St. Paul Mayor-elect Kaohly Her getting head start on work to turn around city
It was one of the biggest upsets in recent Minnesota history. State Rep. Kaohly Her defeated two-term incumbent and heavy favorite St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.
Now, the tough part is what her plans are for turning St. Paul around.
"(The transition) is going really well," Her said. "Kudos to Mayor Carter and his team for working with us immediately, day one, on the transition, so things are moving forward."
Her campaigned on making St. Paul affordable again. In weeks, she will be in charge, with a very challenging road ahead.
Critics say the city's high sales tax is responsible for some businesses leaving. St. Paul has Minnesota's highest sales tax at 9.88%.
A school referendum approved by voters earlier this month, on top of city and county taxes, means property taxes will rise 14% in 2026.
"I actually started working on the urban wealth fund, so I've been working with an investment — an individual who advises on this. I have met over half of the city council members and I am meeting with the last three next week," Her said.
Since St. Paul passed a 2021 rent stabilization policy, the city has struggled to attract new housing investments.
While most major downtowns have struggled since the pandemic, St. Paul's downtown faces the unique problem of a major landlord that owns some of the city's biggest buildings, has closed the buildings and is trying to sell them.
"It is a big problem, but there is a will from many individuals who want to invest in our city, and I have already had some preliminary conversations. Last week I met with a group of developers," Her said.
In an unusual twist, Her is only serving a three-year term. St. Paul is changing its city elections to coincide with presidential election years, so the next St.Paul mayoral election will be in November 2028.
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