Melvin Carter
Name: Mayor Melvin Carter
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: MelvinCarter.org
Twitter handle: @melvincarter3
Facebook Page: facebook.com/votecarter/
Candidate Bio
I’m Melvin Carter — a father, husband, lifelong Saint Paul resident, and the proud Mayor of the city I’ve always called home. I grew up in the Rondo neighborhood and learned early that strong communities don’t just happen — they’re actively built by people who show up, work hard, and build something together. Today, my wife and I are raising our family on Saint Paul’s Eastside — in a neighborhood full of the same energy and deep community pride that’s shaped me from the start. Together, we’ve launched CollegeBound Saint Paul—providing every child with a college savings account at birth—expanded affordable housing more than any administration in our city’s history, replaced thousands of lead water lines at no cost to families, and reduced violent crime by reimagining what public safety can be. We’ve also forgiven millions in medical debt, doubled our pace of street reconstruction, and positioned Saint Paul as a national leader in climate-ready infrastructure. Together, we’ve built real momentum — and I’m ready to keep it going alongside you.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
In my office I lead with conviction informed by public engagement. I believe in empowering communities and listening honestly to a range of stakeholders. This is because we know that decisions are often made to benefit the deciders. We need the policies and investments that come from City Hall to benefit a broader set of people than those who benefit from business as usual. This is why every member of my Cabinet has been appointed through a community hiring process and every budget or major policy I’ve brought forward has had engagement from hundreds of Saint Paul residents.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Saint Paul?
The fentanyl crisis is the most urgent public health and public safety challenge facing our city today. As part of the broader opioid epidemic—the largest drug crisis in American history—fentanyl has devastated families, strained emergency services, and fueled quality-of-life challenges across our neighborhoods. Overdoses continue to take lives at an alarming rate, while the ripple effects contribute to instability, crime, and trauma in our communities. To confront this crisis, we must expand opportunities to connect people to care and invest in community-based prevention resources. Meeting this moment requires urgency, innovation, and a commitment to saving lives together.
Our greatest opportunity lies in harnessing Saint Paul’s diversity, creativity, and shared determination to build inclusive prosperity for the next generation. By this I mean seizing our opportunities to grow — cutting red tape, attracting new investments, and making sure the world knows what we know: Saint Paul is one of the best places anywhere to build a family, a business, and a home.
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?
I have worked hard to amend our rent stabilization ordinance in a way that balances protecting renters with keeping new housing construction flowing. Our most critical tool to address the housing crisis is simply building more homes. That’s why, this spring, we amended the ordinance to exempt new construction — removing a major barrier to adding housing. And it’s working: buildings have been purchased, projects are moving forward, and new housing units are under construction across our city. With these thoughtful adjustments, we’re safeguarding affordability while growing supply, creating good construction jobs, and strengthening our city’s economic vitality.
What steps would you take to revitalize downtown Saint Paul and promote long-term economic growth in the area?
Saint Paul is hard at work investing in our downtown and we are making real progress. We’re converting vacant buildings into housing, hosting new events, and working alongside small businesses to help them thrive. Today, our city is attracting more energy and attention than ever before. From the Yacht Club music festival to the World Juniors hockey tournament, Saint Paul is becoming a destination for major events while also drawing unprecedented interest from national investors and developers. This momentum matters, but we cannot stop here. Our task now is to accelerate growth in ways that benefit everyone — building a downtown that generates wealth for all of our communities while becoming a more welcoming place to call home. That means expanding housing opportunities, making public spaces more accessible, while continuing to cut red tape, attract new investments, and showcase our city on a national stage.
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?
I view business leaders as essential partners in building a thriving city. Whether the challenge is workforce development, housing, or education, government must set a clear vision and engage directly with our business community to shape it. By working together, we can align opportunities with real-world needs, ensure training programs are relevant and effective, and direct investments where they will have the greatest impact. Strong public–private collaboration not only drives economic growth, but also ensures that prosperity is shared across our community, sustaining the institutions that families rely on every day.
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?
