Melvin Carter (politician)

Melvin Carter
55th Mayor of St. Paul
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2, 2018
Preceded by	Chris Coleman
Member of the Saint Paul City Council from the 1st ward
In office January 8, 2008 – July 5, 2013
Preceded by	Debbie Montgomery
Succeeded by	Dai Thao
Personal details
Born	Melvin Whitfield Carter III (1979-01-08) January 8, 1979 (age 45) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Sakeena Futrell
Education	Florida A&M University (BS) University of Minnesota (MPP)
Website	Government website Campaign website

Melvin Whitfield Carter III (born January 8, 1979) is an American politician who is the mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota.^[1] Elected to his first term in 2017 and reelected in 2021, Carter is the 55th mayor of St. Paul and its first African American mayor.^[2] His current term of office ends on January 1, 2026.^[3] Carter has supported raising the city's minimum wage to $15 per hour. He is one of 11 U.S. mayors who co-founded Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity, a coalition of municipal leaders dedicated to starting pilot reparations programs in their cities.

Early life and education

Carter in 2018

Carter was born in Saint Paul's Rondo neighborhood. He is the son of Melvin Whitfield Carter Jr., a retired Saint Paul police officer, and Toni Carter, a Ramsey County commissioner. Carter is a fourth-generation Saint Paul resident. Carter still lives in the Rondo neighborhood where he was raised, along with his wife, Sakeena Futrell-Carter, and their children.^[4] He participated in the University of Minnesota Talented Youth in Mathematics Program (UMTYMP) in junior high and high school, and graduated from Saint Paul Central High School.^[5][6] Carter led the school to a 3rd-place finish at the 1997 state track meet, winning the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter races and finishing second in the long jump.^[7]

Carter earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Florida A&M University. During his time there, he became a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Carter earned a Master of Public Policy from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs of the University of Minnesota.^[6][8]

Career

Carter was a Saint Paul City Council member from 2008 to 2013 and a vice chair of the council. He also was an adjunct faculty member at University of Minnesota-Duluth, teaching graduate-level classes on campaigns and elections.^[9] After his tenure, 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.^[10]

Early career

As a city council member, Carter helped create the Department of Human Rights & Equal Economic Opportunity. He also sponsored legislation including Ban the Box, requiring landlord notification of foreclosure, and banning the sale of candy cigarettes.^[10] In 2009, he established the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood, which brought together the community and government to promote better education quality in schools.^[10] In 2008, he was listed in Ebony magazine’s 30 Under 30. In 2011 he received a Barbara Jordan Leadership Award from the National Young Elected Officials Network.^[10][11]

Mayor of St. Paul

See also: 2017 Saint Paul mayoral election

During his tenure as mayor, Carter was instrumental in raising the city's minimum wage to $15 per hour. He also established the Office of Financial Empowerment.^[12] He launched CollegeBound Saint Paul, the city's college savings account program,^[13] and the People's Prosperity Pilot, a guaranteed income program that gives 150 families $500 per month for 18 months.^[14] His administration's slogan is "Building a city that works for us all means we all must do the work."^[15]

Issues

Housing

Carter introduced The Housing Trust Fund as a way to address affordable housing in St. Paul. This program was directed toward low- and middle-income residents and provided them with stabilized and affordable housing options.^[16] 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.^[17] In 2023, Carter added additional funding to an Inheritance Fund that would lend money to homeowners in low- to middle-income neighborhoods and renovate them. The Fund was initially introduced in 2020; its main goal is to ensure that the residents who move into these homes can build their wealth in their homes.^[18]

Immigration

In 2021, Carter initiated programs directed toward immigrants and refugees in St. Paul. The St. Paul Immigrant Legal Defense Fund provides representation to immigrants who have been detained or are at risk of deportation. This is available for refugees or immigrants who make less than 200% of the poverty line.^[19] Carter also introduced Welcoming St. Paul: Immigrant and Refugee Program, 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.^[20]

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 reached $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 for large businesses and $15/hr for small businesses.^[21]

Other local issues

In 2023, Carter proposed an initiative to get rid of medical debt for more than 45,000 St. Paul residents. To do this, money from COVID relief funds would go toward the foundation RIP Medical Debt in the 2024 budget.^[22] Carter announced in 2018 that he intended to cancel late fees at libraries across St. Paul.^[23] Library staff showed Carter the number of St. Paul cardholders unable to check out books due to late fees, which brought about the decision to cancel. It took effect on January 1, 2019. Carter also introduced CollegeBound St. Paul, a fund dedicated to children in the city. Each child gets $50 into a savings account meant for higher education; parents can add more money throughout their lives.^[24]

Budget proposals

In his budget proposal for 2024, Carter focused on crime, infrastructure, and property taxes. This $820.5 million proposal includes $7.4 million to the city's property tax levy, decreasing median family contributions to property tax by $26 per month.^[25][26] A one-time safety aid provided by the state legislature gives Carter $13.6 million, of which he proposes that half go to gun violence initiatives and half to the fire and police departments and recreational facilities to improve safety measures.^[25][26] In November 2023, St. Paul voters approved a sales tax increase Carter had proposed to improve road conditions.^[25][27] Carter also proposed that remaining federal COVID relief funds be used to reduce citizens' medical debt^[25][26] and provide free swimming lessons for children under 10.^[25][26]

