David A. Singleton
Name: David A. Singleton
Public Office Sought: Maplewood City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-207-2571
Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ElectDavidSingleton4MaplewoodMN/
Candidate Bio
My name is David A. Singleton and I have lived in Maplewood for 4 years however, I was born in raised in St. Paul Minnesota. As a person of color, I bring a unique and in depth prospective to complicated problems, and I am a visionary with a creative side that offers solutions to complex issues, and have worked in various positions of public service and have demonstrated leadership throughout Minnesota most of my life. I am currently a Special Magistrate and Arbitrator certified by the Minnesota Supreme Court under Rule 114. I have a daughter, granddaughter, a sister, and mother that all live in Maplewood and the twin cities metro. I started my work specifically in Maplewood in 2017 when I was appointed by the Maplewood City Council in 2017 to the Police Use of Force Advisory Board. I was elected the Vice Chair and served alongside of current City Council Member Silvia Neblett who was the Chair. While serving as Vice Chair I helped provide strong leadership and offered a diverse prospective that was beneficial in providing substantial advice and counsel to the city council, task force, chief of police and training unit, to ensure that officers have standards and policies that keep them safe as well as the Maplewood community at large.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities if I am elected to the City Council are the following:
How would you characterize the business climate in Maplewood and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate in Maplewood has been on the decline for several years due to a non-attractive business-friendly environment, lack of vision, Unsustainable
financial priorities and now with COVID-19 that has permeated through our community it has further strained the financial conditions of businesses making their future uncertain. A strong business presence in the community creates that sense of “place” and it is what gives the community it is character, it attracts young people, empty nesters, tourists, a talented workforce and other businesses and investors who will drive further growth.
My primary focus relative to economic development will be small businesses because the owners will most likely be local and have a vested interest in the community’s success. Small businesses contribute significantly to the tax revenue. Small business owners are smart, entrepreneurial and can help solve problems and drive change. Thriving small businesses create thriving communities. All these things together will enhance and improve a better quality of life for everyone in Maplewood.
What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Maplewood?
I am a candidate with vision and leadership that understands that for Maplewood to be successful we must protect and enhance the community’s quality of Life and ensure opportunities for present and future generations, and implement polices to ensure that a strong, vibrant, and sustainable economy must exist in the community. I believe that the private sector is the primary driver of the economy, that includes creating jobs for residents and revenue for the community, and that the role of the city in the economy is to assist in creating the conditions that foster investment, so as your City Council Member I will provide policy level direction and support for an economic strategy from which city staff can then develop and implement program elements.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Maplewood (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Maplewood and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I do not support any council mandated employment related proposals.
The process I would follow to understand the impact of an ordinance is as described in my research regarding city mandated minimum wage. As a candidate for city council I have already taken the time to talk to businesses and employees and understand both sides of this issue however, I believe that a council mandate would most likely contribute to a continued lack of economic stability and growth, ultimately affecting the general welfare of the residents in Maplewood.
Local variations in mandated wage rates threaten many businesses with a loss of employees to areas which require higher mandated wage rates, threaten many other businesses with the loss of patrons to areas which allow lower mandated wage rates, and are therefore detrimental to the business environment of Maplewood. It is important for businesses to remain competitive and yet attract and retain the highest possible caliber of employees, private enterprises in Maplewood must be allowed to function in a uniform environment with respect to mandated wage rates; and legislated wage disparity between political subdivisions of this state create an anticompetitive marketplace that fosters job and business relocation.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
I will work with our police department for community safety by tackling the social and economic conditions that foster crime and victimization. Change the common
public view that community safety is the sole responsibility of the police and ensure people must recognize that governments, community-ties, and partnerships at all levels must be actively engaged.
Cities including Maplewood are experiencing housing-related challenges, with a growing share of the population unable to afford to rent or own a home. Residents are struggling to afford not just a place to live, but a stable home that supports their health and well-being. If I am elected your City Council Member, I will work to ensure that Maplewood residents can afford a home, but also, that everyone can afford to live in a place that supports resident’s health and ability to thrive. I will work to repeal zoning ordinances that limit housing supply and inflate the cost of homeownership. If zoning requirements are not revisited along with other requirements the city will effectively eliminate many lower-income and minority families from moving into certain areas.
