Cheniqua Johnson
Name: Cheniqua Johnson
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 7
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 507-370-7707
Campaign Website: Cheniquajohnson.com
Twitter handle: @cheniquajohnson
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cheniquajohnsonforward7
Candidate Bio
As a first generation college graduate, Dayton’s Bluff homeowner, former congressional staffer, philanthropist, and community public servant, I am running to be the next City Council member in Ward 7 to get work done with and for the East Side and our city. I am running because our city needs capable leaders who reflect our growth, our diversity, and our shared commitment to the East Side. I am running to be the positive, community focused leader that continues to move us forward - together. I am the only candidate in this race who has worked at all levels of government. I have the privilege of working for the City of Saint Paul twice - one for the City’s Right Track Program and again with the City’s Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Department. During the day, I’m a Program Officer at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. Currently, I serve on the Ramsey County Board of Appeals & Equalization, City of Saint Paul Cultural STAR Board, East Side Funders Group. I’m not new to this work. I’ll be ready on day one to lead our community forward. And, I am proud to be DFL and Labor endorsed in this race.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
My leadership style is transparent, community led, grassroots embedded, coalition focused, and intentional. The work of reaching our residents and ensuring everyone has a voice is nonpartisan. I want to be the kind of leader that makes residents and partners feel comfortable when they need to call me up and share concerns or ask questions about something happening at City Hall. I want residents to know that they can ask me the tough questions. I also want to be sure to be most accountable to my constituents. Everyone in Ward 7 is impacted by the decisions of the city. As a leader, it is my job to listen to everyone to try and make the best decision that reflects the diverse perspectives, beliefs and cultures we have in our Ward and in our city. Some of my opponents will spend more money on electronic communications, I will be on the doors talking with our Ward 7 residents because it’s time to have different voices centered in our local government. I am all about inclusion and ensuring that this City works for everyone, by directly and intentionally including everyone.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
Right now, I think the biggest challenge Saint Paul is facing is the mere fact that our tax base works every year just to sustain itself, but it doesn’t grow. Simply put, we need more Saint Paulites. The tax base continues to be a problem every year and it sits at the baseline of what caters to why our residents - or taxpayers - continue to feel the property tax hikes, rent increases, cost of living shifts, inflation costs, etc. Whenever the price of something goes up, our Saint Paulites feel it - directly.
Our City is amazing AND conversely, right now, I think we have the biggest opportunity to take a minute, reassess our current City infrastructure and make real adjustments to build upon the current state of our people’s needs and City priorities to plan ahead. We have a real chance to build multipurpose development, invest in the City’s workforce, and be a little stingy in how much of that is assessed to our taxpayers. Rising expenses, and an overall inadvertent consequence of the global pandemic was the shift from proactivity to immediate need and reactionary. We need to keep Saint Paul folks in Saint Paul, while also making it easier for folks to get around Saint Paul, stay employed in Saint Paul, and access Saint Paul city services. Housing, public safety, and economic development are my key issues because I feel like they are where we can make some of the most improvements. We can’t continue to price folks out, we need investment into our future and current workforce, and our economy needs to continue to thrive.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Paul?
My assessment of the current business climate is that there’s been some improvement since 2020, it’s still not quite where it was pre-pandemic, and local businesses are trying all they can to keep the Saint Paul dollar here in Saint Paul. We’ve seen the virtual way of buying things, social media, marketing, engagement strategies in the sector grow. Businesses are sharing strong concerns about interruptions in sales due to the pandemic, construction, and overall cost of living here in Saint Paul. On the contrary, it’s been incredible seeing all of the BIPOC business, recent boom of entrepreneurs, continuation of small, family owned businesses here in Saint Paul and also throughout the East Side. Much like our City, our economy is trying to keep up with the times.
In Ward 7, I really think that keeping the local jobs we have in Ward 7 starts with using development, small business investments, maximizing our land use, and fostering a competitive economy locally. I also want to point out how better city services contribute to an environment that supports business growth. When businesses are successful, we are able to expand our tax base and our city is able to thrive in job opportunities, as well as overall quality of life. I will be the community representative that advocates to keep jobs in Saint Paul, to ensure people are paid equitably, and to work with our folks to ensure that there is consistently a voice on the Council that is fighting for the working class families living in Ward 7 and throughout the City.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
I would like us to begin to see public safety as a workforce issue in our community. I am proud to be endorsed by the Saint Paul Firefighters IAFF Local 21. I intend on working to address FTE shortages over the next few years. A program that I think has potential is the City’s CARES Team. This team is a 2-person response team composed of Saint Paul Fire Department Emergency Medical Technicians. CARES is also looking at including a Social Worker in partnership with Ramsey County. The CARES Team responds to non-violent mental health crises and behavioral emergencies within the City of Saint Paul. My question here, is two people enough? Is there more that we could be doing on the Council in partnership with the SPFD to ensure this program is actually working, doing what was intended, and properly funded to be successful.