Saint Paul’s business climate is strong, thanks to business leaders who have been key partners in everything from growing our tech sector to revitalizing downtown to advising on the city budget. This partnership has helped us build a resilient local economy. The city’s role is to create the conditions that attract and retain jobs and investment — ensuring a 21st-century community with modern infrastructure where employees want to work, housing they can afford, clear and efficient processes that encourage growth, and a fair tax environment where businesses can thrive alongside the families and communities they serve.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
In the years since the pandemic, we’ve driven down violent crime by reimagining what public safety can be. Our nationally recognized Community-First model is built on prevention, partnership, and care. The results are clear: an NPR national story highlighted Saint Paul as the one city that outpaced the rest of the country in bringing down auto thefts. We’re also on pace for the lowest number of homicides in 20 years. These proof points show our approach works. Now, we must apply this same process and discipline to the fentanyl crisis and quality-of-life challenges. That means expanding mental health response teams, strengthening violence interruption, connecting residents to care, and building neighborhood trust block by block. Public safety works best when residents trust and participate in solutions, and we will keep working to make every neighborhood in Saint Paul safer and stronger together.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Building a safe, reliable, and accessible transportation network is essential for Saint Paul’s future. Our residents need options that make it easier to move around the city, whether by walking, biking, riding transit, or driving. That means continuing to improve pedestrian safety, expanding our off-street bike network, and ensuring our streets remain dependable for drivers. It also means working closely with Metro Transit, Ramsey County, and state leaders to strengthen transit service and make it safer and more efficient. These investments aren’t just about mobility — they’re about community. Well-designed streets and transit corridors reduce emissions, cut air pollution, and connect families to jobs, schools, and neighborhood businesses. They also bring more people into our local shops, restaurants, and cultural institutions, helping them thrive. We’ve already taken bold steps: built more than 50 miles of new bike lanes, purchased Minnesota’s first electric fire truck, and launched the nation’s largest 100% renewable-powered carshare program. With Common Cent funds, we have doubled our city’s pace to rebuild our busiest streets — adding pedestrian and bicycle-friendly improvements that will serve residents for the next 20 years. Looking ahead, we will keep expanding choices for every resident, building a cleaner, safer, and more connected Saint Paul that works for everyone.
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?
Federal relief dollars were critical to helping every community survive the pandemic, and in Saint Paul we used them intentionally to provide stability over time, rather than creating a “cliff” when they expired. From the beginning, we worked to diversify our revenue streams — including passing a one-cent sales tax for infrastructure that asks visitors and nonresident commuters to help fund the roads and parks they use, updating our energy franchise fee, and securing millions in public and philanthropic grants to ease pressure on property taxes. We also used these dollars to invest in one-time business process improvements, like online payments and digital permitting, to modernize city services and reduce long-term costs. Looking forward, we must continue to grow our tax base through new housing and business development, while leveraging outside partnerships to ensure long-term fiscal stability.
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 closest to the people they serve and best equipped to innovate in areas like housing, climate action, and community safety. State and county governments hold broader resources and regulatory authority in areas such as healthcare, taxation, and transportation systems, and are often our best partners. The city should lead boldly where we can directly improve daily life, while collaborating across levels of government to align strategy and resources.
Saint Paul will keep using the tools we control when they clearly benefit residents—just as we did with our citywide minimum wage and earned sick & safe time. Worker standards show this balance: our local wage proves cities can lead when proximity matters. But for app-based driver pay, a statewide floor is the cleanest path; locally, we’ll manage safety, accessibility, and curb space—and act if state protections fall short.
