Election 2023: St. Paul City Council 5

ST. PAUL CITY COUNCIL WARD 5

On Nov. 7, St. Paul voters will elect the seven members of the city council by ward. The ranked-choice ballot allows voters to rank their picks in order of preference. Ward 5 spans the Como, North End, Payne-Phalen and Railroad Island neighborhoods.

General information about the Nov. 7 election is online at twincities.com/tag/elections. In addition, twincities.com/news/politics/elections will have a full voters guide with candidates for Ramsey, Dakota and Washington county races online this month. To find out where to vote, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s online polling place finder at pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us.

David Greenwood-Sanchez

David Greenwood-Sanchez, candidate for St. Paul City Council, Ward 5, in the November 2023 election. (Courtesy of the candidate)

Age: 37
What qualifies you to hold this position? I’ve dedicated my career to public policy and community. Professionally, I work as a professor of political science, specializing in environmental and Latin American politics. I’ve lived most of my life in the Como neighborhood, and have a long record of standing up for my community. I’m also a Fulbright scholar (Mexico and Peru).
What would your top priorities be if elected? 1 — Restoring the voice of our neighborhoods. No more top-down decisions; we need meaningful engagement. 2 — Generating a sustainable revenue base. Let’s find real, structural solutions for our financial problems. 3 — Expanding affordable housing Our current model of condo-led development is broken; we need to prioritize truly affordable housing.
St. Paul voters approved rent control in 2021, and the St. Paul City Council and city staff heavily amended the policy in 2022. Would you further amend rent control, end it, or maintain the policy as it currently stands? Why? I do not support the ordinance in its current form. On one hand, the city has an obligation to respect the will of the people. At the same time, the specifics of the ballot measure were minimal, and were interpreted by the city in strange ways. We need to start over and do it right. As they say, “God is everywhere, but the devil is in the details.”
A Nov. 7 ballot question asks voters whether to increase the city’s sales tax by 1 percentage point to raise funds for roads and parks. How do you plan to vote and why? We are in a precarious fiscal situation because city leaders have overused TIF (tax increment financing), which takes investors off the hook from paying property taxes. Rather than address this structural problem, the city is telling us to vote for a regressive tax that disproportionately hurts low and fixed-income residents. I can’t support this.
In 2024, a ballot question recently supported by the St. Paul City Council would ask voters to raise property taxes each year for 10 years in order to issue city subsidies for private childcare providers. How do you plan to vote and why? While I like the spirit of the initiative, we currently do not have a clear plan to implement this program. I also have reservations about using simple ballot measures to address complex policy issues like subsidies for private childcare. We need leaders who, instead of punting this to voters, can engage with this issue in its full complexity.
Website or contact: votedavidgs.com

Hwa Jeong Kim

Hwa Jeong Kim, candidate for the Ward 5 seat on the St. Paul City Council in the November 2023 election. (Courtesy of the candidate)

Age: 38
What qualifies you to hold this position? I am your DFL and TCDSA endorsed Ward 5 Saint Paul City Council candidate. I am a former Legislative Aide, a Korean American, and a non-profit executive director. I am an experienced policymaker with a history of working with Ward 5 residents on community issues and making effective solutions across different levels of government.
What would your top priorities be if elected? My priorities include affordable housing at every income level across the spectrum of housing needs, healing hour planet to combat climate change, resourced community-centered public safety, and worker’s rights and protections.
St. Paul voters approved rent control in 2021, and the St. Paul City Council and city staff heavily amended the policy in 2022. Would you further amend rent control, end it, or maintain the policy as it currently stands? Why? In addition to furthering rent stabilization to include those exempted, we must revisit tenant protections, offer relocation assistance for displaced tenants from rent hikes, and eliminate full vacancy decontrol. Our city is majority renters. I am committed to improving rent control to reflect the needs of our residents.
A Nov. 7 ballot question asks voters whether to increase the city’s sales tax by 1 percentage point to raise funds for roads and parks. How do you plan to vote and why? I‘m supportive. With major attractions that draw folks to the capital across the state, a sales tax will allow us to share the repair costs with everyone who uses our streets. Our parks and recreation contribute to our region’s resiliency and community vibrancy despite deferred maintenance and updating.
In 2024, a ballot question recently supported by the St. Paul City Council would ask voters to raise property taxes each year for 10 years in order to issue city subsidies for private childcare providers. How do you plan to vote and why? The childcare system has an affordability and workforce crisis. Securing and affording childcare should not be a luxury. Childcare providers struggle to give scholarships, pay staff livable wages, and provide learning to kids in their care. Families, children and providers deserve a municipal solution that can work with future state funding. .
Website or contact: hwajeongkim.com