In addition, I will work with all of our employees, professionals, community members, educators, families and City staffers that directly have an impact on just how the average Saint Paulite experiences Saint Paul. I feel strongly that we should feel safe in the comfort of our own homes, rec centers, schools, libraries, and in our parks. Investing in Departments like the Office of Neighborhood Safety, Department of Safety & Inspections that handle quite a bit of our business, community, renter, residential relationships and opportunities at the City. Do they have what they need and the people that they need to work as efficiently as the average Saint Paulite wants them to? I am hearing from staff and the community that more may be needed.
And yes, this also includes our Saint Paul Police Department. I was grateful to represent the East Side on the Saint Paul Police Chief Examining Committee. I care who represents us in every level of government and City operations. This included learning, interviewing, and ultimately recommending Chief Axel. I plan to continue that relationship as a City Council member. We just got a new East Side District Commander and I am meeting with them soon. With everything happening here on the East Side, we need all of our partners at the table. In Saint Paul, we will lose quite a bit of our city’s law enforcement and officer workforce to rightful retirement in the next 5 years. Our officers will need the additional support that comes with providing alternatives to traditional policing. Investing in mental health resources, stronger equipped emergency responders, and providing a comprehensive approach to public safety benefits everyone. This isn’t an either/or situation; We can do all the above.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Housing should be accessible and possible for all. I believe it is our responsibility as elected leaders to ensure that every single person in our city, state and country has a place to call home that is affordable and free from harm. I will work to ensure that we implement a citywide cap on rent and make sure that as developers come into our city to do business that they are building units that are affordable for everyone and that discrimination in any form is not a part of their business models. We should focus on how to support people in maintaining housing long term, and what that looks like. I would suggest holding developers accountable for building more affordable house units. I would also advocate for holding landlords accountable who are not holding up their end of the agreements in ensuring that folks are living in healthy and safe places.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
Overall, I support rent stabilization. AND, I also would like to ensure stabilization ordinances benefit people of all incomes and demographics, and do not harm our low income renters. I was a renter in Saint Paul for a while. I know what it feels like for there to be uncertainty around whether I’ll be able to afford where I currently live next year, or if I will be displaced. Housing affordability is what I’m focused on. I am also a huge supporter of our labor and union partners and would still like to see multipurpose development thrive here in Saint Paul.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrians/bike, and drivers alike?
Ward 7, is directly experiencing the Gold Line BRT construction, and folks are watching closely to see how this impacts East Siders. Another major transit option appears to be the Purple Line BRT. While not directly in Ward 7, our East Side community should be leading a lot of what that looks like along with our suburban neighbors in order to get it built, funded, and supported in a way that will lead to East Siders and City of Saint Paul residents continuing to find it easier to get around.
Transportation is a crucial element to any metro city and I think the East Side is often not at the center of these conversations. Here in Saint Paul, and in particular, on the East Side, transportation is essential for access to education, healthcare, employment, shopping, etc. I will work to make it easier to meet daily needs. Folks that rely on the 63 should be at the center of addressing transit safety issues. Students that are now taking public transit just to get to school are also needed at the table when discussing transportation.