I will work to invest in transportation infrastructure in locations experiencing growth, particularly in locations that have existing transportation infrastructure that needs to adapt to the demands and opportunities brought by growth. As your City Council Member, I will ensure that all areas of the city are sharing in the positive effects of reinvestment otherwise the city would be perpetuating institutional racism in housing and the economy. In addition, some areas of the city may grow dramatically and may not experience commensurate infrastructure or service investments. The way we overcome those disparities require community centered, long-term, sustained, and coordinated investments in public and private land development, development-related public infrastructure, and transportation systems.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
Ongoing expenditures should be supported by ongoing revenues. Accordingly, onetime revenues should not be used for ongoing expenditure on a continuous basis. A General Fund Reserve should be established and maintained at a minimum of three percent. Budget development should be guided by a long term, or strategic budget plan proposed by the City Manager and adopted by the Mayor and City Council. Once adopted, annual budgets should be amended only when urgency requires, and then by identifying specific funding sources for these new priorities.
What will you do to expand Maplewood’s tax base?
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
If you elect me to the Maplewood City Council, I will work to bring key stakeholders together to effect change in our community by building bridges between K-12 and higher education, develop and implement academic and career pathways that cater to workforce needs, and introduce high school students to opportunities such as dual enrollment so, they can gain college credits during their final year of high school. I will utilize a multi-sector partnership approach and data to foster equity and to ensure more young people and adults from historically marginalized populations have access to postsecondary and education opportunities that lead to meaningful employment. Designate Promise Zones in various areas of Maplewood. Promise Zones are high poverty communities where the federal government partners with local leaders to increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, leverage private investment, reduce violent crime, enhance public health, and address other priorities identified by the community.
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?
As a candidate for Maplewood City Council I have reviewed the 2020 budget however, I feel like I need to take more time and do an in-depth assessment and read supporting documentation and evaluate if the outcomes were worth the allocation of funds before I am not in the position to make informed recommendations or take a position on the possible elimination of services or any cuts in services. I do think there may be opportunities to share services with other entities. Speaking specifically on the Maplewood Nature Center, I have had an opportunity to review the closing of the Maplewood Nature Center. I have spoken with city staff and some residents and due to budget shortfalls and COVID-19 contributors that led to the closing of the center. I do think there are some opportunities to share services with other entities who have experience in management of a nature center and similar services. I would be in support of a shared service plan.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Maplewood?
If I am elected to the Maplewood City Council, I will work to create an inclusive local economy, will tackle challenges of infrastructure, insufficient resources, a need for re-engineered business practices, decentralized, and disjointed processes, help encourage the political will and make cultural changes, with the goal of making economic opportunity more inclusive and using these opportunities to improve the outcomes and conditions of disadvantaged people. There is also a need for procurement reform so that there is an equal playing field that is inclusive of women and minority owned business opportunities.
What further policies can Maplewood adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
If I am elected to the Maplewood City Council, I will work to establish relationships with other entities to share resources so that recovery time will be short. I will also make it a priority to identify and encourage the council to apply for grants and other financial support that will help fill the gaps in the budget as well as keeping the financial burden from our residents and failing businesses.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I am asking for your endorsement and your vote, I pledge that I will always be honest about the issues good or bad, I will work with the residents to always to get their input on what they want in their city, and I don’t believe in sitting in an elected or appointed positions perpetually. I will serve two full terms and contribute the best that I have to give and move on and allow democracy to work and for new people with new ideas.
Please vote on August 11th, 2020 and allow me to advance to the general election November 3rd, 2020.
