Mike Hilborn
Name: Mike Hilborn
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-868-7312
Campaign Website: HilbornForStPaul.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
I have lived in Saint Paul since attending college, 42 years ago. I raised my three adult sons in the Highland Park area of Saint Paul. I started my business out of my garage in Saint Paul, August 1995. We turned 30 years old on August 14th. We have grown to 45 employees. As my business has grown, we’ve moved four times to accommodate the growth. Always in Saint Paul. We are a second chance employer. Many of our employees are either in recovery or have been incarcerated. Everyone starts at $25 per hour with available health and dental insurance, 401k, and PTO. I have the hardest working, most dedicated employees I’ve seen. I know how to run a successful, efficient, profitable business. I love Saint Paul. I live here, have raised my family in Saint Paul, and have grown my business in Saint Paul. I am uniquely qualified to lead this city.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
Servant leadership. One day each month I personally make breakfast for all of my employees. It’s an opportunity to show my appreciation and to serve my employees. It gives me a chance each month to talk with each one of them. How’s their family, how are they doing, how’s their job going. Listening to everyone so that I can make decisions to guide the company. My company operates under four Core Values:
Show up
Get things done
Do the right thing
Grow or Die
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
Taxes - Saint Paul has the highest sales tax in Minnesota. 9.88% That is unacceptable. Saint Paul has the highest property taxes in Minnesota. Retirees can’t afford to stay in their homes. Of the five biggest cities in Minnesota, Saint Paul is the only city to lose population. Saint Paul has lost more than 500 businesses since 2020. People don’t start businesses in the most expensive city. They start businesses in the next town over. Businesses don’t move into the most expensive city. They move into the city next door.
Crime – We have to hold our criminals accountable and give our police the tools they need. If we want people and businesses to come downtown again, we have to be serious about crime.
Homelessness – It is not compassionate to have people live in tents.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Saint Paul?
Saint Paul is the most expensive place city in Minnesota to run a business. It can be the least expensive place to run a business with the right policies. We have everything people need to run a successful business. Easy access to the airport, a working river, buildings, available employees, food and entertainment. If we don’t turn it around, we are going to lose many of those things.
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?
Disastrous. Minneapolis building permits are up over 60%. Saint Paul’s building permits are down over 60%. Absolute worst idea put into practice. Rent control makes things more expensive due to lack of supply and forces landlords to cut back on maintenance. The worst part is, everyone already knew this was going to happen and we did it anyway. Bad leadership.
What steps would you take to revitalize downtown Saint Paul and promote long-term economic growth in the area?
Lower taxes through better policies and focusing on fraud, waste and abuse.
Lower crime by holding our criminals accountable. Stop catch and release.
Lower homelessness. Having people sleep in tents and sleeping on sidewalks is not compassionate.
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?
We have to work together. A city without businesses is dead. Businesses pay over 3 times the rate for property taxes than a homeowner. Every time a business leaves, the homeowners have to make up the difference. A thriving and livable downtown requires healthy businesses. Everything is interconnected.
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?
The business climate is bad. Our current leadership is anything but pro-business. Lower taxes, lower crime, lower homelessness.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
We don’t hold criminals accountable. They are allowed to run free. They get caught and they are back on the street the next day to commit crime again. Criminals that reoffend must be locked up.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
I think we are doing great here. There are lots of options for transportation. We have lots of bike lanes. The crime aspect is the same. We have to lock people up that break the law.
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?
Lower taxes, lower crime, lower homelessness. Bring our businesses back. We live in Minnesota because we love this state. Saint Paul is our state’s capital. Saint Paul should reflect our beautiful state. We have to make Saint Paul affordable, or people and businesses will continue to leave.
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?
The city should be focused on three things; taxes, crime, and homelessness. We focus and fix those things, the rest will take care of itself.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-868-7312
Campaign Website: HilbornForStPaul.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook Page:
Candidate Bio
I have lived in Saint Paul since attending college, 42 years ago. I raised my three adult sons in the Highland Park area of Saint Paul. I started my business out of my garage in Saint Paul, August 1995. We turned 30 years old on August 14th. We have grown to 45 employees. As my business has grown, we’ve moved four times to accommodate the growth. Always in Saint Paul. We are a second chance employer. Many of our employees are either in recovery or have been incarcerated. Everyone starts at $25 per hour with available health and dental insurance, 401k, and PTO. I have the hardest working, most dedicated employees I’ve seen. I know how to run a successful, efficient, profitable business. I love Saint Paul. I live here, have raised my family in Saint Paul, and have grown my business in Saint Paul. I am uniquely qualified to lead this city.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
Servant leadership. One day each month I personally make breakfast for all of my employees. It’s an opportunity to show my appreciation and to serve my employees. It gives me a chance each month to talk with each one of them. How’s their family, how are they doing, how’s their job going. Listening to everyone so that I can make decisions to guide the company. My company operates under four Core Values:
Show up
Get things done
Do the right thing
Grow or Die
What would be your top three priorities if elected? How might these priorities be affected by the state's projected economic outlook?
Taxes - Saint Paul has the highest sales tax in Minnesota. 9.88% That is unacceptable. Saint Paul has the highest property taxes in Minnesota. Retirees can’t afford to stay in their homes. Of the five biggest cities in Minnesota, Saint Paul is the only city to lose population. Saint Paul has lost more than 500 businesses since 2020. People don’t start businesses in the most expensive city. They start businesses in the next town over. Businesses don’t move into the most expensive city. They move into the city next door.
Crime – We have to hold our criminals accountable and give our police the tools they need. If we want people and businesses to come downtown again, we have to be serious about crime.
Homelessness – It is not compassionate to have people live in tents.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in Saint Paul?
Saint Paul is the most expensive place city in Minnesota to run a business. It can be the least expensive place to run a business with the right policies. We have everything people need to run a successful business. Easy access to the airport, a working river, buildings, available employees, food and entertainment. If we don’t turn it around, we are going to lose many of those things.
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?
Disastrous. Minneapolis building permits are up over 60%. Saint Paul’s building permits are down over 60%. Absolute worst idea put into practice. Rent control makes things more expensive due to lack of supply and forces landlords to cut back on maintenance. The worst part is, everyone already knew this was going to happen and we did it anyway. Bad leadership.
What steps would you take to revitalize downtown Saint Paul and promote long-term economic growth in the area?
Lower taxes through better policies and focusing on fraud, waste and abuse.
Lower crime by holding our criminals accountable. Stop catch and release.
Lower homelessness. Having people sleep in tents and sleeping on sidewalks is not compassionate.
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?
We have to work together. A city without businesses is dead. Businesses pay over 3 times the rate for property taxes than a homeowner. Every time a business leaves, the homeowners have to make up the difference. A thriving and livable downtown requires healthy businesses. Everything is interconnected.
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?
The business climate is bad. Our current leadership is anything but pro-business. Lower taxes, lower crime, lower homelessness.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
We don’t hold criminals accountable. They are allowed to run free. They get caught and they are back on the street the next day to commit crime again. Criminals that reoffend must be locked up.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
I think we are doing great here. There are lots of options for transportation. We have lots of bike lanes. The crime aspect is the same. We have to lock people up that break the law.
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?
Lower taxes, lower crime, lower homelessness. Bring our businesses back. We live in Minnesota because we love this state. Saint Paul is our state’s capital. Saint Paul should reflect our beautiful state. We have to make Saint Paul affordable, or people and businesses will continue to leave.
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?
The city should be focused on three things; taxes, crime, and homelessness. We focus and fix those things, the rest will take care of itself.