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telephone
6127183672
Contact Phone
6127183672
I will hold the line on taxes by keeping city levies in line with inflation and urging the County and School Board to do the same
We must reduce crime and petty offenses while ensuring real rehabilitation opportunities. Safety and security must remain a top priority for city government, because trust is the foundation of a strong community.
I will give residents a stronger voice by engaging the community early—preventing conflicts before they arise and shaping smarter, lasting solutions for St. Paul. I will also redirect the ½-cent sales tax into micro-grants that strengthen small businesses and empower local organizations to reinvest in our city’s future.
I will streamline the permitting process and shift our city’s focus away from subsidizing large developers for new construction toward restoring naturally affordable housing. By providing tax credits for homeowners and landlords, we can keep rentals affordable and safe while preserving our existing neighborhoods. At the same time, I will encourage new housing along transit corridors and on vacant parcels that have become eyesores—turning underused land into homes that strengthen our communities.
As a scientist, I know the value of facts and clear communication. Because the mayor oversees city departments, it is essential that the mayor shares what she learns with the city council—and that council members share what they learn from the community. I will build consensus by listening, communicating openly, and focusing on long-term goals. By collaborating regularly with council members and respecting their perspectives, we can prevent misconceptions, avoid unnecessary conflict, and always keep residents’ financial future at the center of our decisions.
Improve safety—both real and perceived. We must engage a wide community to ensure not only effective law enforcement but also real rehabilitation opportunities, so people can successfully reintegrate into our broader community.
Attract more visitors with accessible parking. Offering a couple of hours of free parking in city-owned ramps will encourage more people to come downtown, shop, and enjoy events.
Support local businesses and vibrant neighborhoods. We will streamline the permitting process, provide tax credits, and explore reduced rents in key storefronts—making it easier for small businesses to thrive and for residents to enjoy more shopping and dining options close to home.
Protecting St. Paul’s sanctuary policies is a priority, and I will deepen collaboration with local organizations to stretch our city resources further. But true change also comes from knowledge—residents deserve to know how their federal tax dollars are working for them. Together, we can demand greater federal investment to meet the real needs of our community.
My plan to generate revenue has two steps. First, we must stop losing revenue by overusing TIF and taking on debt for projects we “want” but don’t “need.” We should improve safety and streamline permitting so businesses choose St. Paul, not leave it. And we can partner with nonprofits through Services In Lieu of Taxes (SILOTs) so they provide services that offset the cost of city resources they use. Second, we must build long-term growth by positioning St. Paul as a hub for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and by expanding homeownership to stabilize neighborhoods, strengthen families, and grow our tax base without raising rates.
Climate change through continued investments into geothermal and solar projects. Public safety on our roads through automated enforcement of speeding and red light running so that the police can more effectively spend their time investigating crimes. Affordability through a safe interconnected bicycle network that allows anyone to choose not to own a car while also giving the freedom of transportation to children and those who cannot drive.
Get developers to build more housing, but not through massive tax breaks and handouts that do more harm to the city's financial stability long-term. If developers are unwilling to build on their own, then the city should step in and start building our own quality publicly owned housing. I also believe that the city should have better ways of offering groups of people a framework for organizing together to finance and build co-op housing, even if they don't initially know each other. And beyond this, we need to do everything we can to make the city a more desirable place to live so that all the people building homes in the suburbs view us as a better place to invest their life in.
By following the ordinances as the city council adopts them! If I have personal disagreements or questions I will be in constant communication to come to a resolution with them, but I believe in the separation of the powers of government and it is the mayor's job to execute on the laws of our city. While I may have policy objectives and will obviously advocate for issues I believe in, it is ultimately the city council who has the sole authority to enacts laws and budgets and I intend to respect that. We need to stop electing mayors based on policies they advocate for but have absolutely no direct governmental power to enact.
We absolutely need to pedestrianize as much of downtown as physically possible. Downtown is an unpleasant place to hang out because there are two interstates, three state highways, and a county road running directly through it which makes it a haven for loud, fast, and dangerous interactions with cars at literally every corner. We need downtown to be a place where people want to spend time, regardless if they intend to spend money as well. Treating downtown only as a destination for out-of-towners creates a boom and bust cycle that gets a lot of people in for a short period of time and leaves the place empty afterwards. I struggle to get friends to go downtown with me because the first thing they ask is "but is there an event going on?".
Unfortunately, I don't believe there really is much the mayor has the power to do to push back against the federal government beyond simply not actively helping them, and I also think it's important we don't inflame them even more by making toothless statements that will trigger them to retaliate against us. I think we need to plan and coordinate our response quietly while also ensuring that our residents are protected from economic hardships and illegal actions taken by the federal government.
