Pat Harris
Name: Pat Harris
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (651) 291-8180
Campaign Website: www.patharrisformayor.com
Twitter handle: @PatHarris4Mayor
Facebook Page: facebook.com/PatHarrisforMayor/
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: (651) 291-8180
Campaign Website: www.patharrisformayor.com
Twitter handle: @PatHarris4Mayor
Facebook Page: facebook.com/PatHarrisforMayor/
1. Please provide a brief bio highlighting experience and accomplishments that qualify you to be the next Mayor of Saint Paul.
I am a fourth generation Saint Paulite, a husband, a father, a finance professional, and a community leader. I served on the Saint Paul City Council for twelve years, where I was a leader on the budget, libraries, and public safety, and where I had a record of getting things done. I have been nationally recognized for community service, serving on numerous boards, including Como Friends, Friends of the Saint Paul Library, Children’s Museum, Visit Saint Paul, Catholic Charities, and many more. I founded the Serving Our Troops program, serving over 90,000 steaks to soldiers and families of the MN National Guard. I am the son of a downtown Saint Paul small business owner and I have over 17 years of private sector public finance experience. I am currently SVP of Government Banking at BMO Harris. I earned a BA from Marquette University and an MBA from the Carlson School. I am married to Laura Harris and we have four young children.
I believe I have deep qualifications to be Mayor. I have the professional and community background, I have a record of making strong choices, and I have a passion to make a difference.
Business climate
2. How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul?
I believe the business climate in Saint Paul is at a crossroads. As the son of a 30-year downtown Saint Paul small business owner, as a Council Member, and as a private sector professional, I r understand the profound impact that our business climate can have on our community. As the economy fluctuates, Saint Paul must be prepared to meet the ebbs and flows of the marketplace. I believe business has been lost in the conversation of the past decades, and we are at a sizable risk of current business flight and failure to attract new business. The tax and regulation environment is precarious, public safety is a concern, transit issues loom, and our general infrastructure needs to be addressed.
The Chamber has been a leader in the promotion of business downtown and across the City. A true partnership between the Chamber and City Hall must be in place if we are to reverse this risk. I understand the value of this relationship and would be an immediate partner in addressing issues that prevent Saint Paul from truly moving forward. Working together, I believe we can dramatically improve the business climate and build momentum that attracts jobs and further positions Saint Paul as a thriving, well-run city.
3. What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and how would your administration actively solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Saint Paul?
I believe the City has an integral and important role in job creation. In addition to fostering a responsible tax environment and a City where businesses and residents feel safe, I believe the City has a direct role in job creation.
Specifically, I am proposing one of the most bold access-to-capital programs in Minnesota history, with up to $100 million invested in small business lending in targeted neighborhoods. This program would not require use of the tax levy, and would involve direction of a portion of the City’s long-term portfolio to insured and collateralized CD’s in community banks, with enhancements to incentivize both the borrower and the lender.
As Mayor, I would also take a highly active role as a partner in new business development, directly working with new business prospects to encourage their location in Saint Paul. I have been in this role in several capacities over the past two decades, and I am confident that as Mayor, and in working with the Chamber, we can attract new business to Saint Paul.
I would also simply pay attention to business. In my dad’s 30 years of business in downtown Saint Paul, not one representative of the City ever stepped foot into his office to seek his opinion, inquire about his needs, or simply say thank you. Government has played too much of an adversarial role with business in Saint Paul. This will immediately change. We will be partners with the Chamber, we will work with businesses, and we will honor their commitment to Saint Paul. While this is simply the right thing to do, in the end it is about business retention and growth in Saint Paul, and I am confident we will make strides.
4. Will you commit to hiring a business advocate as a member of your 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?
As Mayor I will be personally and deeply engaged in these items and I will also most certainly commit to hiring a high level business advocate in the Mayor’s office.
I have had a longstanding partnership with the Chamber and our business community. Business must be at the table in the conversation of how we govern in Saint Paul. We cannot simply gather the business community after we have already made our decisions – we need to listen with integrity and act accordingly. Saint Paul cannot thrive without a thriving business community. Business involvement cannot be an afterthought in this process, and I am committed to a partnership that would be among the strongest in our history.
