Molly Coleman
Name: Molly Coleman
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651.485.3881
Campaign Website: coleman4council.com
Twitter handle: N/A
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/people/Molly-Coleman-for-Saint-Paul-City-Council/61574635514814/
Candidate Bio
I was born and raised in Saint Paul. I attended Saint Paul Public Schools and graduated from Saint Paul Central High School. After spending time out-of-state to attend college, work in public schools in New York City providing student support services, and attend law school, I returned to Saint Paul, first as a renter downtown and now as a homeowner in Hamline-Midway, where I live with my husband and son. For the last seven years, I have been running the People’s Parity Project, a national legal advocacy organization I co-founded in 2018 which aims to build a legal system that works for working people and a democracy that is truly governed by the people. As I’ve done this work, it’s become clear that, if we want to build an economy—and a democracy—that works for working people, it has to happen at the local level. I’m running to serve Ward Four because I love this city, and believe we have an obligation to do the hard work of building a more just, more equitable, more inclusive community here in Saint Paul in order to restore faith in the idea that it is possible to collectively build a better world.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I am a dedicated, curious, and collaborative leader. I am motivated by my love for the work, and as a Saint Paul City Council Member I would lead every day with a belief in the city of Saint Paul—our history, our present, and all that we are capable of being. As somebody who has led a national organization doing complex policy, advocacy, and organizing work, I hold myself to a high standard of preparedness, dedication, and integrity, and know that the residents of Ward Four deserve nothing less from their Council Member. I have big ambitions for our city, but I am also grounded in reality: I know that governing is about building partnerships, never letting the perfect be the enemy of good, and making life tangibly, measurably better for the people of Saint Paul.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
My top priority if I am elected to the City Council is building an economically just city. It’s crucial that we continue to raise the floor for all working people, use the city’s new administrative citations to enforce our workplace standards, and use every tool at the city’s disposal to fight for the rights of workers. Building an economically just city also requires ensuring that all members of our community are able to afford their lives: bringing down housing costs, weatherizing homes to cut down on emissions and reduce utility bills, investing in public transportation and bike and pedestrian routes so that people can get where they need to go in affordable, climate-friendly ways, and more. Doing any of this requires us to bring investment into our city and grow our tax base. Taking advantage of key development opportunities and building our community’s wealth with the ultimate goal of building an economically just city is especially important given our state’s projected economic outlook, and it will be my driving priority on the Council.
My second priority if elected is providing high-quality core services and building a city that is responsive to our residents’ needs. Every day, people rely on their Council office to help them navigate government systems and quickly find the resources and support they need. City Council offices are often the first stop for people who are looking for help addressing a problem in their community; whether or not it’s something that’s actually in the Council’s power to solve, I see it as the role of a City Council Member to ensure residents get the answers they need. This requires building strong, trusting relationships, not just with the staff in our city departments, but with partners in the neighborhood and at the county, state, and federal levels in order to help our city’s residents get the high-quality attention they deserve. At the same time, it’s the job of a Council Member to work with their colleagues on the City Council and the Mayor’s office to build policies that serve as larger solutions to ongoing challenges. Council Members are key leaders in this work, but they can only do their job well if they ensure residents’ voices are heard and reflected in the policy-making work of the city. As a Council Member, I’m committed to working with all members of our community in order to understand what people need from the city and turn those needs into policy.
My third priority is to build true, community-focused public safety. True public safety starts by investing in our core services, like libraries, parks, and housing, so every family has an ability to live a safe and secure life. It relies on us building out a full suite of proactive strategies by partnering with community-based organizations like Community Ambassadors, Love First, and others who are doing the work of engaging our young people. It requires us to continue refining our non-police response tools like mental health, substance use, and culturally responsive emergency units. And it means we must continue to improve our coordination between our own Saint Paul Police Department and other law enforcement agencies like Ramsey County and Met Transit Police to ensure our reactive response resources are being effectively utilized. Community safety is something we work towards every day through the investments we make, the support services we build, and the bonds we develop across our community. As a Council Member, I will ensure that true, long-lasting community safety is at the forefront of every decision we make.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Saint Paul?
