>> CATHY: WHEN ALL THE VOTES IN ST. PAUL’S CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS WERE FINALLY TALLIED LATE LAST WEEK, HISTORY WAS MADE.
AN ALL-FEMALE COUNCIL WILL LEAD THE CITY COME JANUARY.
FRED MELO FOLLOWS ALL THINGS ST. PAUL FOR THE ST. PAUL “PIONEER PRESS.”
WELCOME BACK.
>> THANKS.
>> Cathy: WE WERE JUST TALKING OFF AIR THERE BRIEFLY ABOUT, GOSH, IT WAS ONLY TEN YEARS AGO WHEN THE COUNCIL WAS MOSTLY ALL WHITE AND MEN AND MALE.
>> WHEN I STARTED, THERE WAS ONE WOMAN, KATHY LANTREY WHO BECAME THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT, THERE WAS ONE PERSON OF COLOR AND HIS NAME WAS MELVIN CARTER AND HE WENT ON TO BECOME THE MAYOR.
OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, SEVEN-MEMBER COUNCIL, EVERYONE ELSE WAS WHITE MALE.
AND NOW YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE ALL FEMALE AND ONE CAUCASIAN AND SIX PEOPLE OF COLOR.
>> Eric: WHAT MESSAGE WERE St. PAUL VOTERS SENDING WITH ELECTING THIS BUNCH?
>> I THINK IT WAS PRETTY PROGRESSIVE MESSAGE.
THERE WERE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE 30 CANDIDATES FOR THE SEVEN SEATS, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO RAN AGAINST A BIKEWAY ON SUMMIT AVENUE, NONE OF THEM MADE ANY TRACTION.
THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO REPEAL RENT CONTROL, NONE OF THEM MADE ANY TRACTION.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WERE DEAD SET AGAINST SALES TAX FOR ROADS, WHICH PASSED WITH, LIKE, OVER 60% OF THE VOTE.
SO NONE OF THEM MADE ANY TRACTION.
SO, IT WAS PRETTY PROGRESSIVE CHOICES, I’D SAY, OVERALL, VERY MUCH THE DFL SLATE.
BUT EVEN IN WARD 1, WHERE THERE HAD NOT BEEN A CANDIDATE WITH A DFL SPONSORSHIP, THEY STILL KIND OF WENT FOR THE MAYOR’S CHOICE, ANIKA.
>> Cathy: WOULD YOU SAY THAT St. PAUL S AS AGGRESSIVE AS MINNEAPOLIS IS IN TERMS OF ITS POLITICS?
>> IT’S DEFINITELY DIFFERENT.
I THINK THE FEEL IS DIFFERENT, SMALLER CITY COUNCIL, SMALLER CITY.
WE HAVE RENT CONTROL.
MINNEAPOLIS IS STILL KIND OF DEBATING THAT, THAT’S STILL GOING TO BE A QUESTION OUT THERE.
SO, IN SOME WAYS, WE’VE BEEN MORE PROGRESSIVE, YOU COULD ARGUE, AND IN SOME WAYS WE’RE STILL CATCHING UP ON THINGS LIKE BIKE LANES.
>> Eric: HOW IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GOING TO FARE WITH THIS NEW COUNCIL?
>> I THINK IT WILL BE INTERESTING.
I TALKED TO JALALI, WHO’S THE MIDWAY, WARD 4, SHE SAID ONE OF HER PRIORITIES NEXT YEAR IS TO GO UPSTREAM OF CRIME, LOOK AT THINGS THAT ARE NONPOLICING APPROACHES TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY.
MITRA JALALI.
WE’VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A DECLINE IN VIOLENT CRIME, BACK TO PREPANDEMIC LEVELS, BUT THOSE WERE ELEVATED LEVELS COMPARED TO 20 YEARS, PEOPLE ARE STILL WORRIED ABOUT, WHO DO I CALL WHEN MY GARAGE GETS BROKEN INTO, EVEN IF IT’S NOT A VIOLENT CRIME.
THERE’S GOING TO BE SOME QUESTIONS THERE.
THE POLICE DON’T REALLY COME BY THOSE KINDS OF THINGS TO CHECK ON YOUR STOLEN BIKE.
YOU JUST FILE SOMETHING ONLINE.
SO THERE’S GOING TO BE SOME TENSION THERE.
>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED COUNCIL MEMBER JALALI, DO YOU THINK SHE’LL BECOME COUNCIL MEMBER PRESIDENT.
SHE’S INTERESTED.
>> SHE’S DEFINITELY INTERESTED.
I THINK SHE MIGHT HAVE THE VOTES.
