Will Mayor Carter’s ambitious plan for St. Paul succeed?

A community-centered, more inclusive approach to city government

By Abdi Mohamed

Contributing Writer

In his “State of Our City” address last month, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter set new heights for the capitol city as he covered his plans for housing assistance, infrastructure, public safety and more. This is what the mayor referred to as “swinging for the fences” as he embarks on bringing a renewed charge to inspire residents and local leaders alike to help the city thrive.

In his interview with the MSR, Mayor Carter said that he looks to consult with his constituents on many of his biggest decisions as mayor.

“When it comes to doing big things, we always find groups of people to do it with,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in reshaping what municipal government looks like, in reshaping the type of resources and supports that people can look to City Hall to receive. But we never feel alone because we’re doing it with community members kind of every step along the way.”

Carter shared that in his many meetings with residents and business owners, the conversation tends to veer towards one question—why St. Paul? In response, the St. Paul community shared their aspirations for their business or in raising a family, says Carter.

As mayor, those conversations for Carter have translated into his effort to create systems to support St. Paul residents, such as the guaranteed income for families, which was launched in 2020. Efforts to provide home-buying assistance and funding opportunities for businesses owned by people of color and women have also been at the forefront of the mayor’s plans for invigorating the city and its residents. He says that there has long been a perception that the status quo is good enough and that opportunities may have to be

 See CARTER on page 5