David Martinez
Name: David Martinez
Public Office Sought: Saint Paul City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 612-860-9536
Website: www.martinezward4.com
Candidate Bio
See website: https://martinezward4.wordpress.com/experience/
Business climate
1. How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul?
There are different tiers to St. Paul’s business climate. At the top, you have large companies like Securian, Travelers, Ecolab, Target, Wells Fargo, and 3M. The middle tier is comprised of the various fast food chains, franchises such as Tires Plus, Menards, etc. The bottom tier are your small independent businesses (i.e. Black Sea Restaurant, Ginkgo Coffee, Hardware Hank, Fluid Ink Tattoo, etc. I think the city has a good mix of business types and I’d say overall the business climate is healthy.
2. 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, Saint Paul?
The City has a critically important role in attracting and retaining jobs. Saint Paul has 11 of the Twin Cities’ 25 most significant “hot spots” for development (i.e. Hillcrest Golf Course, Allianz Field, Rondo Land Bridge, Boys Totem Town, Towerside Innovation District, Ford Campus, West 7th Sibley Plaza, Riverfront in Downtown, Beacon Bluff, Cleveland Circle and Sears Downtown). The developers and investors we partner with on these projects will undoubtedly influence the quality of life for Saint Paul residents for many, many years to come. As someone who’s led vendor management for a Fortune 100 company, my skill sets will be extremely beneficial to the City Council, to Mayor Carter and to the City’s Planning & Development teams.
3. Would you support hiring a business advocate as a member of the city senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Saint Paul?
I would welcome the participation of the business community in helping the City attract, expand and retain new businesses. However, I cannot comment on how that relationship should be structured to maximize community impact. The Mayor and the Council would have to discuss the specifics before extending an invitation to the business community.
4. Do you support an increase to the minimum wage in Saint Paul? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Saint Paul and do you support proposals to mitigate the effects on businesses like a tip credit, a youth wage, a training wage, and/or a phase-in?
The Citizen’s League is convening various meetings to study the impact a minimum wage increase would have on the City’s economy, and more importantly, on the small business community. During my 13 years as a homeowner in Ward 4, I’ve come to appreciate many of the small businesses in the neighborhood. It would be a tremendous loss if any of the small businesses we’ve come to love and depend on end up closing their doors due to the unintended consequences of instituting a significant minimum wage increase. My commitment is that I will study all of the facts, that I will leverage my professional & academic experiences, and that I will consult with the stakeholders who will be impacted. Armed with that data, I will then engage in dialogue with the Mayor and fellow Council members to make a final decision. The link to the Citizen’s League study may be accessed here: https://citizensleague.org/blog/minimum-wage-study-committee-begins-work/
5. Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Saint Paul (such as mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Saint Paul and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I think it’s important for workers to have certain protections. I’ve known many individuals who’ve been wrongfully terminated, been required to work in unsafe conditions, had their hours cut unexpectedly, etc. and the impact those situations have had on their lives. I empathize with the business community (it’s not easy owning and running a successful organization), but not if they are taking advantage of workers.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns?
I am committed to ensuring that our public safety experts (i.e. community outreach liaisons, school and county social workers, police, etc.) have the tools and resources they need to effectively address public safety concerns. The Chief of Police reports to the Mayor, so I would work closely with Mayor Carter to immediately address public safety concerns reported in Ward 4.
Budget
7. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
I am committed to maximizing taxpayer dollars and will work to ensure that any proposed increases to tax levies and property taxes are kept at bay.
8. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
I believe the commercial tax rate should be reasonable. Sometimes, commercial tax rates are significantly higher than residential property taxes, which is not fair to the small business owners.
9. What will you do to expand Saint Paul’s tax base?
I am committed to helping attract developers and investors to the City who will help us build the most livable city in America. I will partner with the City’s Planning & Development office to ensure we are dreaming big and creating plans that will attract the jobs and the workers needed to expand the tax base.
Workforce development
10. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I will be an advocate and promoter of any Pre-K through College institution whose students are demonstrating growth and proficiency.
11. What do you see as the city council’s role with regard to public schools in Saint Paul?
I believe the Mayor, the City Council, the Superintendent and the School Board must host regular meetings in order to address the crippling opportunity gap facing many students who graduate (or drop out of) our high schools. This is an issue that requires all hands on deck.
Other
12. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
Over the past decade, the City has experienced increasing rates of concentrated poverty. This is a symptom of larger systemic problems. If we are not intentional in reversing this trend, the quality of life will be diminished for us all.
13. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
* Make sure residents get the city services they deserve and expect at a reasonable cost.
* Make sure community and stakeholder input is received, evaluated and considered in all decisions brought before the Council.
* Support the development of a common agenda on all decisions. Not just the agenda of one, or a few, stakeholders (which happens more frequently than one would think).
14. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
More environmentally friendly transportation options. The reduction of carbon emissions from our transportation system.
15. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Yes, there are always opportunities to maximize and/or combine resources. As a continuous improvement consultant, I specialize in helping organizations operate more efficiently. I will bring those skills to City Hall to ensure that duplicative and unnecessary expenses are scrutinized.
16. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Spread the word. And most importantly, make sure to get out to the polls August 14th!
