There's one thing the three Farmington City Council candidates can agree on: The city can do better.

Prior leaders, they say, left behind financial troubles that have forced taxes up — namely, millions in debt and an unattractive business climate that pushes residents to shop elsewhere.

If the current council has sought to clean things up, both the incumbent and the challengers — who are competing for a single spot — acknowledge that there's a lot of work ahead.

At a Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce candidate forum, incumbent Jason Bartholomay acknowledged the city's financial problems but also pointed out recent successes, including the city's new strategic plan.

"We're not having the peaks and valleys with the budgets that you've seen in the past," he said. "We're not hitting the rewind button."

The city's debt is about $10 million lower than it was four years ago, but there's still about $32 million remaining.

"Once the debt is lower and we're able to maintain a positive image for the city, that's when commercial growth, in my opinion, will start to pick up," Bartholomay said.

But candidate Tim Pitcher criticized accumulating that level of debt in the first place.

"For a city our size, that's pretty significant," he said.

Needs vs. wants

Amid the tough financial talk, candidates agreed that there are a lot of services the city is still lacking.

Pitcher mentioned a resident he met on the campaign trail who complained about having to leave Farmington to buy socks.

"Most residents shop in other cities, and everybody knows it," Pitcher said. "We are farming a lot of our economy out to Apple Valley and Lakeville. Their tax base increases; our tax base suffers from it."

A member of the audience asked candidates what they would do if they had $1 million to invest in the city. All three pointed to safety needs. Bartholomay spoke about upgrading fire department equipment; candidate David McMillen agreed, adding that the police department could do with the same.

Pitcher brought up concerns about unsafe streets and intersections.

"I do not want to wait until somebody gets killed to take action," he said.

Candidates also brought up the potential for community amenities. Pitcher and McMillen talked about transit, particularly for senior citizens. McMillen, who serves on the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and its Heritage Preservation Commission, praised the city for securing land for a new veterans memorial.

"The city bent over backward and did everything they could to get that memorial there," he said.

He also mentioned a swimming pool under city consideration, criticizing the possibility of settling on a splash pad instead.

Bartholomay said he thinks the city has the right amount of services, and repeated his refrain of fiscal caution.

"There [are] a lot of wants in the community," he said, "but we have to take care of the needs first."

Emma Nelson • 952-746-3287