MySql.Data.MySqlClient.MySqlException using ServiceStack ORMLite
I have figured out my scenario.
In the MySQL Connection string, if you are using a non-standard port, you need to use the port parameter to specify the different port and omit the port entirely if using the standard port.
My issue was I was always using "Server=servername:port;" which is an incorrect format and should have been "Server=servername;Port=port;" in the cases where I was using a nonstandard port number, otherwise Port= can be omitted.