5. 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?
I support an increase in the minimum wage, but I believe it is critical that we assemble a sizable spectrum of the business community to gauge the specific impact of any increase and recommend changes to the implementation in order to eliminate job flight and artificial inflation. I have met with numerous businesses over the past years with respect to the minimum wage and we must look at real numbers as we begin this process. Business must be heard. I am committed to an examination of options to maintain our businesses, to include sales tax rebates, equipment financing, licensing fee reductions/elimination, phase-in timing, and a host of additional measures.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns in the downtown core, including safety concerns in the skyway system and police force presence?
I am committed to addressing what I believe is a critical problem in Saint Paul. Businesses, conventions, and visitors are most certainly choosing alternate locations based on the current condition of our skyways. It is simply unacceptable and may result in full-scale business flight if not addressed and corrected immediately. Specifically, among other steps, I am proposing the following:
I would also add that the new Catholic Charities Higher Ground and Dorothy Day campus is a great example of a public-private partnership that will mitigate some of these issues. This groundbreaking new approach to ending homelessness would not have been possible without significant investment from the business community. As Mayor, my experience working with Catholic Charities makes me uniquely positioned to continue to work in partnership with our police, business and community leaders to bring innovative solutions to longstanding challenges. Again, this is a critical issue. As Mayor, I would assemble a team of business owners, police and government/community officials prior to being sworn in that will create and implement an effective plan that can move forward in the most expedient manner possible.
7. What is your vision for these key downtown development opportunities?
Balanced budget
8. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
It is imperative for the City budget to be responsible, efficient, and affordable. As a City Council Member, I was the Council’s leader on budgetary matters, working to maintain efficiency throughout the budget. I was a leader on fund balance policy, on debt management, on investments, on responsible allocations, on GASB standards, on spending/subsidy policies for development, and on numerous additional budgetary areas. My actions saved the City over $100 million over the course of my time on the Council.
I have been a private sector public finance professional for nearly twenty years. Prior to my current role as Senior Vice President of Government Banking at BMO Harris Bank, I was Vice President at RBC Global Asset Management. In both of these roles, I have worked hand in hand on responsible and effective policies for public entities. I am an active member of numerous professional finance associations, and I have presented on budgetary and public investing topics all over the nation.
My priorities are ensuring that Saint Paul is a great place to live and work and an affordable place to live and work. As Mayor, with my background in finance, I am uniquely poised to be a true leader of the delivery of a budget that is efficient and affordable, but reflective of important service needs such as public safety, job creation, public works, parks and libraries, and all those services that are critical to a successful community.
9. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
Both commercial and residential tax bases are deeply important to our ability to provide for a well-run City. In a healthy economy, each of them should support the efforts of the other. I believe strongly in a vibrant commercial tax base, which can be the foundation of how a community can thrive, and in effect grow its residential base. A strong commercial base in the neighborhoods and business nodes and in the CBD is critical to our growth as a community.
10. What changes need to happen to the City’s budget to avoid an increasing tax burden on businesses and residents, particularly to replace the City’s longstanding Right of Way assessment program?
As Saint Paul works through this shift from ROW fees to property taxes, we must do so in the construct of budget that is fully efficient and responsible. Fund balances should be monitored and leveled down to acceptable levels for cash flow and credit ratings, debt should be restructured at the opportune times, spending priorities should be focused, all methodologies for capital spending should fully vetted, and every contract, revenue stream, and enterprise should be at is maximum potential.
Concurrently, the City should be examining options for replacement of revenue other than through traditional methods. While PILOT programs are worth exploring, they are voluntary in nature. Other options should also be explored to capture this lost revenue.
