ST PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul’s State of the City address was held Tuesday at the Oxford Rec Center.
This was no coincidence.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter chose the location, saying it was the location where he encountered “one of his hardest times as mayor” in January. A teenager was shot by rec center employee.
“When our young people feel supported, our neighborhoods can be more secure,” Mayor Carter said.
Throughout the in-depth State of the City address, the mayor highlighted strides with violence prevention programs, improvement in emergency response times, police recruitment, and more.
Mayor Carter said they have seized 120 guns, and are on pace to see a 43% drop in gunshot victims this year compared to last year. There were over 40 homicides reported in St. Paul in 2022.
There is one glaring issue Mayor Carter said St. Paul can’t solve on their own: deteriorating roads.
Mayor Carter is looking to improve roads by proposing a 1 cent sales tax increase in St. Paul which would need to be approved by state legislatures. The funds from the increase would go towards the aging infrastructure in the capital city. Mayor Carter said some roads haven’t been redone in over 125 years.
“It’s no secret our streets are breaking down,” Carter said.
The House DFL introduced a tax bill that would allocate $30 million to St. Paul road repairs. The mayor acknowledged this and is grateful state legislators see the struggle they’ve faced with roads. However, he says he is still determined to get his proposal passed.
The city will announce details about its community budget discussion events in a few weeks. They are encouraging residents to participate.