Our transit, sidewalks, roads, bike lanes will need to be repaired & invested in. I look forward to being a partner in this work. I look forward to being able to see just how the Transit Fare Elimination Pilot Program for two regular route bus lines goes, because I am interested in continuing to make public transportation accessible to all Saint Paulites. We must continue to be innovative in that as well. To connect to other parts of the city, I support shared bicycles and free bus fares – as the fares contribute a very insignificant amount to general transportation budgets. I will work with the state and Met Council to increase bus transit funding, better bus service, and increased service. I will also advocate for spaces that are safe for walkability and bikers.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Expanding the Saint Paul tax base will simply take more multipurpose development and frugal spending decisions that decrease displacement, incentivise building, and allow room for more taxpayers. The sales tax could be another attempt to expand the Saint Paul tax base. We should also be intentional about supporting development that will cater to the tax base. Over the years, property taxes will and can only get us so far before our community feels all taxed out.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
For the first time since 1998, we have an opportunity to elect a majority new City Council here in Saint Paul. I see a lot of opportunities for us to invest in making our current city services better. Our City needs to make our city procedures, processes, and overall services more streamlined and most efficient for our community. Constituents, business owners, community partners, etc. have continued to speak about several of our City Departments. I particularly want to take a deep dive into the Department of Safety & Inspections as well as the City Department of Planning and Economic Development because I am concerned that when we have added city functions or services that are vital to our overall public safety, well-being, quality of life, etc. here in Saint Paul, we haven’t also allocated the right workforce, FTE to workload percentage, nor budget necessary to truly make that service, program, departmental function, etc. work as efficiently and effectively as possible. We have an opportunity to pause and evaluate to make things better. With the global pandemic, I don’t think we have paused since 2019. An internal City study may be needed to examine culture, efficiency, workload and environment, staff productivity, and even things like performance metrics in each ward so we can see where the City is and is not and how we start to close the gaps.
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 7
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 507-370-7707
Campaign Website: Cheniquajohnson.com
Twitter handle: @cheniquajohnson
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cheniquajohnsonforward7
Candidate Bio
As a first generation college graduate, Dayton’s Bluff homeowner, former congressional staffer, philanthropist, and community public servant, I am running to be the next City Council member in Ward 7 to get work done with and for the East Side and our city. I am running because our city needs capable leaders who reflect our growth, our diversity, and our shared commitment to the East Side. I am running to be the positive, community focused leader that continues to move us forward - together. I am the only candidate in this race who has worked at all levels of government. I have the privilege of working for the City of Saint Paul twice - one for the City’s Right Track Program and again with the City’s Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Department. During the day, I’m a Program Officer at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. Currently, I serve on the Ramsey County Board of Appeals & Equalization, City of Saint Paul Cultural STAR Board, East Side Funders Group. I’m not new to this work. I’ll be ready on day one to lead our community forward. And, I am proud to be DFL and Labor endorsed in this race.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
My leadership style is transparent, community led, grassroots embedded, coalition focused, and intentional. The work of reaching our residents and ensuring everyone has a voice is nonpartisan. I want to be the kind of leader that makes residents and partners feel comfortable when they need to call me up and share concerns or ask questions about something happening at City Hall. I want residents to know that they can ask me the tough questions. I also want to be sure to be most accountable to my constituents. Everyone in Ward 7 is impacted by the decisions of the city. As a leader, it is my job to listen to everyone to try and make the best decision that reflects the diverse perspectives, beliefs and cultures we have in our Ward and in our city. Some of my opponents will spend more money on electronic communications, I will be on the doors talking with our Ward 7 residents because it’s time to have different voices centered in our local government. I am all about inclusion and ensuring that this City works for everyone, by directly and intentionally including everyone.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
- Housing
- Housing is my #1 priority. East Siders need access to affordable, quality housing, just property taxes, and renter protections. I intend on being more involved directly with several housing entities in the City that have worked directly with housing including: Saint Paul Public Housing Authority, City of Saint Paul Housing and Redevelopment Authority, City Planning and Economic Development, etc.
- Hamm Brewery, the Heights, and overall East Side development are areas where I would like to also see intentional City and County support. I will work to ensure that the East Side gets to keep our mom and pop shops, small businesses, and neighborhood stores.
- Continuing and specifically supporting the Emerging and BIPOC Developer Training and Engagement Initiative. I have followed the work of both the City of Saint Paul and NEOO Partners that aims to increase the representation of emerging developers and leaders who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in the real estate development community. The more we invest in local, developers of color, the more fruitful those investments will be.
- Better City Services & Infrastructure
- Our potholes, bridges, snow removal, and overall state of our city streets must be addressed, and I want to work with the City of Saint Paul’s Department of Public Works to develop new processes. Construction must be funded and I would like to see it not come solely out of our constituents pockets.
- I will work to ensure all City staff are paid equitably and also aim to ensure that we start to address workforce shortages by allocating funding resources towards growing departments that have high constituent intake, administrative demands, and overall public service work.