REBECCA NOECKER HAS BEEN THERE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, REPRESENTS DOWNTOWN, THE WEST SIDE, KIND OF THESE ROBUST AREAS THAT HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES.
SHE’S — HE EB BECK — REBECCA NOECKER IS KIND OF THE CO-COUNCIL PRESIDENT, DEPUTY PRESIDENT.
SHE’S ALSO INTERESTED.
THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF A COMPETITION THERE, BUT I THINK MITRA MIGHT HAVE THE EDGE.
>> Eric: ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS-ELECT SAID SHE WANTS TO BRING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE TO THE CITY COUNCIL, DOES THAT MEAN BLOCKING AND TACKLING CITY STUFF IS GOING TO BE A LOWER PRIORITY?
>> THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION.
YOU HAVE SEVEN DWIFNT PEOPLE.
THEY — DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
THEY MAY BE ALL WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, THEY’RE STILL GOING TO BRING DIFFERENT PRIORITIES.
SURE, THE IDEA OF KIND OF LOCAL CITY ISSUES AND CITY POLITICS IMPACTING SOCIAL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS ABOUT EQUITY AND QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO HAS ACCESS TO EVERYTHING FROM CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES TO BETTER ROADS AND SCHOOLS.
YEAH, THERE’S GOING TO BE THAT DISCUSSION.
BUT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE CALLING YOU ABOUT A PARTICULAR POTHOLE, A PARTICULAR CITY INTERSECTION.
SO I THINK THIS COUNCIL’S GOING TO DISCOVER VERY QUICKLY, IF THEY DON’T KNOW ALREADY, THAT ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL AND IN St. PAUL IT’S HYPERLOCAL, WHERE CITY AND NEIGHBORHOODS, PEOPLE ARE REALLY GOING TO WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> Cathy: ERIC ASKED ABOUT THE COUNCIL’S RELATIONSHIP WITH MAYBE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HOW ABOUT THE ELATIONSHIP WITH MAYOR CARTER, DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, THAT’S GOING TO BE VERY INTERESTING.
I MEAN, MAYOR CARTER SAID HE SUPPORTED RENT CONTROL, HE KIND OF CAME IN LATE IN THAT DISCUSSION, BUT HE SAID HE SUPPORTED IT.
BUT THEN HE ALSO SUPPORTED THE EXEMPTIONS THAT GOT PASSED A YEAR AGO, HEY, IF YOU’RE BUILDING A NEW BUILDING, YOU’RE EXEMPT FROM RENT CONTROL FOR 20 YEARS.
THAT’S A PRETTY BIG EXEMPTION.
THIS CITY COUNCIL MAY NOT BE FEELING THAT.
I THINK THERE’S GOING TO BE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS THERE.
BUT I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF VERY SOON THAT GETS REVISITED.
E EMIND US, St. PAUL HAS HAY STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM.
HOW DOES THE COUNCIL FIT INTO LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNING?
>> THE COUNCIL SETS THE BUDGET.
THE MAYOR HAS SOME VETO POWER OVER THAT BUDGET.
BUT EVEN THINGS LIKE APPOINTING MEMBERS TO THE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION, THAT’S SOMETHING THE MAYOR DOES, APPOINTING TO THE ADVISORY BOARDS, THAT’S WHAT THE MAYOR DOES.
DIFFERENT THAN MINNEAPOLIS, WHERE YOU RUN FOR PARKS AND REC COMMISSION.
HERE YOU GO TO THE MAYOR’S OFFICE AND SAY, CAN I PLEASE BE ON THIS BOARD?
THERE’S A LOT ORE VOICE, I THINK, BUILT IN IN St. PAUL.
SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE SOME OF THAT PUSHBACK.
RENT CONTROL’S A BIG ONE.
CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES, RAISING PROPERTY TAXES TO PAY FOR CHILD CARE, THAT’S GOING TO BE ON THE 2024 BALLOT.
EXPECT A BIG DISCUSSION THERE.
>> Cathy: WHAT BIG ISSUE COMES OUT OF THE GATE FIRST WITH THIS NEW COUNCIL, DO YOU THINK?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION.
I MEAN, THE BUDGET WILL BE SET IN DISEASE.
SO THE NEW COUNCIL WILL KIND OF INHERIT A BUDGET.
THE SALES TAX GOT APPROVED, THERE’S ABOUT $2 BILLION — $1 BILLION OVER 20 YEARS, THAT’S $30 MILLION A YEAR.
THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS SPENT AS IT WAS PROMISED TO BE SPENT ON ROADS, BUT ALSO ON BIG PARKS PROJECTS.
AND MULTITOURNAMENT SPORT FACILITY MAYBE ON THE NORTH END, THAT KIND OF THING IS UP IN THE AIR.
>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.
