The entire City Council is up for election this fall in Minnesota's capital city. With four current council members stepping down at the end of the year and 30 candidates vying for seven seats, St. Paul's legislative body is poised for its biggest shakeup since the 1990s.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Here's how to vote, check your registration and see a sample ballot.
The Star Tribune asked each candidate the following questions on top issues:
- Why are you running?
- City officials say St. Paul has a decades-long backlog of work to maintain its infrastructure, and voters will soon take up a proposed 1% sales tax to fund nearly $1 billion for streets and parks over 20 years. How do you think the city can best address its infrastructure problems?
- St. Paul saw a record 40 homicides last year as violent crime spiked in the city and across the country. How would you address public safety concerns in your ward and across the city?
- Through policies and spending in recent years, the city has aimed to boost its housing stock and provide more stable housing for low-income residents, with mixed results. What do you think the city should be doing to address its housing crisis?
- Mayor Melvin Carter proposed raising the property tax levy 3.7% in 2024, down from the nearly 15% levy increase property owners faced this year. A ballot initiative in 2024 will propose a special levy increase dedicated to covering the costs of child care for low-income families. How do you think the council should use its taxing power to pay for the city's needs?
Read their answers below.
(i) indicates an incumbent candidate.