On child care, we’ll lead on supply—zoning fixes, permitting, site activation, and catalytic grants—while ongoing operating aid belongs with state and counties to ensure stability across communities and economic cycles. Our method is pilot, prove, partner: test locally, publish results, scale with County/State when it works, and stop what doesn’t. That’s how we deliver clear, predictable outcomes for families, workers, and employers.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone:
Campaign Website: MelvinCarter.org
Twitter handle: @melvincarter3
Facebook Page: facebook.com/votecarter/
Candidate Bio
I’m Melvin Carter — a father, husband, lifelong Saint Paul resident, and the proud Mayor of the city I’ve always called home. I grew up in the Rondo neighborhood and learned early that strong communities don’t just happen — they’re actively built by people who show up, work hard, and build something together. Today, my wife and I are raising our family on Saint Paul’s Eastside — in a neighborhood full of the same energy and deep community pride that’s shaped me from the start. Together, we’ve launched CollegeBound Saint Paul—providing every child with a college savings account at birth—expanded affordable housing more than any administration in our city’s history, replaced thousands of lead water lines at no cost to families, and reduced violent crime by reimagining what public safety can be. We’ve also forgiven millions in medical debt, doubled our pace of street reconstruction, and positioned Saint Paul as a national leader in climate-ready infrastructure. Together, we’ve built real momentum — and I’m ready to keep it going alongside you.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
In my office I lead with conviction informed by public engagement. I believe in empowering communities and listening honestly to a range of stakeholders. This is because we know that decisions are often made to benefit the deciders. We need the policies and investments that come from City Hall to benefit a broader set of people than those who benefit from business as usual. This is why every member of my Cabinet has been appointed through a community hiring process and every budget or major policy I’ve brought forward has had engagement from hundreds of Saint Paul residents.
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
- A Safer City, Built Together: In the years since the pandemic, we’ve reduced violent crime — and we did so by reimagining what public safety can be. We’ll continue holding people accountable, helping more residents get connected to care, and making every part of our city safer and stronger together.
- A 21st Century Downtown: We are hard at work turning downtown into the economic engine we know it can be. We are doing it by converting vacant buildings into housing, launching new festivals and events, and working with small businesses to help them grow. Now it’s time to accelerate that growth — and make our downtown a place that generates wealth for our communities, while being a neighborhood people are proud to call home.
- A Home for Every Family: We’re not just building units — we’re building stability, community, and opportunity. That means deeply affordable housing, expanded pathways to homeownership, and new tools to help families stay rooted in the neighborhoods they love. In this next phase, we’ll focus on cutting red tape, unlocking more places to build, and supporting struggling residents so we can keep growing with intention and care.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Saint Paul?
The fentanyl crisis is the most urgent public health and public safety challenge facing our city today. As part of the broader opioid epidemic—the largest drug crisis in American history—fentanyl has devastated families, strained emergency services, and fueled quality-of-life challenges across our neighborhoods. Overdoses continue to take lives at an alarming rate, while the ripple effects contribute to instability, crime, and trauma in our communities. To confront this crisis, we must expand opportunities to connect people to care and invest in community-based prevention resources. Meeting this moment requires urgency, innovation, and a commitment to saving lives together.
Our greatest opportunity lies in harnessing Saint Paul’s diversity, creativity, and shared determination to build inclusive prosperity for the next generation. By this I mean seizing our opportunities to grow — cutting red tape, attracting new investments, and making sure the world knows what we know: Saint Paul is one of the best places anywhere to build a family, a business, and a home.
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?
I have worked hard to amend our rent stabilization ordinance in a way that balances protecting renters with keeping new housing construction flowing. Our most critical tool to address the housing crisis is simply building more homes. That’s why, this spring, we amended the ordinance to exempt new construction — removing a major barrier to adding housing. And it’s working: buildings have been purchased, projects are moving forward, and new housing units are under construction across our city. With these thoughtful adjustments, we’re safeguarding affordability while growing supply, creating good construction jobs, and strengthening our city’s economic vitality.
What steps would you take to revitalize downtown Saint Paul and promote long-term economic growth in the area?
Saint Paul is hard at work investing in our downtown and we are making real progress. We’re converting vacant buildings into housing, hosting new events, and working alongside small businesses to help them thrive. Today, our city is attracting more energy and attention than ever before. From the Yacht Club music festival to the World Juniors hockey tournament, Saint Paul is becoming a destination for major events while also drawing unprecedented interest from national investors and developers. This momentum matters, but we cannot stop here. Our task now is to accelerate growth in ways that benefit everyone — building a downtown that generates wealth for all of our communities while becoming a more welcoming place to call home. That means expanding housing opportunities, making public spaces more accessible, while continuing to cut red tape, attract new investments, and showcase our city on a national stage.
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?