Public Office Sought: Maplewood City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-207-2571
Website:
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ElectDavidSingleton4MaplewoodMN/
Candidate Bio
My name is David A. Singleton and I have lived in Maplewood for 4 years however, I was born in raised in St. Paul Minnesota. As a person of color, I bring a unique and in depth prospective to complicated problems, and I am a visionary with a creative side that offers solutions to complex issues, and have worked in various positions of public service and have demonstrated leadership throughout Minnesota most of my life. I am currently a Special Magistrate and Arbitrator certified by the Minnesota Supreme Court under Rule 114. I have a daughter, granddaughter, a sister, and mother that all live in Maplewood and the twin cities metro. I started my work specifically in Maplewood in 2017 when I was appointed by the Maplewood City Council in 2017 to the Police Use of Force Advisory Board. I was elected the Vice Chair and served alongside of current City Council Member Silvia Neblett who was the Chair. While serving as Vice Chair I helped provide strong leadership and offered a diverse prospective that was beneficial in providing substantial advice and counsel to the city council, task force, chief of police and training unit, to ensure that officers have standards and policies that keep them safe as well as the Maplewood community at large.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities if I am elected to the City Council are the following:
- Improve public safety and police- community relations, ensure city government is accountable, accessible, and responsive to all residents.
- To ensure that the government is fiscally sustainable and is working work to create and approve budgets that will not be a financial burden to the residents of Maplewood.
- Support community development initiatives for an improved equitable and enhanced quality of life for all residents of Maplewood, and to increase women and minority business opportunities.
How would you characterize the business climate in Maplewood and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
The business climate in Maplewood has been on the decline for several years due to a non-attractive business-friendly environment, lack of vision, Unsustainable
financial priorities and now with COVID-19 that has permeated through our community it has further strained the financial conditions of businesses making their future uncertain. A strong business presence in the community creates that sense of “place” and it is what gives the community it is character, it attracts young people, empty nesters, tourists, a talented workforce and other businesses and investors who will drive further growth.
My primary focus relative to economic development will be small businesses because the owners will most likely be local and have a vested interest in the community’s success. Small businesses contribute significantly to the tax revenue. Small business owners are smart, entrepreneurial and can help solve problems and drive change. Thriving small businesses create thriving communities. All these things together will enhance and improve a better quality of life for everyone in Maplewood.
What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Maplewood?
I am a candidate with vision and leadership that understands that for Maplewood to be successful we must protect and enhance the community’s quality of Life and ensure opportunities for present and future generations, and implement polices to ensure that a strong, vibrant, and sustainable economy must exist in the community. I believe that the private sector is the primary driver of the economy, that includes creating jobs for residents and revenue for the community, and that the role of the city in the economy is to assist in creating the conditions that foster investment, so as your City Council Member I will provide policy level direction and support for an economic strategy from which city staff can then develop and implement program elements.
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Maplewood (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in Maplewood and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I do not support any council mandated employment related proposals.
The process I would follow to understand the impact of an ordinance is as described in my research regarding city mandated minimum wage. As a candidate for city council I have already taken the time to talk to businesses and employees and understand both sides of this issue however, I believe that a council mandate would most likely contribute to a continued lack of economic stability and growth, ultimately affecting the general welfare of the residents in Maplewood.
Local variations in mandated wage rates threaten many businesses with a loss of employees to areas which require higher mandated wage rates, threaten many other businesses with the loss of patrons to areas which allow lower mandated wage rates, and are therefore detrimental to the business environment of Maplewood. It is important for businesses to remain competitive and yet attract and retain the highest possible caliber of employees, private enterprises in Maplewood must be allowed to function in a uniform environment with respect to mandated wage rates; and legislated wage disparity between political subdivisions of this state create an anticompetitive marketplace that fosters job and business relocation.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
I will work with our police department for community safety by tackling the social and economic conditions that foster crime and victimization. Change the common
public view that community safety is the sole responsibility of the police and ensure people must recognize that governments, community-ties, and partnerships at all levels must be actively engaged.
