Omar Syed
Name: Omar Syed
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 1
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-290-2404
Campaign Website: omarward1.com
Twitter handle: @usstmc20
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/omarforward1
Candidate Bio
My name is Omar Syed. I am running to bring the voice of our communities to city hall. I immigrated to St. Paul as a refugee from Somalia in 1998 with no support, no job, and no family. At first, I struggled to make St. Paul my home. But I’m proud to say today that I am a father and husband, the owner of two St. Paul small businesses, and a community leader.
I believe my experience makes me the most qualified candidate and brings a much needed voice to the council. As a St. Paul Planning Commissionioner, I’m the only Ward 1 candidate with local experience working on city issues like zoning and transportation. As a small business owner, I understand the struggles of small businesses across our city and will ensure they are well-supported. If elected, I would bring a unique voice to the council as the first Somali American on the St. Paul City Council and will help the city deliver better services to meet the needs of immigrant and refugee populations. I'm running to represent all of us and I’m committed to building a city where every voice matters.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
I promise to be a responsive and accessible council member for all of us. I will be a leader who always shows up, listens with an open mind, and ensures your voice is heard in our policymaking. I will always be an independent voice on the council, someone who will bridge divides, and will make the tough decisions after hearing from all sides.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Affordable Housing - This is the central issue of our campaign. We must ensure our renters are protected by passing rent stabilization and we must increase the supply of housing by removing restrictive zoning. I am the most qualified candidate on this issue. As a member of the Zoning Committee on the St. Paul Planning Commission, I know how our restrictive zoning can get in the way of affordable housing.
Public Safety - We need a safe Ward 1. This means better investment in community infrastructure, closer relationships between the community and the police that serve them, accountable policing, and making sure our first responders have the funding and resources they need.
Community Engagement - In previous years, Ward 1 has not had a city council member who has been reachable by all the diverse communities of Ward 1. I will be responsive and accessible to everyone. I will work closely with the community on all city business as well as constituent services. When I am a city member, you will always be able to reach me.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
Affordable housing is both the biggest challenge and opportunity in St. Paul. We have an opportunity to make systemic changes to ensure more housing is built in St. Paul, to ensure we protect renters, and make housing more affordable. The question is are we willing to make these tough decisions on behalf of our neighbors and communities. As a St. Paul Planning Commissioner, I have already been on the record of making some of these tough decisions on transportation and housing. I know what it takes to listen to community and vote, and I’ll continue to do that as a council member.
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?
Our small businesses are part of what make St. Paul a vibrant and great city to live in. But as a small business owner in St. Paul of 16 years, I know that navigating the business climate is difficult, especially for new entrepreneurs.
We need to support all our small businesses. The City of St. Paul have a vast amount of resources to provide to our small businesses but unfortunately they don’t reach those who need it most. I want to make sure that these resources and services are accessible to everyone, in particular those who are from underrepresented communities. Additionally, I will work to make more investments into all our small businesses, improve city services, and make it easier for small businesses to thrive in our city. As a council member, I will help small business owners navigate the Department of Safety and Inspections and licensing, work to provide real investments into the startup and growth of small businesses, remove excessive fees that prevent new small businesses from thriving, and help make it easier for St. Paul residents to receive low-interest small business loans.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
We need a comprehensive public safety plan for St. Paul. I’ll be an advocate for community investments, better police and community relations, and improved accountability. I will also think outside the box by coordinating with local businesses and landlords on improving street safety.
My plan will work with residents to increase funding to first responders and violence prevention programs. I’ll partner with Metro Transit to increase public safety on Green Line trains and stations. I will fight for investments in neighborhood infrastructure like parks, community centers, and street lights. I’ll coordinate regular meetings between neighbors and public safety officials to ensure community voices are heard. And lastly, I’ll always make sure our police officers are accountable, professional, and transparent.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
We need more affordable housing and better tenant protections. As a planning commission member, I worked with communities to build more affordable housing units across St. Paul. As a renter, I know what it’s like when your landlord is unaccountable. I’ll take these experiences to ensure we continue to build housing that is affordable for everyone.
We need to build more housing everywhere and remove zoning restrictions such as building height restrictions, to encourage development of more housing. We must prioritize housing at 30% of area median income to ensure affordability. I also will fight for policies like rent stabilization, funding legal services for renters in all languages, ensuring more shelters are available for our houseless, and leveling the playing field between corporate developers and smaller local developers.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
As a renter, I voted for the ballot measure in 2021 and have always been in support of rent stabilization. I know that ensuring buy-in from all parties has been a difficult process for the City. I believe that the adjustments made recently to the current policy are reasonable and I will keep listening and working with community stakeholders as we continue to improve this policy for the future.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
As a renter, I voted for the ballot measure in 2021 and have always been in support of rent stabilization. I know that ensuring buy-in from all parties has been a difficult process for the City. I believe that the adjustments made recently to the current policy are reasonable and I will keep listening and working with community stakeholders as we continue to improve this policy for the future.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
We need a transportation system that works. Unfortunately, our city is severely behind schedule in fixing our aging roads and our public transit system is at times unsafe and unreliable. We need to fix it.
As the St. Paul Planning Commissioner I’ve done just that. I’ve taken the tough votes needed to fix our aging roads, add bike lanes, and improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike.
Additionally, as a council member, I will work to fully fund our public works staff. I’ll partner with Metro Transit to improve safety on the light rail and buses. I will advocate to improve our biking infrastructure to add more bike lanes and protected paths. And lastly, I will find solutions to fix our potholes and explore options for long-term investments into our aging roads.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
We need to continue to make St. Paul a welcoming and affordable place to live, work, and play. This will encourage more people to buy homes and visit St. Paul. We must also continue to encourage more development in St. Paul to build out the long-term tax base. Lastly, I would like to see us explore options to ensure that property owners who don’t pay property taxes are contributing to our tax base.
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?
I know that approving the city’s multi-million dollar budget is one of the main jobs of the city council. I will always be on the lookout to ensure our dollars are being spent wisely and appropriately and will work to ensure all constituents are heard in our budgeting process.