The foundational challenge in Saint Paul in 2025 is our small—and shrinking—tax base. We need to bring increased investment in our city and grow our community’s wealth in order to house our residents; ensure that everybody has a high-quality, well-paid job; fund the programs needed to support our most vulnerable residents; and support both the city’s core work and our ambitious visions. It’s critical that leaders throughout the city commit to bringing the investment into Saint Paul that the rest of our city’s work depends on so that we are not forced to continuously attempt to do more with less.
The biggest opportunity in Saint Paul is our community investment, belief in our city, and dedication to building a better future for every single one of our residents. Saint Paul is a city that has done hard things before. We operate with a set of broadly shared values, and are largely united in our vision for a vibrant, inclusive, livable city. And across Saint Paul, we share an unrelenting commitment to making this the best city in the country to live, work, and play. People in Saint Paul, myself included, truly believe there is nowhere better to be, and it’s that commitment, resilience, and resolve that present the biggest opportunity for the future of our city.
What is your perspective on the rent stabilization ordinance in Saint Paul, and how do you view its effect on housing availability, affordability, and the city's economic climate?
In enacting rent stabilization, Saint Paul voters acknowledged that housing affordability is a significant challenge for residents of our city, and demanded bold approaches to addressing it. Unfortunately, the ordinance as it was implemented failed to actually meet our residents’ demands. The early years of data show that it didn’t keep rent down relative to cities around us, and it created an unacceptable slowdown of the new construction that is necessary to meet our housing needs. I was an early supporter of both the amendment recently adopted by the City Council, which exempts all new construction built after 2004 from the original ordinance, and the accompanying tenant protections. The approach taken by the Council was one that acknowledged our need to build new housing—both to create more rental units, including affordable rental units, and to ensure we have high-quality jobs here in the city of Saint Paul—while also prioritizing renters’ right to stable, affordable housing. Moving forward, it’s essential that city leadership use proven, outcome-focused strategies to ensure that our city is affordable and livable for all of our residents.
What steps would you take to revitalize downtown Saint Paul and promote long-term economic growth in the area?
Cities around the country are struggling to build and maintain vibrant downtown cores in the post-pandemic era, and we know that downtown Saint Paul has been hit especially hard. Revitalizing downtown requires us to take a four-pronged approach. First, we must support the office-to-residential conversions and mixed-use development that we know will be the future of downtown. With the recent amendment to our rent stabilization ordinance aimed at increasing new development and the success of recent projects like the Landmark Tower, I’m confident that we are laying the groundwork to make downtown a centerpiece of our strategy for increasing housing accessibility in the city. Second, we need to continue to invest in safety downtown. This starts with adequately supporting our community members struggling with housing insecurity and drug addiction and investing in our community-first response services, including the Homeless Assistance Response Team. Every single person who lives, stays, or visits downtown should do so knowing that they are in a safe community. Third, we need to attract new entrepreneurs and investors to Saint Paul and continue to invest in programs that connect promising leaders with available space and resources throughout downtown. It’s essential that people understand that if they are looking to launch a nonprofit, small business, or entrepreneurial venture, then downtown Saint Paul is the place for them. Finally, we have to continue to invest in the cultural amenities and community identity that make downtown special—the artists’ community in Lowertown, the festivals, the green spaces, and more, all of which set downtown Saint Paul apart from other urban cores and which will be key to bringing in the residents and economic development that we need.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development?
In the city of Saint Paul, our small businesses are a community asset. As with all members of our community, our small businesses aren’t just a group that City Hall should work for, but a group that City Hall should work with—taking advantage of the expertise, experiences, and vision within our local business community. This requires City Council Members to show up, have conversations early and often, and bring in businesses not just as a group that needs to be informed of decisions, but that must be a part of crafting workable solutions to move our city forward. If people are working to build our economy in Saint Paul, I see them as a partner..
How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Saint Paul?