Nate Nins

Age: 37

Nate Nins, candidate for the Ward 5 seat on the St. Paul City Council in the November 2023 election. (Courtesy of the candidate)

What qualifies you to hold this position? I am qualified to serve on the City Council from my experience in public service, private sector, tech and leadership. -Helping government use tech to better engage with residents -Marine Corps and Army intelligence analyst and squad leader. -Worked at every St. Paul Library -Small Business and Entrepreneurship Librarian at Anoka County library.
What would your top priorities be if elected? -Build trust with residents by being accessible and accountable -Display transparent and responsible spending -Expand economic development opportunities -Explore re-instating a Neighborhood Youth Corps -Identify options for more short-term and emergency housing -Foster a one-stop community service model -Provide specific goals with regular updates
St. Paul voters approved rent control in 2021, and the St. Paul City Council and city staff heavily amended the policy in 2022. Would you further amend rent control, end it, or maintain the policy as it currently stands? Why? I would make no changes at this time. What we know about policy suggests that changes to policy can take years to measure the impacts. So for me it doesn’t seem prudent to come in and reverse a policy change without having the ability to meaningfully measure it’s impact.
A Nov. 7 ballot question asks voters whether to increase the city’s sales tax by 1 percentage point to raise funds for roads and parks. How do you plan to vote and why? I plan to vote yes. It’s clear that we need to work on the roads but don’t have the ability to do this work within our current budget. No one likes to see taxes go up, I think partly because of a distrust of government spending, but the reality is that we can’t both complain about the condition of the roads and also decline taxes to pay for them.
In 2024, a ballot question recently supported by the St. Paul City Council would ask voters to raise property taxes each year for 10 years in order to issue city subsidies for private childcare providers. How do you plan to vote and why? I plan to vote to approve the tax increases. We know that early childhood education is a key indicator of success later in life, but we also know that we’re losing childcare providers and not everyone can afford them. Ensuring we have enough, and affordable childcare providers is a necessary investment by the city.
Website or contact: natenins.com

Pam Tollefson

Pam Tollefson, candidate for St. Paul City Council, Ward 5 in the November 2023 election. (Courtesy of the candidate)

Age: 62
What qualifies you to hold this position? I have a wealth of experiences, including being a single mom, renter, landlord, homeowner, wife, long time employee in private sector, community supporter & caregiver to elderly parents. All are beneficial when making policies affecting residents. My prof. experience is having a Paralegal degree & leading a team working on State Rules & Regs.
What would your top priorities be if elected? Fully Staffed Police Department, which requires careful planning and budget allocation. Balance City Budget, which requires prioritizing and allocating funds for necessities and critical services. Affordable Housing, which requires addressing needs, including the availability of medium-sized homes.
St. Paul voters approved rent control in 2021, and the St. Paul City Council and city staff heavily amended the policy in 2022. Would you further amend rent control, end it, or maintain the policy as it currently stands? Why? At this time, I would maintain it as is. But, I think we need to study current data on housing affordability and what the impact of the amendments are to tenants, landlords, and developers. Some of the exemptions are a bit muddy.
A Nov. 7 ballot question asks voters whether to increase the city’s sales tax by 1 percentage point to raise funds for roads and parks. How do you plan to vote and why? I believe we need to get the money elsewhere. But, I believe property taxes will raise if it doesn’t pass and I don’t want residents to have that burden. Because of that belief, I will probably vote yes.
In 2024, a ballot question recently supported by the St. Paul City Council would ask voters to raise property taxes each year for 10 years in order to issue city subsidies for private childcare providers. How do you plan to vote and why? At this time, I plan to vote no. We have a daycare assistance program through the Minnesota Department of Human Services. I believe we need to look at this program and determine if changes need to be made to the income threshold so we can accommodate our parents in Saint Paul.
Website or contact: pamtollefsonward5.com

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