Cities including Maplewood are experiencing housing-related challenges, with a growing share of the population unable to afford to rent or own a home. Residents are struggling to afford not just a place to live, but a stable home that supports their health and well-being. If I am elected your City Council Member, I will work to ensure that Maplewood residents can afford a home, but also, that everyone can afford to live in a place that supports resident’s health and ability to thrive. I will work to repeal zoning ordinances that limit housing supply and inflate the cost of homeownership. If zoning requirements are not revisited along with other requirements the city will effectively eliminate many lower-income and minority families from moving into certain areas.
I will work to invest in transportation infrastructure in locations experiencing growth, particularly in locations that have existing transportation infrastructure that needs to adapt to the demands and opportunities brought by growth. As your City Council Member, I will ensure that all areas of the city are sharing in the positive effects of reinvestment otherwise the city would be perpetuating institutional racism in housing and the economy. In addition, some areas of the city may grow dramatically and may not experience commensurate infrastructure or service investments. The way we overcome those disparities require community centered, long-term, sustained, and coordinated investments in public and private land development, development-related public infrastructure, and transportation systems.
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
Ongoing expenditures should be supported by ongoing revenues. Accordingly, onetime revenues should not be used for ongoing expenditure on a continuous basis. A General Fund Reserve should be established and maintained at a minimum of three percent. Budget development should be guided by a long term, or strategic budget plan proposed by the City Manager and adopted by the Mayor and City Council. Once adopted, annual budgets should be amended only when urgency requires, and then by identifying specific funding sources for these new priorities.
What will you do to expand Maplewood’s tax base?
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
If you elect me to the Maplewood City Council, I will work to bring key stakeholders together to effect change in our community by building bridges between K-12 and higher education, develop and implement academic and career pathways that cater to workforce needs, and introduce high school students to opportunities such as dual enrollment so, they can gain college credits during their final year of high school. I will utilize a multi-sector partnership approach and data to foster equity and to ensure more young people and adults from historically marginalized populations have access to postsecondary and education opportunities that lead to meaningful employment. Designate Promise Zones in various areas of Maplewood. Promise Zones are high poverty communities where the federal government partners with local leaders to increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, leverage private investment, reduce violent crime, enhance public health, and address other priorities identified by the community.
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?
As a candidate for Maplewood City Council I have reviewed the 2020 budget however, I feel like I need to take more time and do an in-depth assessment and read supporting documentation and evaluate if the outcomes were worth the allocation of funds before I am not in the position to make informed recommendations or take a position on the possible elimination of services or any cuts in services. I do think there may be opportunities to share services with other entities. Speaking specifically on the Maplewood Nature Center, I have had an opportunity to review the closing of the Maplewood Nature Center. I have spoken with city staff and some residents and due to budget shortfalls and COVID-19 contributors that led to the closing of the center. I do think there are some opportunities to share services with other entities who have experience in management of a nature center and similar services. I would be in support of a shared service plan.
What is the role of the City Council in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Maplewood?
If I am elected to the Maplewood City Council, I will work to create an inclusive local economy, will tackle challenges of infrastructure, insufficient resources, a need for re-engineered business practices, decentralized, and disjointed processes, help encourage the political will and make cultural changes, with the goal of making economic opportunity more inclusive and using these opportunities to improve the outcomes and conditions of disadvantaged people. There is also a need for procurement reform so that there is an equal playing field that is inclusive of women and minority owned business opportunities.
What further policies can Maplewood adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
If I am elected to the Maplewood City Council, I will work to establish relationships with other entities to share resources so that recovery time will be short. I will also make it a priority to identify and encourage the council to apply for grants and other financial support that will help fill the gaps in the budget as well as keeping the financial burden from our residents and failing businesses.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I am asking for your endorsement and your vote, I pledge that I will always be honest about the issues good or bad, I will work with the residents to always to get their input on what they want in their city, and I don’t believe in sitting in an elected or appointed positions perpetually. I will serve two full terms and contribute the best that I have to give and move on and allow democracy to work and for new people with new ideas.
Please vote on August 11th, 2020 and allow me to advance to the general election November 3rd, 2020.