I’m hearing that it’s too hard to open, sustain, and build small businesses in Saint Paul. Ensuring that economic development happens here in the city—and that our workers are benefiting from that development—is a core city function, and a primary responsibility of the City Council. City Council Members have three key roles in attracting and retaining jobs here in the city. First, through the constituent service component of the work, Council Members can help businesses in—and interested in—their ward navigate the city landscape and ensure they have the support they need to help build our city. Second, Council Members must use their legislative policy-making role to work with the Mayor’s office and city departments to streamline our processes, make it easier for businesses to open and operate in the city, and build a culture of “yes” when it comes to new development and investment here in Saint Paul. Third, City Council Members have to use their platform to be vocal champions for Saint Paul. It’s crucial that we change the narrative about our city, showcase our many strengths as a community, and celebrate the incredible small businesses who are already making this the city we all love.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
True public safety starts by investing in our core services, like libraries, parks, and housing, so every family has an ability to live a safe and secure life. It relies on us building out a full suite of proactive strategies by partnering with community-based organizations like Community Ambassadors, Love First, and others who are doing the work of engaging our young people. It requires us to continue refining our non-police response tools like mental health, substance use, and culturally responsive emergency units. And it means we continue to improve our coordination between our own Saint Paul Police Department and other law enforcement agencies like Ramsey County and Met Transit Police to ensure our reactive response resources are being effectively utilized.
Community safety is a key conversation in Ward Four in particular because of the challenges we’re facing in Midway. We must make continued investments in outreach to and support for our unhoused neighbors and community members struggling with drug addiction. The Mayor has announced that the city of Saint Paul will be hosting a citywide summit on fentanyl and the opioid crisis later this year, and it will be essential that we use this as an opportunity to develop the comprehensive, community-wide initiatives needed to make the Midway neighborhood truly safe for all.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
We need to continue to invest in multimodal transportation that meets the needs of all of our residents while also moving us towards a more sustainable, planet-friendly future. Public transportation, off-street biking paths, and pedestrian-friendly corridors make our neighborhoods more accessible, reduce air pollution and emissions, and drive necessary revenue and foot traffic for our small businesses and institutions. Right now, it’s simply not realistic for enough of our families, workers, students, and residents to get where they need to go without a car. As a City Council Member, I will champion the buildout of proposed transit routes, a buildout of the urgently needed off-street bike path network, and pedestrian-friendly street design that makes moving throughout our neighborhoods more realistic, safe, and enjoyable. Additionally, I’m committed to effectively partnering with Metro Transit, Ramsey County, the Saint Paul Police Department, and others to ensure light rail and other transportation options continue to be as safe and efficient as possible.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability with the uncertainty surrounding future federal funding and the expiration of temporary COVID relief dollars?
The best way to ensure fiscal stability in the city of Saint Paul is to build investment here in our city, in order to create true, sustainable community wealth. Doing this starts with building off the recent changes to the rent stabilization amendment to bring in housing development, and pursuing other options like up-zoning key corridors, permitting Accessory Commercial Units throughout the city, and relaxing restrictions on setbacks and design elements. We can also work with city departments to ensure that we’re providing proactive guidance for people who want to build in Saint Paul, and foster a culture of “yes” when it comes to new investments in our city. Building our community wealth also requires us to build Saint Paul in a way that draws young people, workers, and families here—this requires us to support new multimodal transit, build out bike paths, invest in our community assets including our arts and cultural scene, and more. Finally, ensuring fiscal stability in Saint Paul requires us to both explore possible new revenue streams—including working toward a Payment in Lieu of Taxes program with our wealthy, tax-exempt city entities and advocating for a Land Value Tax at the state level—and strengthen existing revenue streams, including Local Government Aid.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
Cities are responsible for meeting the daily needs of our residents. City Hall needs to make sure our residents have affordable housing, our streets are plowed, our sidewalks are safe, our parks are accessible, and our libraries and rec centers are open. If we’re not doing that basic work of a city really, really well, nothing else that we do will matter. Further, cities need to be responsive to the full array of concerns held by our residents, but we need to have solutions that are appropriately sized, recognizing that cities aren’t islands and that we need to prioritize work that will make people choose to be here. I’m not afraid to be bold in our work at the municipal level in Saint Paul, but I recognize that cities don’t have the necessary tools to solve every single societal challenge all at once. I’m committed to engaging thoughtfully with the needs of our residents and crafting tailored solutions that can actually be implemented at the city level.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651.485.3881
Campaign Website: coleman4council.com
Twitter handle: N/A