- Economic Opportunity & Small Business Investment
- I will work with our small business owners and East Side entrepreneurs to ensure that everyone has access to our Ward’s STAR funding, procurement opportunities at the City, and that they have the resources they need on any construction or labor needs to ensure that all City employees and community employees have quality working conditions & can successfully implement some of the legislation that passed at the State legislature this year.
- Strong business communities are economic drivers that help keep cities strong. Business owners and employers are partners in creating good jobs and a high quality of life for city residents. I believe in expanding the tax base to help reduce pressure on taxpayers and contribute to our city’s long term vitality. I will prioritize listening to and learning from local employers and business owners who have important insight about how city policy impacts them, their staff, and our community.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
Right now, I think the biggest challenge Saint Paul is facing is the mere fact that our tax base works every year just to sustain itself, but it doesn’t grow. Simply put, we need more Saint Paulites. The tax base continues to be a problem every year and it sits at the baseline of what caters to why our residents - or taxpayers - continue to feel the property tax hikes, rent increases, cost of living shifts, inflation costs, etc. Whenever the price of something goes up, our Saint Paulites feel it - directly.
Our City is amazing AND conversely, right now, I think we have the biggest opportunity to take a minute, reassess our current City infrastructure and make real adjustments to build upon the current state of our people’s needs and City priorities to plan ahead. We have a real chance to build multipurpose development, invest in the City’s workforce, and be a little stingy in how much of that is assessed to our taxpayers. Rising expenses, and an overall inadvertent consequence of the global pandemic was the shift from proactivity to immediate need and reactionary. We need to keep Saint Paul folks in Saint Paul, while also making it easier for folks to get around Saint Paul, stay employed in Saint Paul, and access Saint Paul city services. Housing, public safety, and economic development are my key issues because I feel like they are where we can make some of the most improvements. We can’t continue to price folks out, we need investment into our future and current workforce, and our economy needs to continue to thrive.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Paul?
My assessment of the current business climate is that there’s been some improvement since 2020, it’s still not quite where it was pre-pandemic, and local businesses are trying all they can to keep the Saint Paul dollar here in Saint Paul. We’ve seen the virtual way of buying things, social media, marketing, engagement strategies in the sector grow. Businesses are sharing strong concerns about interruptions in sales due to the pandemic, construction, and overall cost of living here in Saint Paul. On the contrary, it’s been incredible seeing all of the BIPOC business, recent boom of entrepreneurs, continuation of small, family owned businesses here in Saint Paul and also throughout the East Side. Much like our City, our economy is trying to keep up with the times.
In Ward 7, I really think that keeping the local jobs we have in Ward 7 starts with using development, small business investments, maximizing our land use, and fostering a competitive economy locally. I also want to point out how better city services contribute to an environment that supports business growth. When businesses are successful, we are able to expand our tax base and our city is able to thrive in job opportunities, as well as overall quality of life. I will be the community representative that advocates to keep jobs in Saint Paul, to ensure people are paid equitably, and to work with our folks to ensure that there is consistently a voice on the Council that is fighting for the working class families living in Ward 7 and throughout the City.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
I would like us to begin to see public safety as a workforce issue in our community. I am proud to be endorsed by the Saint Paul Firefighters IAFF Local 21. I intend on working to address FTE shortages over the next few years. A program that I think has potential is the City’s CARES Team. This team is a 2-person response team composed of Saint Paul Fire Department Emergency Medical Technicians. CARES is also looking at including a Social Worker in partnership with Ramsey County. The CARES Team responds to non-violent mental health crises and behavioral emergencies within the City of Saint Paul. My question here, is two people enough? Is there more that we could be doing on the Council in partnership with the SPFD to ensure this program is actually working, doing what was intended, and properly funded to be successful.
In addition, I will work with all of our employees, professionals, community members, educators, families and City staffers that directly have an impact on just how the average Saint Paulite experiences Saint Paul. I feel strongly that we should feel safe in the comfort of our own homes, rec centers, schools, libraries, and in our parks. Investing in Departments like the Office of Neighborhood Safety, Department of Safety & Inspections that handle quite a bit of our business, community, renter, residential relationships and opportunities at the City. Do they have what they need and the people that they need to work as efficiently as the average Saint Paulite wants them to? I am hearing from staff and the community that more may be needed.