Workforce development
11. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
An educated and available workforce is critical to our region’s success. As Mayor, I would work closely with all of our educational institutions to ensure that proper programs are in place, that funding advocacy is coordinated, and that employers have full access both to the development of programs and to the resulting workforce. There are many commendable programs in our community that should not only continue, but they should be enhanced. An ongoing and formal conversation with the business community and the education community should take place on a regular basis. As Mayor, I would lead on this and the many issues related to this critical topic of workforce development.
12. What do you see as the mayor’s role with regard to Saint Paul Public Schools?
Education is our future. Where Saint Paul goes is dependent on what education looks like today, tomorrow, and into the future. The makeup of our community has changed, but the goals are the same – opportunity for all. We can either pay now or pay later. We must continually make significant investment in public education in order to ensure a bright future for our community. I have three children at Expo Elementary, with my fourth starting this fall. Laura and I are extremely active at Expo and SPPS, and we were active on the Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation, where we chaired the final Investing in Student Success Breakfast, raising the most funds ever in its history.
It is the Mayor’s opportunity and responsibility to build a civic environment that supports public education. That can be as direct as making sure that our libraries and rec centers support out of school learning and children in our city feel safe everywhere in the city and as indirect as making sure the streets are plowed in time for school buses.
As Mayor, and as the only Mayor in our history with a deep background in school finance, I will play an extremely active role with our schools to ensure their processes are efficient and in line with the critical needs of our City’s important future.
Other
13. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
Everything in any city revolves around public safety. A city cannot be a great place to live and work if it is not a safe place to live and work.
With recognition of the importance of public safety and a call to action for its enhancement and attention, I believe the biggest challenge Saint Paul faces right now is jobs. We must grow our economy to meet the long term needs of our citizens. Saint Paul must be a destination for people to work – downtown office, corporate HQ, service, and manufacturing all play integral roles in how we can develop a strong tax, which will lead to strong neighborhoods, a safe community, and to City services that bring opportunity to all.
14. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Public safety:
Public safety should be the foremost concern of any public official. Communities simply cannot operate unless their citizens feel safe. Our Police Department needs to be fully staffed and equipped to enforce and address crime with integrity wherever it happens. In addition, our Fire Department needs to be fully staffed and equipped to meet the challenges of maintaining a healthy and safe community.
Creating jobs and promoting economic growth:
Saint Paul needs to create opportunities for job seekers, increase economic activity, and increase city resources by growing the commercial, industrial, and sales tax base.
City services that work for everyone:
Saint Paul should provide libraries, parks, public works, public safety, planning, and other basic services at the highest level of quality and efficiency. I was leader on working to address service in all areas of the City and I will continue to do so as Mayor.
15. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
Our business community and our neighborhoods cannot succeed without proper transit. We must vigorously advocate for state and federal funding for transportation. I support new means of bringing employees to and from the downtown core, including the Gateway Corridor and the Riverview Corridor, working with businesses and residents to formulate the best mode possible and in a manner that allows business to continue to thrive. We should also be working hand in hand with the County and the Met Council on the front end of projects, not after the planning is already well underway.
Access to MSP International Airport from downtown is critical to the success of our CBD. In addition, access to downtown and the North End for critical job development is an important step in which Saint Paul needs to be deeply involved.
16. 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?
In my time on the City Council, I was the City’s leader on working to keep our community focused on our core functions. I led through extremely challenging times. We need to be efficient and focus General Fund spending on core services.
17. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I would simply add that I believe we are at a critical time in Saint Paul. We need a leader with a deep background of making difficult choices and getting things done for our City. My background in public finance, banking, and investments, my community background, my government background, my ability to bring citizens together, and my singular passion for the success of Saint Paul can move our community forward for all.
I am a fourth generation Saint Paulite, a husband, a father, a finance professional, and a community leader. I served on the Saint Paul City Council for twelve years, where I was a leader on the budget, libraries, and public safety, and where I had a record of getting things done. I have been nationally recognized for community service, serving on numerous boards, including Como Friends, Friends of the Saint Paul Library, Children’s Museum, Visit Saint Paul, Catholic Charities, and many more. I founded the Serving Our Troops program, serving over 90,000 steaks to soldiers and families of the MN National Guard. I am the son of a downtown Saint Paul small business owner and I have over 17 years of private sector public finance experience. I am currently SVP of Government Banking at BMO Harris. I earned a BA from Marquette University and an MBA from the Carlson School. I am married to Laura Harris and we have four young children.
