St. Paul's new-look city council passes budget over mayor's objections
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St. Paul City Council members (L-R) Saura Jost, Rebecca Noecker and Anika Bowie. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
The St. Paul City Council's newest members flexed their muscles Wednesday night, voting 5-1 to approve a city budget they spearheaded despite Mayor Melvin Carter's concerns.
Why it matters: The vote was a pivotal show of political gumption by four council members just completing their first year in office, who rejected the mayor's "compromise" offer that included less-drastic spending limits.
The big picture: The median homeowner can now expect a modestly smaller property tax bill — $19 per year, Carter said — as the council approved a smaller levy increase (5.9%) than the mayor had proposed (6.9%).
- The budget buys this smaller tax increase with new limits on city spending, including on the overtime budget of a short-staffed police department.
What they're saying: "We have done our homework. These are not rash decisions," said Council Member Rebecca Noecker about the budget at Wednesday's meeting.
- Noecker, who's been on the council since 2016, said the bulk of the savings came from closing unfilled positions and reclaiming previously budgeted but unspent dollars.
- First-year Council Member Cheniqua Johnson stressed the similarities between the mayor's and council's proposals, noting shared priorities from libraries to free swimming lessons. The difference in spending is roughly $2 million annually.
The other side: In a statement after the vote, Carter said the council's proposal lacked detail and enacted budget cuts "without a plan."
- The mayor grappled with council members for weeks over proposals that closed positions he said had already been filled.
- Carter's statement did not say whether the mayor would use his line-item veto authority.
The intrigue: Johnson said her colleagues, all women, took their responsibility seriously. In comments at Wednesday's meeting, she didn't name the mayor or any other critic, but said arguments that the council's budget was carelessly written had a gendered tinge.
- A method "used to discredit young women, especially in leadership," Johnson said, is to "question whether or not we know how to do our job."
What we're watching: While police officers wouldn't lose jobs, Chief Axel Henry said the council's budget could lead to service reductions.
- "It translates to 'what stuff do you not want us to do?'" he told reporters. "The workload hasn't gone down. Actually, demands have gone up."
Friction point: Activists from progressive groups allied with Carter criticized the council for rerouting funds from the recently enacted franchise fees on Xcel Energy, which were passed with plans to fund climate-related initiatives.
- Among those initiatives: an urban forestry program that the council's budget now calls to fund with economic development money — but Carter told reporters there may not be enough in that account to cover the program's full cost.
Yes, but: The council also passed a non-binding resolution that "commits to ensuring franchise fees are primarily used to fund these programs."