniors.

“She’s knowledgeable … and she’s well-qualified,” Dayton said of Prettner Solon.

He said he chose Prettner Solon as his running mate for her experience in both city and state government. Her geographical location was also important to Dayton.

“She’s the only running mate (of all the candidates) from greater Minnesota,” Dayton said, stating that representing greater Minnesota is important to him.

Dayton said that if he and Prettner Solon are elected they will strive to keep Austin funded by LGA, keep property taxes down and aid the city in business growth.

“What we all hope for and strive for is to have more people working, and therefore paying taxes,” he said.