Ward 1 Leaders Tour the Community

By Jason Shiggs

The only lasting truth is Change.”
— Octavia Butler

Saint Paul is undergoing a transition after eight years under the leadership of Melvin Carter III to our new Mayor, Kaohly Vang Her. Mayor Her is the 56th mayor of Minnesota’s capital city and takes office at a pivotal moment in our nation's history, as well as Saint Paul.

Over the past few weeks, Mayor Her has been touring each of Saint Paul’s eight wards with the goal of meeting and listening to residents and community leaders. Councilwoman Anika Bowie organized a day for Mayor Her to connect with Ward 1 constituents.

Mayor Her arrived at the Neighborhood Development Center on University and Dale directly from meetings at the Minnesota State Capitol. After quick introductions with the two dozen people in attendance, the conversation turned to Ward 1’s concerns—including affordable housing, public safety (especially along the Green Line), and economic development along University Avenue.

On affordable housing, Mayor Her acknowledged that Saint Paul must improve its permitting process and shared that she has already begun taking steps to do so. She also emphasized that, alongside affordable housing, market-rate housing remains important.

One participant described an affordable housing development underway very close by. The project will provide homeownership opportunities for residents at 30% Area Median Income (AMI) and is made possible through external grant funding. Later that morning, we walked over to the site and met the general contractor. The work was impressive and clearly done with care. As we left, I wondered about the impact of setting all four units at 30% AMI versus creating a socioeconomically mixed model—for example, with units at 30%, 60%, and 80% AMI.

During the meeting, I commented that safety must be factored into every project as a dedicated line item. Whether we build a billion-dollar light rail line or multimillion dollar library, the positive neighborhood impact will never be fully realized unless these public goods are unequivocally safe.

Later, Mayor Her’s Ward 1 tour continued at the newly renovated Walker West Music Academy at 650 Marshall Avenue. Founders Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West were present and recounted their humble beginnings in the upstairs of a duplex to the wonderful facility they operate today. This stop highlighted the vital role of arts and cultural institutions in community vitality and identity.

The tour concluded at the Hallie Q. Brown / MLK Center. This was, by far, my favorite segment. Mayor Her met with leaders from the Rondo Land Trust, YWCA, Hallie Q. Brown, Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, Ramsey County Commissioner Rena Moran, and others. What stood out was that she had already collaborated with many of them—whether drafting legislation, shaping policy, or securing grants—during her time as a state representative or earlier in her career in the Carter Administration.

My takeaway from the tour is that Mayor Her cares tremendously about Saint Paul, has already brought considerable change to the city, and is eager to connect with all residents to better understand how the city can improve lives. Saint Paul is at an inflection point where we will decide what kind of city we become. We must be wise in setting our priorities and balance the needs of residents, small businesses, large employers, nonprofits, and government.

I believe under Mayor Her’s leadership, we will take several more steps in the right direction. And personally, I’d like to say: Thank you, Mayor Her, for spending the day with your constituents.