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/people/Molly-Coleman-for-Saint-Paul-City-Council/61574635514814/
Candidate Bio
I was born and raised in Saint Paul. I attended Saint Paul Public Schools and graduated from Saint Paul Central High School. After spending time out-of-state to attend college, work in public schools in New York City providing student support services, and attend law school, I returned to Saint Paul, first as a renter downtown and now as a homeowner in Hamline-Midway, where I live with my husband and son. For the last seven years, I have been running the People’s Parity Project, a national legal advocacy organization I co-founded in 2018 which aims to build a legal system that works for working people and a democracy that is truly governed by the people. As I’ve done this work, it’s become clear that, if we want to build an economy—and a democracy—that works for working people, it has to happen at the local level. I’m running to serve Ward Four because I love this city, and believe we have an obligation to do the hard work of building a more just, more equitable, more inclusive community here in Saint Paul in order to restore faith in the idea that it is possible to collectively build a better world.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I am a dedicated, curious, and collaborative leader. I am motivated by my love for the work, and as a Saint Paul City Council Member I would lead every day with a belief in the city of Saint Paul—our history, our present, and all that we are capable of being. As somebody who has led a national organization doing complex policy, advocacy, and organizing work, I hold myself to a high standard of preparedness, dedication, and integrity, and know that the residents of Ward Four deserve nothing less from their Council Member. I have big ambitions for our city, but I am also grounded in reality: I know that governing is about building partnerships, never letting the perfect be the enemy of good, and making life tangibly, measurably better for the people of Saint Paul.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
My top priority if I am elected to the City Council is building an economically just city. It’s crucial that we continue to raise the floor for all working people, use the city’s new administrative citations to enforce our workplace standards, and use every tool at the city’s disposal to fight for the rights of workers. Building an economically just city also requires ensuring that all members of our community are able to afford their lives: bringing down housing costs, weatherizing homes to cut down on emissions and reduce utility bills, investing in public transportation and bike and pedestrian routes so that people can get where they need to go in affordable, climate-friendly ways, and more. Doing any of this requires us to bring investment into our city and grow our tax base. Taking advantage of key development opportunities and building our community’s wealth with the ultimate goal of building an economically just city is especially important given our state’s projected economic outlook, and it will be my driving priority on the Council.
My second priority if elected is providing high-quality core services and building a city that is responsive to our residents’ needs. Every day, people rely on their Council office to help them navigate government systems and quickly find the resources and support they need. City Council offices are often the first stop for people who are looking for help addressing a problem in their community; whether or not it’s something that’s actually in the Council’s power to solve, I see it as the role of a City Council Member to ensure residents get the answers they need. This requires building strong, trusting relationships, not just with the staff in our city departments, but with partners in the neighborhood and at the county, state, and federal levels in order to help our city’s residents get the high-quality attention they deserve. At the same time, it’s the job of a Council Member to work with their colleagues on the City Council and the Mayor’s office to build policies that serve as larger solutions to ongoing challenges. Council Members are key leaders in this work, but they can only do their job well if they ensure residents’ voices are heard and reflected in the policy-making work of the city. As a Council Member, I’m committed to working with all members of our community in order to understand what people need from the city and turn those needs into policy.
My third priority is to build true, community-focused public safety. True public safety starts by investing in our core services, like libraries, parks, and housing, so every family has an ability to live a safe and secure life. It relies on us building out a full suite of proactive strategies by partnering with community-based organizations like Community Ambassadors, Love First, and others who are doing the work of engaging our young people. It requires us to continue refining our non-police response tools like mental health, substance use, and culturally responsive emergency units. And it means we must continue to improve our coordination between our own Saint Paul Police Department and other law enforcement agencies like Ramsey County and Met Transit Police to ensure our reactive response resources are being effectively utilized. Community safety is something we work towards every day through the investments we make, the support services we build, and the bonds we develop across our community. As a Council Member, I will ensure that true, long-lasting community safety is at the forefront of every decision we make.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Saint Paul?
The foundational challenge in Saint Paul in 2025 is our small—and shrinking—tax base. We need to bring increased investment in our city and grow our community’s wealth in order to house our residents; ensure that everybody has a high-quality, well-paid job; fund the programs needed to support our most vulnerable residents; and support both the city’s core work and our ambitious visions. It’s critical that leaders throughout the city commit to bringing the investment into Saint Paul that the rest of our city’s work depends on so that we are not forced to continuously attempt to do more with less.