And yes, this also includes our Saint Paul Police Department. I was grateful to represent the East Side on the Saint Paul Police Chief Examining Committee. I care who represents us in every level of government and City operations. This included learning, interviewing, and ultimately recommending Chief Axel. I plan to continue that relationship as a City Council member. We just got a new East Side District Commander and I am meeting with them soon. With everything happening here on the East Side, we need all of our partners at the table. In Saint Paul, we will lose quite a bit of our city’s law enforcement and officer workforce to rightful retirement in the next 5 years. Our officers will need the additional support that comes with providing alternatives to traditional policing. Investing in mental health resources, stronger equipped emergency responders, and providing a comprehensive approach to public safety benefits everyone. This isn’t an either/or situation; We can do all the above.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Housing should be accessible and possible for all. I believe it is our responsibility as elected leaders to ensure that every single person in our city, state and country has a place to call home that is affordable and free from harm. I will work to ensure that we implement a citywide cap on rent and make sure that as developers come into our city to do business that they are building units that are affordable for everyone and that discrimination in any form is not a part of their business models. We should focus on how to support people in maintaining housing long term, and what that looks like. I would suggest holding developers accountable for building more affordable house units. I would also advocate for holding landlords accountable who are not holding up their end of the agreements in ensuring that folks are living in healthy and safe places.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
Overall, I support rent stabilization. AND, I also would like to ensure stabilization ordinances benefit people of all incomes and demographics, and do not harm our low income renters. I was a renter in Saint Paul for a while. I know what it feels like for there to be uncertainty around whether I’ll be able to afford where I currently live next year, or if I will be displaced. Housing affordability is what I’m focused on. I am also a huge supporter of our labor and union partners and would still like to see multipurpose development thrive here in Saint Paul.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrians/bike, and drivers alike?
Ward 7, is directly experiencing the Gold Line BRT construction, and folks are watching closely to see how this impacts East Siders. Another major transit option appears to be the Purple Line BRT. While not directly in Ward 7, our East Side community should be leading a lot of what that looks like along with our suburban neighbors in order to get it built, funded, and supported in a way that will lead to East Siders and City of Saint Paul residents continuing to find it easier to get around.
Transportation is a crucial element to any metro city and I think the East Side is often not at the center of these conversations. Here in Saint Paul, and in particular, on the East Side, transportation is essential for access to education, healthcare, employment, shopping, etc. I will work to make it easier to meet daily needs. Folks that rely on the 63 should be at the center of addressing transit safety issues. Students that are now taking public transit just to get to school are also needed at the table when discussing transportation.
Our transit, sidewalks, roads, bike lanes will need to be repaired & invested in. I look forward to being a partner in this work. I look forward to being able to see just how the Transit Fare Elimination Pilot Program for two regular route bus lines goes, because I am interested in continuing to make public transportation accessible to all Saint Paulites. We must continue to be innovative in that as well. To connect to other parts of the city, I support shared bicycles and free bus fares – as the fares contribute a very insignificant amount to general transportation budgets. I will work with the state and Met Council to increase bus transit funding, better bus service, and increased service. I will also advocate for spaces that are safe for walkability and bikers.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Expanding the Saint Paul tax base will simply take more multipurpose development and frugal spending decisions that decrease displacement, incentivise building, and allow room for more taxpayers. The sales tax could be another attempt to expand the Saint Paul tax base. We should also be intentional about supporting development that will cater to the tax base. Over the years, property taxes will and can only get us so far before our community feels all taxed out.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
For the first time since 1998, we have an opportunity to elect a majority new City Council here in Saint Paul. I see a lot of opportunities for us to invest in making our current city services better. Our City needs to make our city procedures, processes, and overall services more streamlined and most efficient for our community. Constituents, business owners, community partners, etc. have continued to speak about several of our City Departments. I particularly want to take a deep dive into the Department of Safety & Inspections as well as the City Department of Planning and Economic Development because I am concerned that when we have added city functions or services that are vital to our overall public safety, well-being, quality of life, etc. here in Saint Paul, we haven’t also allocated the right workforce, FTE to workload percentage, nor budget necessary to truly make that service, program, departmental function, etc. work as efficiently and effectively as possible. We have an opportunity to pause and evaluate to make things better. With the global pandemic, I don’t think we have paused since 2019. An internal City study may be needed to examine culture, efficiency, workload and environment, staff productivity, and even things like performance metrics in each ward so we can see where the City is and is not and how we start to close the gaps.