I believe I have deep qualifications to be Mayor. I have the professional and community background, I have a record of making strong choices, and I have a passion to make a difference.
Business climate
2. How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul?
I believe the business climate in Saint Paul is at a crossroads. As the son of a 30-year downtown Saint Paul small business owner, as a Council Member, and as a private sector professional, I r understand the profound impact that our business climate can have on our community. As the economy fluctuates, Saint Paul must be prepared to meet the ebbs and flows of the marketplace. I believe business has been lost in the conversation of the past decades, and we are at a sizable risk of current business flight and failure to attract new business. The tax and regulation environment is precarious, public safety is a concern, transit issues loom, and our general infrastructure needs to be addressed.
The Chamber has been a leader in the promotion of business downtown and across the City. A true partnership between the Chamber and City Hall must be in place if we are to reverse this risk. I understand the value of this relationship and would be an immediate partner in addressing issues that prevent Saint Paul from truly moving forward. Working together, I believe we can dramatically improve the business climate and build momentum that attracts jobs and further positions Saint Paul as a thriving, well-run city.
3. What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and how would your administration actively solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Saint Paul?
I believe the City has an integral and important role in job creation. In addition to fostering a responsible tax environment and a City where businesses and residents feel safe, I believe the City has a direct role in job creation.
Specifically, I am proposing one of the most bold access-to-capital programs in Minnesota history, with up to $100 million invested in small business lending in targeted neighborhoods. This program would not require use of the tax levy, and would involve direction of a portion of the City’s long-term portfolio to insured and collateralized CD’s in community banks, with enhancements to incentivize both the borrower and the lender.
As Mayor, I would also take a highly active role as a partner in new business development, directly working with new business prospects to encourage their location in Saint Paul. I have been in this role in several capacities over the past two decades, and I am confident that as Mayor, and in working with the Chamber, we can attract new business to Saint Paul.
I would also simply pay attention to business. In my dad’s 30 years of business in downtown Saint Paul, not one representative of the City ever stepped foot into his office to seek his opinion, inquire about his needs, or simply say thank you. Government has played too much of an adversarial role with business in Saint Paul. This will immediately change. We will be partners with the Chamber, we will work with businesses, and we will honor their commitment to Saint Paul. While this is simply the right thing to do, in the end it is about business retention and growth in Saint Paul, and I am confident we will make strides.
4. Will you commit to hiring a business advocate as a member of your 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?
As Mayor I will be personally and deeply engaged in these items and I will also most certainly commit to hiring a high level business advocate in the Mayor’s office.
I have had a longstanding partnership with the Chamber and our business community. Business must be at the table in the conversation of how we govern in Saint Paul. We cannot simply gather the business community after we have already made our decisions – we need to listen with integrity and act accordingly. Saint Paul cannot thrive without a thriving business community. Business involvement cannot be an afterthought in this process, and I am committed to a partnership that would be among the strongest in our history.
5. 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?
I support an increase in the minimum wage, but I believe it is critical that we assemble a sizable spectrum of the business community to gauge the specific impact of any increase and recommend changes to the implementation in order to eliminate job flight and artificial inflation. I have met with numerous businesses over the past years with respect to the minimum wage and we must look at real numbers as we begin this process. Business must be heard. I am committed to an examination of options to maintain our businesses, to include sales tax rebates, equipment financing, licensing fee reductions/elimination, phase-in timing, and a host of additional measures.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns in the downtown core, including safety concerns in the skyway system and police force presence?
I am committed to addressing what I believe is a critical problem in Saint Paul. Businesses, conventions, and visitors are most certainly choosing alternate locations based on the current condition of our skyways. It is simply unacceptable and may result in full-scale business flight if not addressed and corrected immediately. Specifically, among other steps, I am proposing the following:
- Enhanced police patrols;
- Enhanced policing strategies (i.e. greater use of cameras, traffic direction);
- Revisiting all skyway policies;
- Examining and correcting downtown transit connections;
- Implementing alternative after-school programming.
