Isaac Russell
Name: Isaac Russell
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 3
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (612) 741-5831
Campaign Website: isaacforcitycouncil.com
Twitter handle: isaacforward3
Facebook Page: profile.php
Candidate Bio
I worked for nine years in the Minnesota Senate for several Senators, including former Commerce Chair Jim Metzen and former Minority Leader Susan Kent. During my time in the Senate, I worked on issues ranging from public safety, economic development, to education. This gave me firsthand experience regarding the complex nature of public policies and that leadership means finding consensus where none may appear possible.
Currently, I work as the Director of Public Policy at the Center for Economic Inclusion, where I lead the creation of our legislative platform. We work to provide economic opportunity for entrepreneurs and communities of color through efforts that stimulate wealth creation, such as home and business ownership. I regularly work with lawmakers at the Capitol, leaders in nonprofits, and administrative officials to advocate for our platform.
I received my Master’s in Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. I am also the Chair of the Neighborhood Safety Community Council to the Office of Neighborhood Safety, where I will help lead the creation of recommendations for St. Paul’s community-first public safety framework.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I would describe my leadership style as one that seeks to find areas of commonality that can move people forward. I believe the process through which a decision is made is as important as the final decision, so buy-in from all stakeholders involved is significant. The values of honest dialogue, hard work, and striving to do what is right guide me.
A leader must inspire people and get them to believe in themselves and in reaching what many thought was unattainable. However, this must be balanced with sober assessments of where energy and effort must be focused. Attempting to take on too many projects can diminish the ability to accomplish any specific one project.
I also believe a leader has to empower people. Public policy is an expansive topic that is too much for any one person to know. I routinely contact people who know much better than me and want them involved in helping to identify the challenges we face and solutions we need. Essentially, put people in a room and get to yes.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My priorities are the concerns of Ward 3 residents; public safety, building the housing that we need, and city services and infrastructure. These are the basics things many residents of Ward 3 and the City of St. Paul are deeply concerned about. But these priorities are also influenced by my personal experiences of being homeless and receiving public assistance in my youth. It was a strong community focused on these issues that helped stabilize me.
I believe public safety is an issue that cuts across race, class, and political party. If we are to be a city with a vibrant future, our neighborhoods, businesses, rec centers, parks, and schools must be safe places. We need to fully fund law enforcement, hire qualified officers dedicated to forming connections with communities and businesses. I also want to work with our business community to develop a policing strategy that reflects their needs.
I also am firmly committed to investing in our infrastructure and providing efficient and effective city services that our residents deserve. This means getting the best trash contracts at the lowest price possible, giving our firefighters the resources they need to respond to calls, and fixing our crumbling roads and bridges.
Lastly, we need to ensure housing and overall economic development move forward in our city. We need to maintain the exemptions to rent control and preferably institute a 30-year construction exemption to build more housing. We also need to develop a new economic development strategy that seeks to support small businesses, attract mid-size business, and works to keep our downtown safe.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
St. Paul faces many challenges, which means we are presented with many opportunities. So many issues are interconnected, but public safety can bring folks from across the city in very different neighborhoods together. We should continue to implement our community-first public safety model that invests in our law enforcement response while providing opportunities for youth to take more constructive paths in life.
I do not support defunding our law enforcement response. I believe that we must fund our law enforcement response to help prevent crime before it happens, reduce catalytic converter theft, and deter violent crime. All too often, I have heard from business leaders concerns over the safety of their patrons and the security of their property from theft. Neighbors in Ward 3 have also struggled with catalytic converter theft and people breaking into garages, apartment complexes, and vehicles. We need to continue to coordinate law enforcement agencies’ responses to effectively tackle these challenges.
To also be proactive, we should invest in youth programming, mentorship, gun violence prevention, and sports so young people have opportunities to engage in constructive activities. Unfortunately, many of the crimes I have mentioned are committed by youth, so breaking cycles of crime and providing opportunities will also help keep our schools, downtowns, and rec centers safe.
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?