I view business leaders as essential partners in building a thriving city. Whether the challenge is workforce development, housing, or education, government must set a clear vision and engage directly with our business community to shape it. By working together, we can align opportunities with real-world needs, ensure training programs are relevant and effective, and direct investments where they will have the greatest impact. Strong public–private collaboration not only drives economic growth, but also ensures that prosperity is shared across our community, sustaining the institutions that families rely on every day.
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?
Saint Paul’s business climate is strong, thanks to business leaders who have been key partners in everything from growing our tech sector to revitalizing downtown to advising on the city budget. This partnership has helped us build a resilient local economy. The city’s role is to create the conditions that attract and retain jobs and investment — ensuring a 21st-century community with modern infrastructure where employees want to work, housing they can afford, clear and efficient processes that encourage growth, and a fair tax environment where businesses can thrive alongside the families and communities they serve.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
In the years since the pandemic, we’ve driven down violent crime by reimagining what public safety can be. Our nationally recognized Community-First model is built on prevention, partnership, and care. The results are clear: an NPR national story highlighted Saint Paul as the one city that outpaced the rest of the country in bringing down auto thefts. We’re also on pace for the lowest number of homicides in 20 years. These proof points show our approach works. Now, we must apply this same process and discipline to the fentanyl crisis and quality-of-life challenges. That means expanding mental health response teams, strengthening violence interruption, connecting residents to care, and building neighborhood trust block by block. Public safety works best when residents trust and participate in solutions, and we will keep working to make every neighborhood in Saint Paul safer and stronger together.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Building a safe, reliable, and accessible transportation network is essential for Saint Paul’s future. Our residents need options that make it easier to move around the city, whether by walking, biking, riding transit, or driving. That means continuing to improve pedestrian safety, expanding our off-street bike network, and ensuring our streets remain dependable for drivers. It also means working closely with Metro Transit, Ramsey County, and state leaders to strengthen transit service and make it safer and more efficient. These investments aren’t just about mobility — they’re about community. Well-designed streets and transit corridors reduce emissions, cut air pollution, and connect families to jobs, schools, and neighborhood businesses. They also bring more people into our local shops, restaurants, and cultural institutions, helping them thrive. We’ve already taken bold steps: built more than 50 miles of new bike lanes, purchased Minnesota’s first electric fire truck, and launched the nation’s largest 100% renewable-powered carshare program. With Common Cent funds, we have doubled our city’s pace to rebuild our busiest streets — adding pedestrian and bicycle-friendly improvements that will serve residents for the next 20 years. Looking ahead, we will keep expanding choices for every resident, building a cleaner, safer, and more connected Saint Paul that works for everyone.
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?
Federal relief dollars were critical to helping every community survive the pandemic, and in Saint Paul we used them intentionally to provide stability over time, rather than creating a “cliff” when they expired. From the beginning, we worked to diversify our revenue streams — including passing a one-cent sales tax for infrastructure that asks visitors and nonresident commuters to help fund the roads and parks they use, updating our energy franchise fee, and securing millions in public and philanthropic grants to ease pressure on property taxes. We also used these dollars to invest in one-time business process improvements, like online payments and digital permitting, to modernize city services and reduce long-term costs. Looking forward, we must continue to grow our tax base through new housing and business development, while leveraging outside partnerships to ensure long-term fiscal stability.
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 closest to the people they serve and best equipped to innovate in areas like housing, climate action, and community safety. State and county governments hold broader resources and regulatory authority in areas such as healthcare, taxation, and transportation systems, and are often our best partners. The city should lead boldly where we can directly improve daily life, while collaborating across levels of government to align strategy and resources.
Saint Paul will keep using the tools we control when they clearly benefit residents—just as we did with our citywide minimum wage and earned sick & safe time. Worker standards show this balance: our local wage proves cities can lead when proximity matters. But for app-based driver pay, a statewide floor is the cleanest path; locally, we’ll manage safety, accessibility, and curb space—and act if state protections fall short.
On child care, we’ll lead on supply—zoning fixes, permitting, site activation, and catalytic grants—while ongoing operating aid belongs with state and counties to ensure stability across communities and economic cycles. Our method is pilot, prove, partner: test locally, publish results, scale with County/State when it works, and stop what doesn’t. That’s how we deliver clear, predictable outcomes for families, workers, and employers.