I would also add that the new Catholic Charities Higher Ground and Dorothy Day campus is a great example of a public-private partnership that will mitigate some of these issues. This groundbreaking new approach to ending homelessness would not have been possible without significant investment from the business community. As Mayor, my experience working with Catholic Charities makes me uniquely positioned to continue to work in partnership with our police, business and community leaders to bring innovative solutions to longstanding challenges. Again, this is a critical issue. As Mayor, I would assemble a team of business owners, police and government/community officials prior to being sworn in that will create and implement an effective plan that can move forward in the most expedient manner possible.
7. What is your vision for these key downtown development opportunities?
- The empty lot near the Central Station stop downtown
For downtown, and in particular this central location, I favor private sector office space, with a preference for corporate headquarters. I believe the Mayor should immediately assemble a team of commercial real estate brokers and corporate partners to formulate what in essence would be a sales plan, complete with prospecting goals, “pricing” scenarios for possible incentives, and measurable goals for results.
While the City has been focused on entertainment and housing, we need to focus on commercial tax base and jobs first to help our budget and our economy. Obviously, each site is different, but my first priority as Mayor will be in building commercial tax base and adding jobs. We have spent the past 25 years adding a "second shift" to downtown Saint Paul and it is time we moved back to the "first shift" and build momentum through jobs.
- The former West Publishing / Ramsey County jail site
Similarly for this site, I believe that corporate entities are a catalyst for additional results along that corridor. While it is my understanding that hotels and housing are potentially under consideration, I believe that too much focus on those uses that capture brief upturns in investment activity (and subsequent private equity sales), and that do not include some element of long term corporate job activity, fail to secure the long term future of the CBD. Particularly on this corridor, the City, in cooperation with Visit Saint Paul, is actively working toward a new RiverCentre hotel and ramp. While I commend the County for its efforts, whatever happens on the West site should complement this likely development and produce jobs for downtown.
Balanced budget
8. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
It is imperative for the City budget to be responsible, efficient, and affordable. As a City Council Member, I was the Council’s leader on budgetary matters, working to maintain efficiency throughout the budget. I was a leader on fund balance policy, on debt management, on investments, on responsible allocations, on GASB standards, on spending/subsidy policies for development, and on numerous additional budgetary areas. My actions saved the City over $100 million over the course of my time on the Council.
I have been a private sector public finance professional for nearly twenty years. Prior to my current role as Senior Vice President of Government Banking at BMO Harris Bank, I was Vice President at RBC Global Asset Management. In both of these roles, I have worked hand in hand on responsible and effective policies for public entities. I am an active member of numerous professional finance associations, and I have presented on budgetary and public investing topics all over the nation.
My priorities are ensuring that Saint Paul is a great place to live and work and an affordable place to live and work. As Mayor, with my background in finance, I am uniquely poised to be a true leader of the delivery of a budget that is efficient and affordable, but reflective of important service needs such as public safety, job creation, public works, parks and libraries, and all those services that are critical to a successful community.
9. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
Both commercial and residential tax bases are deeply important to our ability to provide for a well-run City. In a healthy economy, each of them should support the efforts of the other. I believe strongly in a vibrant commercial tax base, which can be the foundation of how a community can thrive, and in effect grow its residential base. A strong commercial base in the neighborhoods and business nodes and in the CBD is critical to our growth as a community.
10. What changes need to happen to the City’s budget to avoid an increasing tax burden on businesses and residents, particularly to replace the City’s longstanding Right of Way assessment program?
As Saint Paul works through this shift from ROW fees to property taxes, we must do so in the construct of budget that is fully efficient and responsible. Fund balances should be monitored and leveled down to acceptable levels for cash flow and credit ratings, debt should be restructured at the opportune times, spending priorities should be focused, all methodologies for capital spending should fully vetted, and every contract, revenue stream, and enterprise should be at is maximum potential.