Business and economic development has not been a priority for the City of St. Paul. No city can have a vibrant future without businesses that build wealth in communities, provide jobs, and generate tax revenue to make further investments. In my opinion, business is not engaged until after decisions are made, and this leaves key stakeholders on the sidelines. We need professional dialogue that seeks to build relationships based on common goals.
Many are strongly concerned about the proposed sales tax increase, and I am very unhappy we have reached this point. From the beginning, my campaign has focused on the basics, and to build the infrastructure Ward 3 residents deserve, I support the sales tax increase. However, I do not think this is enough. We need someone on the St. Paul City Council that will be the needed watch dog to ensure we spend this money on our roads.
I intend to make it my mission to ensure we keep our promise to St. Paul voters and fix our infrastructure. I am also excited about working with our business community to ensure the economic development our we need.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
I believe that we need strategic deployment of law enforcement resources with proactive investments in youth programming, violence prevention programs, and appropriate responses to a diverse set of public safety challenges. I do not support redistributing the police budget, which is the new language for defunding.
I serve as Chair of the Neighborhood Safety Community Council to the Office of Neighborhood Safety, so I am excited by the possibility of continuing that work on the council. First, we should continue our efforts to send the appropriate personnel to handle routine calls that do not constitute an emergency, which would free officers to respond to emergency calls. This includes our crisis response teams, such as social workers and the Housing Assistance Response Team. Second, we need to make sure law enforcement has a visible presence to help deter catalytic converter and vehicle theft and property crimes.
Third, we must coordinate with Metro Transit PD to increase commuter safety on public transit. Fourth, we must engage businesses to find strategies that increase safety without charging owners twice for services they should already be receiving. Lastly, we need to invest in our fire department, so they have enough personnel to cover the 60,000 calls they respond to.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Housing is an essential part of any strong and sustainable community. In my youth, my siblings and I lived with my mother and experienced a period of homelessness. Housing was an essential part of stabilizing my life and setting me on the course that made me a homeowner. I believe this is the kind of experience we need on the City Council.
To address the housing shortages our city faces, we first must maintain the exemptions passed to rent control. We need to ensure that we have the investment to build homes for people who needed what I did as a youth; a home to live in. I also believe that we should pass a 30-year exemption to further encourage housing investments in our city.
I also want to put together a group of housing stakeholders to help us identify ways for us to simplify construction in our city. I have spoken to many people that struggle with that aspect of housing in our city. Lastly, we need to ensure our Department of Safety and Inspections has the staff needed to process the large amounts of work they receive.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
I believe rent control is failing St. Paul. As someone who experienced housing instability, I ask myself one fundamental question. Would rent control have helped that 13-year-old me. No, it would not have. My family needed a roof over our heads. We did not have a rent to control.
My personal experience is buttressed by my professional knowledge. Rent control has created a 3 percent target and essentially fixes a market price, and that price is higher than the average 1.8 percent rent increase over the past decade. Rent increases since the passing of the ordinance have increased higher than 1.8 percent, and the city is currently informing people appealing their increases that many landlords could have raised their rent by 15-20 percent.
As new construction continues to lag, housing shortages will place upward pressure on rents and make it very difficult for that next family who needs a home to find one. Lack of new construction and lower property values because of rent control puts increasing pressure on property taxpayers (which renters also pay), and this especially hurts families with low or fixed incomes. Essentially, many of the neediest people aren’t helped, and that is not the housing policy we need.
At a minimum, we need to maintain the exemptions to rent control. I think the best course of action is to push for a 30-year exemption to build more homes for people.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
The Green Line runs through the heart of our two cities, connecting and potentially uniting the downtowns. Sadly, it is woefully underperforming, mostly due to issues of safety and frequent, significant disruption for riders. Increasing the presence of Metro Transit Police on trains will help if we are willing to support sanctions for illegal and inappropriate behavior as an incentive for behavioral change.
