User:Braylonarsenault/Melvin Carter (politician)

Early Career
During his time as a city council member, he helped create the Department of Human Rights & Equal Economic Opportunity. He also sponcered legislation which included: Ban the Box, required landlord notification of foreclosure, and banning the sale of candy cigarettes. Additionally, in 2009, he established the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, which brought together the community and government to promote better education quality in schools.

After his tenure as a city council member, he was appointed as Director of the Office of Early Learning within the Minnesota Department of Education. He took this position in the summer of 2013.

In 2008, he was listed in Ebony Magazine’s 30 Under 30. In 2011 he was awarded the Barbara Jordan Leadership Award from the National Young Elected Officials Network.

Mayoral Power
Carter serves under a “Strong Mayor” system, which gives him more authority within the city, including appointing department members and having the ability to veto decisions made by the City Council

Housing
Carter introduced The Housing Trust Fund as a way to address affordable housing in St. Paul. This program was directed towards low- and mid-income residents and provided them with housing options that are stabilized and affordable. Carter also introduced The Families First Housing Pilot, which gave certain families financial assistance with rent and services to maintain their housing. This program has a direct partnership with St. Paul Public Schools by providing this assistance to families in need that have children enrolled in those schools. In 2023, Carter also added additional funding to an Inheritance Fund that would lend money to homeowners in low- to mid-income neighborhoods and renovate them. The Fund was initially introduced in 2020 and its main goal is to ensure that the residents that move into these homes have the opportunity to build their wealth in their home.

Immigration
In 2021, Carter initiated programs directed towards immigrants and refugees in St. Paul. The St. Paul Immigrant Legal Defense Fund provides representation to immigrants that are detained or risk deportation. This is available for refugees or immigrants that make less than 200% of the poverty line. Carter also introduced Welcoming St. Paul: Immigrant and Refugee Program, which is a system dedicated to integrating immigrants and refugees into St. Paul with other residents in the city, as well as opening up access to services within the city.

Minimum Wage
In 2018, Carter signed a Minimum Wage Ordinance into St. Paul that raises the minimum wage annually for residents. This took effect in 2020 and continues to rise each year. As of 2023, minimum wage had increased to $15/hr for large businesses and $13/hr for small businesses. Effective July 2024, the minimum wage in St. Paul for large businesses will be $15.57/hr and $15/hr for small businesses.

Other Local Issues
In 2023, Carter proposed an initiative to get rid of medical debt for more than 45,000 residents in St. Paul. In order to do this, money from COVID relief funds would go towards the foundation RIP Medical Debt in the 2024 budget. The non-profit will then work directly with hospitals to identify unpaid bills. They will then use the money to eliminate an average of $2,324 per person. Carter announced in 2018 that he intended to cancel late fees at libraries across St. Paul. Library staff approached Carter to show him the amount of cardholders in St. Paul was unable to check out books due to late fees, which brought about the decision to cancel. It took effect January 1st, 2019. Carter also introduced CollegeBound St. Paul, which is a fund dedicated to children in the city. Each child gets $50 into a savings account meant for higher education and parents can make the decision to add more money throughout their lives.

Budget Proposals
In his proposal for the year 2024, Melvin Carter focused on crime, infrastructure, and property taxes. This $820.5 million dollar proposal includes $7.4 million to the city's property tax levy, decreasing median family contributions to property tax by $26 per month. A one time safety aid provided by the state legislature gives Carter $13.6 million, which he proposes that half will go to gun violence initiatives while the rest goes to the fire and police departments, and to recreational facilities to improve safety measures. Voters unofficially agreed to a 1% sales tax increase to improve road conditions, which Carter proposed as well. Carter also proposed remaining COVID relief funds should be aimed at reducing citizens medical debt. Additionally, remaining funds would be given to provide free swimming lessons for children under 10 years old.

Chief of Police
On November 1, 2022, Axel Henry was appointed to Chief of Police by Mayor Carter.

Other Appointments
In October of 2022, Carter appointed Jamie Wascalus as the new Director and CIO for the Office of Technology and Communications. Stefanie Horvath was also appointed as the Deputy Director and Chief Information Security Officer for the Office of Technology and Communications.

Elections
2021 Election

As an incumbent, Melvin Carter focused again on building and protecting communities. He also proposed a guaranteed income program that would provide a guaranteed income to low income families. Carter also focused on community wealth as a whole, advocating for the Office of Financial Empowerment. Carter also proposed a new budget that addressed both societal and infrastructure needs.

2017 Election

Melvin Carter ran on four major themes; people, places, partnership, and community policing. He fought for a $15 minimum wage, development of the Green Line, and helped open new businesses while removing barriers to investment. This was in attempt to make the city a bigger destination for families to move and stay. He also rallied against a federal immigration policy, and aimed to decriminalize mental health and addiction issues. He ws endorced by Mark Dayton, Al Franken, and the St. Paul Federation of Teachers during his campaign.