The biggest opportunity in Saint Paul is our community investment, belief in our city, and dedication to building a better future for every single one of our residents. Saint Paul is a city that has done hard things before. We operate with a set of broadly shared values, and are largely united in our vision for a vibrant, inclusive, livable city. And across Saint Paul, we share an unrelenting commitment to making this the best city in the country to live, work, and play. People in Saint Paul, myself included, truly believe there is nowhere better to be, and it’s that commitment, resilience, and resolve that present the biggest opportunity for the future of our city.
What is your perspective on the rent stabilization ordinance in Saint Paul, and how do you view its effect on housing availability, affordability, and the city's economic climate?
In enacting rent stabilization, Saint Paul voters acknowledged that housing affordability is a significant challenge for residents of our city, and demanded bold approaches to addressing it. Unfortunately, the ordinance as it was implemented failed to actually meet our residents’ demands. The early years of data show that it didn’t keep rent down relative to cities around us, and it created an unacceptable slowdown of the new construction that is necessary to meet our housing needs. I was an early supporter of both the amendment recently adopted by the City Council, which exempts all new construction built after 2004 from the original ordinance, and the accompanying tenant protections. The approach taken by the Council was one that acknowledged our need to build new housing—both to create more rental units, including affordable rental units, and to ensure we have high-quality jobs here in the city of Saint Paul—while also prioritizing renters’ right to stable, affordable housing. Moving forward, it’s essential that city leadership use proven, outcome-focused strategies to ensure that our city is affordable and livable for all of our residents.
What steps would you take to revitalize downtown Saint Paul and promote long-term economic growth in the area?
Cities around the country are struggling to build and maintain vibrant downtown cores in the post-pandemic era, and we know that downtown Saint Paul has been hit especially hard. Revitalizing downtown requires us to take a four-pronged approach. First, we must support the office-to-residential conversions and mixed-use development that we know will be the future of downtown. With the recent amendment to our rent stabilization ordinance aimed at increasing new development and the success of recent projects like the Landmark Tower, I’m confident that we are laying the groundwork to make downtown a centerpiece of our strategy for increasing housing accessibility in the city. Second, we need to continue to invest in safety downtown. This starts with adequately supporting our community members struggling with housing insecurity and drug addiction and investing in our community-first response services, including the Homeless Assistance Response Team. Every single person who lives, stays, or visits downtown should do so knowing that they are in a safe community. Third, we need to attract new entrepreneurs and investors to Saint Paul and continue to invest in programs that connect promising leaders with available space and resources throughout downtown. It’s essential that people understand that if they are looking to launch a nonprofit, small business, or entrepreneurial venture, then downtown Saint Paul is the place for them. Finally, we have to continue to invest in the cultural amenities and community identity that make downtown special—the artists’ community in Lowertown, the festivals, the green spaces, and more, all of which set downtown Saint Paul apart from other urban cores and which will be key to bringing in the residents and economic development that we need.
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges whether they be education, housing, or workforce development?
In the city of Saint Paul, our small businesses are a community asset. As with all members of our community, our small businesses aren’t just a group that City Hall should work for, but a group that City Hall should work with—taking advantage of the expertise, experiences, and vision within our local business community. This requires City Council Members to show up, have conversations early and often, and bring in businesses not just as a group that needs to be informed of decisions, but that must be a part of crafting workable solutions to move our city forward. If people are working to build our economy in Saint Paul, I see them as a partner..
How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in Saint Paul?