Like many other cities, we may have to consider instituting entry gates and turnstiles in order to make our transit system serve as a transit system, not a substitute housing and shelter system. We must also work to connect individuals in various states of crises with the appropriate help.
We have aggressively made a substantial investment in our bike lanes to increase safety. Increasing bike commuting is one way for the city government to positively reduce carbon consumption and make a difference in climate change. Creating safe, clean, convenient E-bike storage in our downtown and other commercial areas is necessary.
We also have to make sure that we acknowledge that auto theft is a reality we continue to grapple with. Targeted enforcement strategies and discussions of deterrence are necessary. This topic is challenging because increasingly more youthful perpetrators are a new challenge. Prevention and alternatives for our youth is important. So too is enforcement and consequences. Second chances must exist, but they should accompany changes in behavior.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Expanding our tax base is quietly one of the most important things we must do as a city. Our limited tax base places an increased burden on residents and businesses in an unsustainable way. To expand our tax base, we must start with our economic development strategy, which has not been updated since 2018.
There are other ways to help expand our tax base. Our city needs to build. We must ensure our Ward 3 Highland Bridge development continues to move forward. Rent control is stifling investment in new development, and for every day land remains undeveloped, we lose property tax revenue. This commitment continues to the Heights, where we need to ensure development moves forward. We should also reconsider PILOT taxes to ensure those who consume city resources help share the burden of paying for them.
Lastly, I believe we need to focus on our downtown if we truly want to broaden revenue stream to the city. First, we need to make downtown a place where people feel safe spending their time and money. This means investing in police and connecting people with resources so we can move those who are unsheltered into housing and off the street. Second, we must work with partners to renovate suitable office space into new housing. This also means attracting businesses that provide groceries and entertainment for downtown residents.
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?
Currently, I am not aware of any particular services that I would like to cut or eliminate. Creating public policy is an awesome responsibility, and I can’t commit to a particular action without understanding the details of how this would affect those who receive services. However, I am committed to ensuring we are maximizing the efficiency of our dollars in a transparent way. If this means sharing services with another entity, then I am willing to explore that possibility.
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 3
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (612) 741-5831
Campaign Website: isaacforcitycouncil.com
Twitter handle: isaacforward3
Facebook Page: profile.php
Candidate Bio
I worked for nine years in the Minnesota Senate for several Senators, including former Commerce Chair Jim Metzen and former Minority Leader Susan Kent. During my time in the Senate, I worked on issues ranging from public safety, economic development, to education. This gave me firsthand experience regarding the complex nature of public policies and that leadership means finding consensus where none may appear possible.
Currently, I work as the Director of Public Policy at the Center for Economic Inclusion, where I lead the creation of our legislative platform. We work to provide economic opportunity for entrepreneurs and communities of color through efforts that stimulate wealth creation, such as home and business ownership. I regularly work with lawmakers at the Capitol, leaders in nonprofits, and administrative officials to advocate for our platform.
I received my Master’s in Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. I am also the Chair of the Neighborhood Safety Community Council to the Office of Neighborhood Safety, where I will help lead the creation of recommendations for St. Paul’s community-first public safety framework.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I would describe my leadership style as one that seeks to find areas of commonality that can move people forward. I believe the process through which a decision is made is as important as the final decision, so buy-in from all stakeholders involved is significant. The values of honest dialogue, hard work, and striving to do what is right guide me.
A leader must inspire people and get them to believe in themselves and in reaching what many thought was unattainable. However, this must be balanced with sober assessments of where energy and effort must be focused. Attempting to take on too many projects can diminish the ability to accomplish any specific one project.
I also believe a leader has to empower people. Public policy is an expansive topic that is too much for any one person to know. I routinely contact people who know much better than me and want them involved in helping to identify the challenges we face and solutions we need. Essentially, put people in a room and get to yes.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My priorities are the concerns of Ward 3 residents; public safety, building the housing that we need, and city services and infrastructure. These are the basics things many residents of Ward 3 and the City of St. Paul are deeply concerned about. But these priorities are also influenced by my personal experiences of being homeless and receiving public assistance in my youth. It was a strong community focused on these issues that helped stabilize me.