Attracting businesses starts with attracting the people to start and work for those businesses. I would love to see more zoning changes to allow anyone to start a low-impact business in their own home anywhere in the city, but once again, that is up to the city council to enact. Where the mayor can make a difference is in creating a built environment that people want to spend time in and running things efficiently enough to reduce our tax burden so that people are not discouraged from living here. The answer is not giving private businesses public handouts, it's to use public funds to lift all of us up so that we all can have the opportunity to build a better city together.
The main challenges to progress in our city: safe communities, a vibrant economy, and affordable housing.
First, funding has not kept up with ballooning non-emergency calls, putting all of our safety at risk. Second, development has stalled — at the former Ford site, Midway, and downtown. Major retailers, such as grocery stores, are leaving our neighborhoods, leaving them without the resources they need to thrive. Closing businesses stretch our tax base thin, putting the burden on residents. Third, housing is too expensive and inaccessible for residents. We need abundant housing by working within and across government, community partners, and developers to build public housing, affordable housing, and market-rate units.
I am a strong advocate for affordable and abundant housing. I was on the Housing Committee at the State Legislature and carried several bills aimed at addressing the housing crisis, not just in Saint Paul but across the state. We need investment in public housing that will guarantee low-cost housing in perpetuity. What I hear most from stakeholders right now is a hesitancy to build in Saint Paul due to a lack of political stability and insufficient support from city leadership. Building more housing (public, affordable, and market-rate) and encouraging investment in that area will have a direct impact on the trajectory of affordable housing in Saint Paul.
I have strong relationships with members across the city council. One of the biggest issues I’ve observed in the last few years is a lack of communication between the mayor’s office, the city council, and other government partners. Working collaboratively so that no partners are caught off guard by a request, and building as much consensus as possible before rolling out a proposal, will benefit all of us and make our city much more productive and welcoming. I have committed to meeting one-on-one with each of the Councilmembers to learn their priorities, projects important to Ward, and issues most pressing in my first month in office. I believe that if my Council Members are successful, I will be successful as mayor.
There has been significant discussion about revitalizing downtown. A review to identify buildings for renovation/demolition has already been completed. I would leverage that plan. As mayor, I would take the lead on recruiting businesses by collaborating with the chambers, Visit StP, Greater MSP, and the Department of Commerce. I will work with arts, cultural, and entertainment organizations to incorporate their ideas, and I will partner with researchers to identify the habits of the next generation, building the type of community they want to live in. To support this work, I propose establishing an urban wealth fund. Similar investment tools have succeeded in Copenhagen and Singapore. We must show investors that downtown is worth attention.
As a refugee, this question is deeply personal to me. Since Trump’s inauguration, I've attended ICE check-ins with community members who feel threatened. It's crucial for all residents to participate in “Constitutional Observer” trainings to protect our neighbors. While Saint Paul has a non-compliance agreement, we need to go further by developing a community response system and providing timely alerts. The withdrawal of grants is alarming, especially as our city faces financial strains. With limited resources and being one of the few cities managing its own EMS, we must be vigilant about how healthcare cuts from Washington could impact our community's safety and well-being.
I’ve heard from too many business owners or people exploring moving their business that a lack of communication from city hall and departments makes it challenging to start up in our city. Saint Paul needs to be competitive in attracting small, medium, and large businesses. Cities around us have more responsive and transparent processes, and as a result, business owners choose to open there. I’ve also heard considerable frustration with the permitting process in Saint Paul. When liquor licenses and other permits take months to years to obtain or, in some cases, are lost in the administration, it makes it difficult for people to do business here at all. We need a mayor who can get the basics of running a city right.
telephone
6128687312
Contact Phone
6128687312
Lower taxes. Saint Paul has the highest sales tax in Minnesota at 9.88%. Minneapolis is 9.03%. Saint Paul has the highest property taxes in Minnesota. Saint Paul is the most expensive place to live and the most expensive place to run a business in Minnesota. Unacceptable.
Lower Crime. Saint Paul’s crime rate is twice the rate of Minnesota. People are afraid to visit Saint Paul. All of our criminals will be held accountable and face the consequences of their actions.
Eliminate homelessness. Compassion isn’t letting people live in tents. The mentally ill will receive services. Drug users will be offered help. We will adopt the Houston model.
Housing is too expensive because taxes are too high. Saint Paul restricts new housing through rent control which limits the number of housing units available, which drives up prices. Taxes will be lowered. Rent control will be eliminated.
We are all going to operate from a place of common sense.
Lower taxes. Lower crime. Eliminate people sleeping on sidewalks and living in tents.
We are going to reduce the cost of living in Saint Paul. We are going to make our capital city of Saint Paul be a true reflection of our beautiful state of Minnesota. One of the most beautiful states in America.
Lower taxes. Lower crime. Eliminate people sleeping on sidewalks and living in tents.
