Randy Stille
Name: Randy Stille
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-788-3235
Campaign Website: randystille.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
My day job as a commercial real estate banker with Associated Bank has complemented my contributions to the St. Anthony community for 25 years. My interest in city government began with an appointment to planning commissioner followed by 20 years of service as a councilmember and mayor. During this time, I have been involved with multiple city related entities such as Kiwanis, Sister City Association, League of Minnesota Cities, Regional Council of Mayors. I currently represent St. Anthony as chair of the Mississippi Watershed Management Association and am a member of National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and the Twin Cities Housing Alliance.
It has been a privilege being part of making our city what it is today and to have earned the resident’s trust along the way. I will continue to offer pragmatic representation as our city moves forward, always basing decisions on what is best for St. Anthony.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
A leadership style that is rooted in pragmatism and trust. I have been a resilient leader with a history of clearly explaining rationale behind the decision-making process, examining the risks/rewards and applying common sense to each situation.
An example of this is when a resident approached me 10 years after a contentious vote on the fire station location was taken. The resident told me that the outcome was not as he desired, but he respected my decision because I clearly explained why I voted as I did. If elected, I will continue to apply that same level of thoughtfulness to the decision-making process.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
Promote Transparency – I will learn and explain why the city spent taxpayer dollars and resources towards providing police service to Falcon Heights.
Assure Fiscal Management/Safety – Council has been very clear that providing police service to Falcon Heights will be cost neutral to the taxpayers. I oppose selling services at cost while taking on significant risk. If the contract moves forward, St. Anthony needs to be compensated for its risk and establish a reserve to cover future expenditures related to tragic events. We need to learn from the past as we look to the future.
Maintain Infrastructure/Services – I am supportive of the city’s investment in infrastructure and core services. This needs to remain a priority.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Anthony Village?
A significant challenge for leadership is to stay the course and build on past accomplishments, assuring infrastructure upgrades and improvements will continue to be met in spite of higher costs and temptation to focus on non-core desires. Newer opportunities include implementation of the already approved Climate Action Plan. The plan must be executed in a measured, reasonable approach that will not provide undue strain on the budget/property taxes.
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. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
St. Anthony needs to be supportive and realize that each entity has its own priorities and guidelines/laws to govern those outcomes. St. Anthony must be judicious with its resources and capacity and resist taking on roles that would be better filled by other government entities.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Anthony Village and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Anthony Village?
Strong, as evidenced by the statistics as follows:
Retail inventory consists of 374,000 square feet (sf) of which only 3.6% is vacant. New retail development in the region has been slow the last few years, resulting in pent up demand that will only help our retail areas continue to thrive.
St. Anthony only has 316,000 sf of office space; however, despite the broader weak office market fundamentals, vacancy rate is only 7.4%. We are fortunate to not be over exposed to the office market, as assessed valuations in many areas are falling, shifting property tax burden to other real estate segments.
The flex/industrial market is 361,000 sf of which is 100% occupied. Much of this product is in the industrial area east of Highway 88 that offers employment and tax base to our city.
The city needs to provide a safe community, one that attracts new and retains existing businesses. This is the foundation of a healthy city and allows businesses to prosper.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Safety is the foundation of a thriving community and St. Anthony is no exception. It is imperative that police, fire, and all staff know they have leadership’s moral support so they can focus on the task at hand. As a councilmember and mayor, I have always supported our police and fire departments with ample funding and have encouraged training above and beyond the state mandated levels. I am proud of the city staff and the quality work they do. A supportive foundation will help hire and retain quality employees in this difficult environment.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
The solution to combating the housing shortage and affordability issues is to build more housing of all kinds. The city has a history of doing its part by providing tax increment financing for new affordable projects that enhance the city’s housing stock. St. Anthony also approved one of the first modular apartment projects in the state that was built cost efficiently and allowing for lower rents.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
St. Anthony has always looked to achieve better walkable transportation options for residents. The Safe Routes to School study yielded federal funds to put a sidewalk on 37th Avenue. Other new sidewalks during my tenure included Highcrest Road, Silver Lake Road, 39th Ave, Stinson Ave., and Silver Lane. The city speed limit has been reduced to 25MPH, and we have lobbied Met Council for updated bus shelters. Continued lobbying should strive to bring bus service back to Silver Lake Road. Another great opportunity is to dedicate trails within the Kenzie Terrace redevelopment project and then connect the segment with the Grand Rounds trail. Plans will include a road diet, reducing configuration from the current 4 lanes to 3 lanes and allow space needed for bike lanes.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
It is absolutely critical that the receipt of one-time money is used for one-time projects that benefit residents in an equitable manner. Doing so will lessen the volatility of the city budget and tax levy from year to year.
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?