I believe public safety is an issue that cuts across race, class, and political party. If we are to be a city with a vibrant future, our neighborhoods, businesses, rec centers, parks, and schools must be safe places. We need to fully fund law enforcement, hire qualified officers dedicated to forming connections with communities and businesses. I also want to work with our business community to develop a policing strategy that reflects their needs.
I also am firmly committed to investing in our infrastructure and providing efficient and effective city services that our residents deserve. This means getting the best trash contracts at the lowest price possible, giving our firefighters the resources they need to respond to calls, and fixing our crumbling roads and bridges.
Lastly, we need to ensure housing and overall economic development move forward in our city. We need to maintain the exemptions to rent control and preferably institute a 30-year construction exemption to build more housing. We also need to develop a new economic development strategy that seeks to support small businesses, attract mid-size business, and works to keep our downtown safe.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
St. Paul faces many challenges, which means we are presented with many opportunities. So many issues are interconnected, but public safety can bring folks from across the city in very different neighborhoods together. We should continue to implement our community-first public safety model that invests in our law enforcement response while providing opportunities for youth to take more constructive paths in life.
I do not support defunding our law enforcement response. I believe that we must fund our law enforcement response to help prevent crime before it happens, reduce catalytic converter theft, and deter violent crime. All too often, I have heard from business leaders concerns over the safety of their patrons and the security of their property from theft. Neighbors in Ward 3 have also struggled with catalytic converter theft and people breaking into garages, apartment complexes, and vehicles. We need to continue to coordinate law enforcement agencies’ responses to effectively tackle these challenges.
To also be proactive, we should invest in youth programming, mentorship, gun violence prevention, and sports so young people have opportunities to engage in constructive activities. Unfortunately, many of the crimes I have mentioned are committed by youth, so breaking cycles of crime and providing opportunities will also help keep our schools, downtowns, and rec centers safe.
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?
Business and economic development has not been a priority for the City of St. Paul. No city can have a vibrant future without businesses that build wealth in communities, provide jobs, and generate tax revenue to make further investments. In my opinion, business is not engaged until after decisions are made, and this leaves key stakeholders on the sidelines. We need professional dialogue that seeks to build relationships based on common goals.
Many are strongly concerned about the proposed sales tax increase, and I am very unhappy we have reached this point. From the beginning, my campaign has focused on the basics, and to build the infrastructure Ward 3 residents deserve, I support the sales tax increase. However, I do not think this is enough. We need someone on the St. Paul City Council that will be the needed watch dog to ensure we spend this money on our roads.
I intend to make it my mission to ensure we keep our promise to St. Paul voters and fix our infrastructure. I am also excited about working with our business community to ensure the economic development our we need.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
I believe that we need strategic deployment of law enforcement resources with proactive investments in youth programming, violence prevention programs, and appropriate responses to a diverse set of public safety challenges. I do not support redistributing the police budget, which is the new language for defunding.
I serve as Chair of the Neighborhood Safety Community Council to the Office of Neighborhood Safety, so I am excited by the possibility of continuing that work on the council. First, we should continue our efforts to send the appropriate personnel to handle routine calls that do not constitute an emergency, which would free officers to respond to emergency calls. This includes our crisis response teams, such as social workers and the Housing Assistance Response Team. Second, we need to make sure law enforcement has a visible presence to help deter catalytic converter and vehicle theft and property crimes.
Third, we must coordinate with Metro Transit PD to increase commuter safety on public transit. Fourth, we must engage businesses to find strategies that increase safety without charging owners twice for services they should already be receiving. Lastly, we need to invest in our fire department, so they have enough personnel to cover the 60,000 calls they respond to.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Housing is an essential part of any strong and sustainable community. In my youth, my siblings and I lived with my mother and experienced a period of homelessness. Housing was an essential part of stabilizing my life and setting me on the course that made me a homeowner. I believe this is the kind of experience we need on the City Council.