Public Office Sought: Saint Paul City Council
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 612-860-9536
Website: www.martinezward4.com
Candidate Bio
See website: https://martinezward4.wordpress.com/experience/
Business climate
1. How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul?
There are different tiers to St. Paul’s business climate. At the top, you have large companies like Securian, Travelers, Ecolab, Target, Wells Fargo, and 3M. The middle tier is comprised of the various fast food chains, franchises such as Tires Plus, Menards, etc. The bottom tier are your small independent businesses (i.e. Black Sea Restaurant, Ginkgo Coffee, Hardware Hank, Fluid Ink Tattoo, etc. I think the city has a good mix of business types and I’d say overall the business climate is healthy.
2. 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, Saint Paul?
The City has a critically important role in attracting and retaining jobs. Saint Paul has 11 of the Twin Cities’ 25 most significant “hot spots” for development (i.e. Hillcrest Golf Course, Allianz Field, Rondo Land Bridge, Boys Totem Town, Towerside Innovation District, Ford Campus, West 7th Sibley Plaza, Riverfront in Downtown, Beacon Bluff, Cleveland Circle and Sears Downtown). The developers and investors we partner with on these projects will undoubtedly influence the quality of life for Saint Paul residents for many, many years to come. As someone who’s led vendor management for a Fortune 100 company, my skill sets will be extremely beneficial to the City Council, to Mayor Carter and to the City’s Planning & Development teams.
3. Would you support hiring a business advocate as a member of the city senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Saint Paul?
I would welcome the participation of the business community in helping the City attract, expand and retain new businesses. However, I cannot comment on how that relationship should be structured to maximize community impact. The Mayor and the Council would have to discuss the specifics before extending an invitation to the business community.
4. Do you support an increase to the minimum wage in Saint Paul? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Saint Paul and do you support proposals to mitigate the effects on businesses like a tip credit, a youth wage, a training wage, and/or a phase-in?
The Citizen’s League is convening various meetings to study the impact a minimum wage increase would have on the City’s economy, and more importantly, on the small business community. During my 13 years as a homeowner in Ward 4, I’ve come to appreciate many of the small businesses in the neighborhood. It would be a tremendous loss if any of the small businesses we’ve come to love and depend on end up closing their doors due to the unintended consequences of instituting a significant minimum wage increase. My commitment is that I will study all of the facts, that I will leverage my professional & academic experiences, and that I will consult with the stakeholders who will be impacted. Armed with that data, I will then engage in dialogue with the Mayor and fellow Council members to make a final decision. The link to the Citizen’s League study may be accessed here: https://citizensleague.org/blog/minimum-wage-study-committee-begins-work/
5. Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in Saint Paul (such as mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Saint Paul and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I think it’s important for workers to have certain protections. I’ve known many individuals who’ve been wrongfully terminated, been required to work in unsafe conditions, had their hours cut unexpectedly, etc. and the impact those situations have had on their lives. I empathize with the business community (it’s not easy owning and running a successful organization), but not if they are taking advantage of workers.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns?
I am committed to ensuring that our public safety experts (i.e. community outreach liaisons, school and county social workers, police, etc.) have the tools and resources they need to effectively address public safety concerns. The Chief of Police reports to the Mayor, so I would work closely with Mayor Carter to immediately address public safety concerns reported in Ward 4.
Budget
7. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
I am committed to maximizing taxpayer dollars and will work to ensure that any proposed increases to tax levies and property taxes are kept at bay.
8. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
I believe the commercial tax rate should be reasonable. Sometimes, commercial tax rates are significantly higher than residential property taxes, which is not fair to the small business owners.
9. What will you do to expand Saint Paul’s tax base?
I am committed to helping attract developers and investors to the City who will help us build the most livable city in America. I will partner with the City’s Planning & Development office to ensure we are dreaming big and creating plans that will attract the jobs and the workers needed to expand the tax base.
Workforce development
10. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
I will be an advocate and promoter of any Pre-K through College institution whose students are demonstrating growth and proficiency.
11. What do you see as the city council’s role with regard to public schools in Saint Paul?
I believe the Mayor, the City Council, the Superintendent and the School Board must host regular meetings in order to address the crippling opportunity gap facing many students who graduate (or drop out of) our high schools. This is an issue that requires all hands on deck.
Other
12. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
Over the past decade, the City has experienced increasing rates of concentrated poverty. This is a symptom of larger systemic problems. If we are not intentional in reversing this trend, the quality of life will be diminished for us all.
13. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
* Make sure residents get the city services they deserve and expect at a reasonable cost.
* Make sure community and stakeholder input is received, evaluated and considered in all decisions brought before the Council.
* Support the development of a common agenda on all decisions. Not just the agenda of one, or a few, stakeholders (which happens more frequently than one would think).
14. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
More environmentally friendly transportation options. The reduction of carbon emissions from our transportation system.
15. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Yes, there are always opportunities to maximize and/or combine resources. As a continuous improvement consultant, I specialize in helping organizations operate more efficiently. I will bring those skills to City Hall to ensure that duplicative and unnecessary expenses are scrutinized.
16. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Spread the word. And most importantly, make sure to get out to the polls August 14th!