Concurrently, the City should be examining options for replacement of revenue other than through traditional methods. While PILOT programs are worth exploring, they are voluntary in nature. Other options should also be explored to capture this lost revenue.
Workforce development
11. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
An educated and available workforce is critical to our region’s success. As Mayor, I would work closely with all of our educational institutions to ensure that proper programs are in place, that funding advocacy is coordinated, and that employers have full access both to the development of programs and to the resulting workforce. There are many commendable programs in our community that should not only continue, but they should be enhanced. An ongoing and formal conversation with the business community and the education community should take place on a regular basis. As Mayor, I would lead on this and the many issues related to this critical topic of workforce development.
12. What do you see as the mayor’s role with regard to Saint Paul Public Schools?
Education is our future. Where Saint Paul goes is dependent on what education looks like today, tomorrow, and into the future. The makeup of our community has changed, but the goals are the same – opportunity for all. We can either pay now or pay later. We must continually make significant investment in public education in order to ensure a bright future for our community. I have three children at Expo Elementary, with my fourth starting this fall. Laura and I are extremely active at Expo and SPPS, and we were active on the Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation, where we chaired the final Investing in Student Success Breakfast, raising the most funds ever in its history.
It is the Mayor’s opportunity and responsibility to build a civic environment that supports public education. That can be as direct as making sure that our libraries and rec centers support out of school learning and children in our city feel safe everywhere in the city and as indirect as making sure the streets are plowed in time for school buses.
As Mayor, and as the only Mayor in our history with a deep background in school finance, I will play an extremely active role with our schools to ensure their processes are efficient and in line with the critical needs of our City’s important future.
Other
13. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
Everything in any city revolves around public safety. A city cannot be a great place to live and work if it is not a safe place to live and work.
With recognition of the importance of public safety and a call to action for its enhancement and attention, I believe the biggest challenge Saint Paul faces right now is jobs. We must grow our economy to meet the long term needs of our citizens. Saint Paul must be a destination for people to work – downtown office, corporate HQ, service, and manufacturing all play integral roles in how we can develop a strong tax, which will lead to strong neighborhoods, a safe community, and to City services that bring opportunity to all.
14. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Public safety:
Public safety should be the foremost concern of any public official. Communities simply cannot operate unless their citizens feel safe. Our Police Department needs to be fully staffed and equipped to enforce and address crime with integrity wherever it happens. In addition, our Fire Department needs to be fully staffed and equipped to meet the challenges of maintaining a healthy and safe community.
Creating jobs and promoting economic growth:
Saint Paul needs to create opportunities for job seekers, increase economic activity, and increase city resources by growing the commercial, industrial, and sales tax base.
City services that work for everyone:
Saint Paul should provide libraries, parks, public works, public safety, planning, and other basic services at the highest level of quality and efficiency. I was leader on working to address service in all areas of the City and I will continue to do so as Mayor.
15. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
Our business community and our neighborhoods cannot succeed without proper transit. We must vigorously advocate for state and federal funding for transportation. I support new means of bringing employees to and from the downtown core, including the Gateway Corridor and the Riverview Corridor, working with businesses and residents to formulate the best mode possible and in a manner that allows business to continue to thrive. We should also be working hand in hand with the County and the Met Council on the front end of projects, not after the planning is already well underway.
Access to MSP International Airport from downtown is critical to the success of our CBD. In addition, access to downtown and the North End for critical job development is an important step in which Saint Paul needs to be deeply involved.
16. 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?
In my time on the City Council, I was the City’s leader on working to keep our community focused on our core functions. I led through extremely challenging times. We need to be efficient and focus General Fund spending on core services.
17. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I would simply add that I believe we are at a critical time in Saint Paul. We need a leader with a deep background of making difficult choices and getting things done for our City. My background in public finance, banking, and investments, my community background, my government background, my ability to bring citizens together, and my singular passion for the success of Saint Paul can move our community forward for all.