Each level of government has certain responsibilities therefore we should strive to stay in our areas. We should not be an outlier when it comes to issues that require an area approach. It is appropriate to work with our state officials to advocate for state wide programs that benefit St. Anthony in conjunction with the League of Minnesota Cities.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-788-3235
Campaign Website: randystille.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
My day job as a commercial real estate banker with Associated Bank has complemented my contributions to the St. Anthony community for 25 years. My interest in city government began with an appointment to planning commissioner followed by 20 years of service as a councilmember and mayor. During this time, I have been involved with multiple city related entities such as Kiwanis, Sister City Association, League of Minnesota Cities, Regional Council of Mayors. I currently represent St. Anthony as chair of the Mississippi Watershed Management Association and am a member of National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and the Twin Cities Housing Alliance.
It has been a privilege being part of making our city what it is today and to have earned the resident’s trust along the way. I will continue to offer pragmatic representation as our city moves forward, always basing decisions on what is best for St. Anthony.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
A leadership style that is rooted in pragmatism and trust. I have been a resilient leader with a history of clearly explaining rationale behind the decision-making process, examining the risks/rewards and applying common sense to each situation.
An example of this is when a resident approached me 10 years after a contentious vote on the fire station location was taken. The resident told me that the outcome was not as he desired, but he respected my decision because I clearly explained why I voted as I did. If elected, I will continue to apply that same level of thoughtfulness to the decision-making process.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
Promote Transparency – I will learn and explain why the city spent taxpayer dollars and resources towards providing police service to Falcon Heights.
Assure Fiscal Management/Safety – Council has been very clear that providing police service to Falcon Heights will be cost neutral to the taxpayers. I oppose selling services at cost while taking on significant risk. If the contract moves forward, St. Anthony needs to be compensated for its risk and establish a reserve to cover future expenditures related to tragic events. We need to learn from the past as we look to the future.
Maintain Infrastructure/Services – I am supportive of the city’s investment in infrastructure and core services. This needs to remain a priority.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Anthony Village?
A significant challenge for leadership is to stay the course and build on past accomplishments, assuring infrastructure upgrades and improvements will continue to be met in spite of higher costs and temptation to focus on non-core desires. Newer opportunities include implementation of the already approved Climate Action Plan. The plan must be executed in a measured, reasonable approach that will not provide undue strain on the budget/property taxes.
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. Do you feel the outcomes of the 2023-2024 legislative session positively or negatively impacted that collaboration and our state's business climate?
St. Anthony needs to be supportive and realize that each entity has its own priorities and guidelines/laws to govern those outcomes. St. Anthony must be judicious with its resources and capacity and resist taking on roles that would be better filled by other government entities.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Anthony Village and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Anthony Village?
Strong, as evidenced by the statistics as follows:
Retail inventory consists of 374,000 square feet (sf) of which only 3.6% is vacant. New retail development in the region has been slow the last few years, resulting in pent up demand that will only help our retail areas continue to thrive.
St. Anthony only has 316,000 sf of office space; however, despite the broader weak office market fundamentals, vacancy rate is only 7.4%. We are fortunate to not be over exposed to the office market, as assessed valuations in many areas are falling, shifting property tax burden to other real estate segments.
The flex/industrial market is 361,000 sf of which is 100% occupied. Much of this product is in the industrial area east of Highway 88 that offers employment and tax base to our city.
The city needs to provide a safe community, one that attracts new and retains existing businesses. This is the foundation of a healthy city and allows businesses to prosper.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Safety is the foundation of a thriving community and St. Anthony is no exception. It is imperative that police, fire, and all staff know they have leadership’s moral support so they can focus on the task at hand. As a councilmember and mayor, I have always supported our police and fire departments with ample funding and have encouraged training above and beyond the state mandated levels. I am proud of the city staff and the quality work they do. A supportive foundation will help hire and retain quality employees in this difficult environment.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
The solution to combating the housing shortage and affordability issues is to build more housing of all kinds. The city has a history of doing its part by providing tax increment financing for new affordable projects that enhance the city’s housing stock. St. Anthony also approved one of the first modular apartment projects in the state that was built cost efficiently and allowing for lower rents.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
St. Anthony has always looked to achieve better walkable transportation options for residents. The Safe Routes to School study yielded federal funds to put a sidewalk on 37th Avenue. Other new sidewalks during my tenure included Highcrest Road, Silver Lake Road, 39th Ave, Stinson Ave., and Silver Lane. The city speed limit has been reduced to 25MPH, and we have lobbied Met Council for updated bus shelters. Continued lobbying should strive to bring bus service back to Silver Lake Road. Another great opportunity is to dedicate trails within the Kenzie Terrace redevelopment project and then connect the segment with the Grand Rounds trail. Plans will include a road diet, reducing configuration from the current 4 lanes to 3 lanes and allow space needed for bike lanes.
Cities have addressed many ongoing needs with temporary, federal COVID relief dollars, what are your plans to ensure fiscal stability as these federal, one-time funds run out?
It is absolutely critical that the receipt of one-time money is used for one-time projects that benefit residents in an equitable manner. Doing so will lessen the volatility of the city budget and tax levy from year to year.
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?
Each level of government has certain responsibilities therefore we should strive to stay in our areas. We should not be an outlier when it comes to issues that require an area approach. It is appropriate to work with our state officials to advocate for state wide programs that benefit St. Anthony in conjunction with the League of Minnesota Cities.