To address the housing shortages our city faces, we first must maintain the exemptions passed to rent control. We need to ensure that we have the investment to build homes for people who needed what I did as a youth; a home to live in. I also believe that we should pass a 30-year exemption to further encourage housing investments in our city.
I also want to put together a group of housing stakeholders to help us identify ways for us to simplify construction in our city. I have spoken to many people that struggle with that aspect of housing in our city. Lastly, we need to ensure our Department of Safety and Inspections has the staff needed to process the large amounts of work they receive.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
I believe rent control is failing St. Paul. As someone who experienced housing instability, I ask myself one fundamental question. Would rent control have helped that 13-year-old me. No, it would not have. My family needed a roof over our heads. We did not have a rent to control.
My personal experience is buttressed by my professional knowledge. Rent control has created a 3 percent target and essentially fixes a market price, and that price is higher than the average 1.8 percent rent increase over the past decade. Rent increases since the passing of the ordinance have increased higher than 1.8 percent, and the city is currently informing people appealing their increases that many landlords could have raised their rent by 15-20 percent.
As new construction continues to lag, housing shortages will place upward pressure on rents and make it very difficult for that next family who needs a home to find one. Lack of new construction and lower property values because of rent control puts increasing pressure on property taxpayers (which renters also pay), and this especially hurts families with low or fixed incomes. Essentially, many of the neediest people aren’t helped, and that is not the housing policy we need.
At a minimum, we need to maintain the exemptions to rent control. I think the best course of action is to push for a 30-year exemption to build more homes for people.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
The Green Line runs through the heart of our two cities, connecting and potentially uniting the downtowns. Sadly, it is woefully underperforming, mostly due to issues of safety and frequent, significant disruption for riders. Increasing the presence of Metro Transit Police on trains will help if we are willing to support sanctions for illegal and inappropriate behavior as an incentive for behavioral change.
Like many other cities, we may have to consider instituting entry gates and turnstiles in order to make our transit system serve as a transit system, not a substitute housing and shelter system. We must also work to connect individuals in various states of crises with the appropriate help.
We have aggressively made a substantial investment in our bike lanes to increase safety. Increasing bike commuting is one way for the city government to positively reduce carbon consumption and make a difference in climate change. Creating safe, clean, convenient E-bike storage in our downtown and other commercial areas is necessary.
We also have to make sure that we acknowledge that auto theft is a reality we continue to grapple with. Targeted enforcement strategies and discussions of deterrence are necessary. This topic is challenging because increasingly more youthful perpetrators are a new challenge. Prevention and alternatives for our youth is important. So too is enforcement and consequences. Second chances must exist, but they should accompany changes in behavior.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Expanding our tax base is quietly one of the most important things we must do as a city. Our limited tax base places an increased burden on residents and businesses in an unsustainable way. To expand our tax base, we must start with our economic development strategy, which has not been updated since 2018.
There are other ways to help expand our tax base. Our city needs to build. We must ensure our Ward 3 Highland Bridge development continues to move forward. Rent control is stifling investment in new development, and for every day land remains undeveloped, we lose property tax revenue. This commitment continues to the Heights, where we need to ensure development moves forward. We should also reconsider PILOT taxes to ensure those who consume city resources help share the burden of paying for them.
Lastly, I believe we need to focus on our downtown if we truly want to broaden revenue stream to the city. First, we need to make downtown a place where people feel safe spending their time and money. This means investing in police and connecting people with resources so we can move those who are unsheltered into housing and off the street. Second, we must work with partners to renovate suitable office space into new housing. This also means attracting businesses that provide groceries and entertainment for downtown residents.
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?
Currently, I am not aware of any particular services that I would like to cut or eliminate. Creating public policy is an awesome responsibility, and I can’t commit to a particular action without understanding the details of how this would affect those who receive services. However, I am committed to ensuring we are maximizing the efficiency of our dollars in a transparent way. If this means sharing services with another entity, then I am willing to explore that possibility.