I’m hearing that it’s too hard to open, sustain, and build small businesses in Saint Paul. Ensuring that economic development happens here in the city—and that our workers are benefiting from that development—is a core city function, and a primary responsibility of the City Council. City Council Members have three key roles in attracting and retaining jobs here in the city. First, through the constituent service component of the work, Council Members can help businesses in—and interested in—their ward navigate the city landscape and ensure they have the support they need to help build our city. Second, Council Members must use their legislative policy-making role to work with the Mayor’s office and city departments to streamline our processes, make it easier for businesses to open and operate in the city, and build a culture of “yes” when it comes to new development and investment here in Saint Paul. Third, City Council Members have to use their platform to be vocal champions for Saint Paul. It’s crucial that we change the narrative about our city, showcase our many strengths as a community, and celebrate the incredible small businesses who are already making this the city we all love.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
True public safety starts by investing in our core services, like libraries, parks, and housing, so every family has an ability to live a safe and secure life. It relies on us building out a full suite of proactive strategies by partnering with community-based organizations like Community Ambassadors, Love First, and others who are doing the work of engaging our young people. It requires us to continue refining our non-police response tools like mental health, substance use, and culturally responsive emergency units. And it means we continue to improve our coordination between our own Saint Paul Police Department and other law enforcement agencies like Ramsey County and Met Transit Police to ensure our reactive response resources are being effectively utilized.
Community safety is a key conversation in Ward Four in particular because of the challenges we’re facing in Midway. We must make continued investments in outreach to and support for our unhoused neighbors and community members struggling with drug addiction. The Mayor has announced that the city of Saint Paul will be hosting a citywide summit on fentanyl and the opioid crisis later this year, and it will be essential that we use this as an opportunity to develop the comprehensive, community-wide initiatives needed to make the Midway neighborhood truly safe for all.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
We need to continue to invest in multimodal transportation that meets the needs of all of our residents while also moving us towards a more sustainable, planet-friendly future. Public transportation, off-street biking paths, and pedestrian-friendly corridors make our neighborhoods more accessible, reduce air pollution and emissions, and drive necessary revenue and foot traffic for our small businesses and institutions. Right now, it’s simply not realistic for enough of our families, workers, students, and residents to get where they need to go without a car. As a City Council Member, I will champion the buildout of proposed transit routes, a buildout of the urgently needed off-street bike path network, and pedestrian-friendly street design that makes moving throughout our neighborhoods more realistic, safe, and enjoyable. Additionally, I’m committed to effectively partnering with Metro Transit, Ramsey County, the Saint Paul Police Department, and others to ensure light rail and other transportation options continue to be as safe and efficient as possible.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability with the uncertainty surrounding future federal funding and the expiration of temporary COVID relief dollars?
The best way to ensure fiscal stability in the city of Saint Paul is to build investment here in our city, in order to create true, sustainable community wealth. Doing this starts with building off the recent changes to the rent stabilization amendment to bring in housing development, and pursuing other options like up-zoning key corridors, permitting Accessory Commercial Units throughout the city, and relaxing restrictions on setbacks and design elements. We can also work with city departments to ensure that we’re providing proactive guidance for people who want to build in Saint Paul, and foster a culture of “yes” when it comes to new investments in our city. Building our community wealth also requires us to build Saint Paul in a way that draws young people, workers, and families here—this requires us to support new multimodal transit, build out bike paths, invest in our community assets including our arts and cultural scene, and more. Finally, ensuring fiscal stability in Saint Paul requires us to both explore possible new revenue streams—including working toward a Payment in Lieu of Taxes program with our wealthy, tax-exempt city entities and advocating for a Land Value Tax at the state level—and strengthen existing revenue streams, including Local Government Aid.
Uber/Lyft wages and proposed childcare subsidies funded by local property taxes are just a few areas where local units of government are wading into policy debates that may be best suited at the state. Please articulate the different scopes of work between state and local government (City/County). Are there specific areas of policy that the city should lead on in lieu of the state or county government?
Cities are responsible for meeting the daily needs of our residents. City Hall needs to make sure our residents have affordable housing, our streets are plowed, our sidewalks are safe, our parks are accessible, and our libraries and rec centers are open. If we’re not doing that basic work of a city really, really well, nothing else that we do will matter. Further, cities need to be responsive to the full array of concerns held by our residents, but we need to have solutions that are appropriately sized, recognizing that cities aren’t islands and that we need to prioritize work that will make people choose to be here. I’m not afraid to be bold in our work at the municipal level in Saint Paul, but I recognize that cities don’t have the necessary tools to solve every single societal challenge all at once. I’m committed to engaging thoughtfully with the needs of our residents and crafting tailored solutions that can actually be implemented at the city level.