Appointments

Chief of police

On November 1, 2022, Carter appointed Axel Henry chief of police.^[28][29]

Other appointments

In October 2022, Carter appointed Jamie Wascalus as director and CIO of the Office of Technology and Communications and Stefanie Horvath as its deputy director and Chief Information Security Officer.^[30][31]

Elections

2017

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 helping open new businesses while removing barriers to investment. He also rallied against a federal immigration policy, and aimed to decriminalize mental health and addiction issues.^[3]

Saint Paul Mayoral Election Results (First Choice) - 2017^[32]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Melvin Carter III	31,353	50.86
	Nonpartisan	Pat Harris	15,281	24.79
	Nonpartisan	Dai Thao	7,590	12.31
	Nonpartisan	Elizabeth Dickinson	2,927	4.75
	Nonpartisan	Tom Goldstein	2,360	3.83
	Nonpartisan	Other candidates	2,135	3.46
Total votes			61,646	100.00

2021

As the incumbent, Carter focused again on building and protecting communities.^[33] He also proposed a program to provide guaranteed income to low-income families. Carter focused on community wealth as a whole, advocating for the Office of Financial Empowerment.^[34] He also proposed a new budget to address societal and infrastructure needs.^[33]

Saint Paul Mayoral Election Results (First Choice) - 2021^[35]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic (DFL)	Melvin Carter III (incumbent)	36,426	61.63
	Nonpartisan	Dino Guerin	7,454	12.61
	Nonpartisan	Paul Langenfeld	5,298	8.96
	Nonpartisan	Bill Hosko	3,423	5.79
	Nonpartisan	Dora Jones-Robinson	2,357	3.99
	Nonpartisan	Miki Frost	2,069	3.50
	Nonpartisan	Abu Nayeem	1,516	2.57
	Nonpartisan	Scott Evans Wergin	355	0.60
	Write-in		205	0.35
Total votes				100.00

References

1. "Melvin Carter sworn in as St. Paul's first new mayor in 12 years; Frey takes office in Minneapolis". Star Tribune. January 3, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
2. "Melvin Carter elected St. Paul's first African-American mayor". Twincities.com. November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
3. "Melvin Carter III". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
4. Hobbes, Dwight (March 7, 2020). "St. Paul's Mayor Carter rejects simple answers to gun violence". Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
5. "St. Paul's leader". University of Minnesota. May 22, 2018.
6. "About the Mayor". Saint Paul, Minnesota.
7. Walsh, James (March 27, 2018). "Melvin Carter's historic rise from Old Rondo to St. Paul's 'made-for-this' mayor". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
8. "Alpha Phi Alpha Brother Melvin Carter Elected 1st Black Mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota". Watch The Yard. November 8, 2017.
9. Drousie, Émile (April 1, 2018). "Melvin Carter (1979- )". Black Past. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
10. "About MDE (Melvin W. Carter III)". Minnesota Department of Education.
11. "Previous Jordan Award Winners". YEO Network.
12. "Minimum Wage". Saint Paul, Minnesota. December 18, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
13. "St. Paul set to kickstart a college savings account for every newborn". MinnPost. December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
14. "EDITORIAL | St. Paul to provide low income families with $500 per month cash payments". Star Tribune. September 7, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
15. "About". Melvin Carter for St. Paul.
16. "4D Affordable Housing Incentive Program | Saint Paul Minnesota". www.stpaul.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
17. "Families First Housing Pilot | Saint Paul Minnesota". www.stpaul.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
18. "St. Paul Mayor Carter, city council poised to approve $2.6M home-buying 'Inheritance Fund'". Twin Cities. January 29, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
19. Blotz, Tim (September 15, 2021). "St. Paul expands programs to support immigrants, refugees". FOX 9. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
20. Omastiak, Rebecca (September 15, 2021). "St. Paul mayor, community leaders announce new efforts to support immigrants, refugees". KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
21. "Minimum Wage | Saint Paul Minnesota". www.stpaul.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
22. "St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter pitches wiping away $110M in medical debt for residents - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. August 11, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
23. "St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's plan to erase library late fees". sppl.org. December 12, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
24. "College Bound Saint Paul | Saint Paul Minnesota". www.stpaul.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
25. Wiita, Tommy (August 11, 2023). "Here's a look at St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's 2024 budget proposal". Bring Me The News. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
26. "2024 Proposed Budget | Saint Paul Minnesota". www.stpaul.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
27. Cummings, Caroline (November 8, 2023). "St. Paul voters overwhelmingly approve sales tax increase for road repair, parks". CBS News.
28. "Administration-Office of the Chief | Saint Paul Minnesota". www.stpaul.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
29. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter to announce city's new police chief, November 2022, retrieved December 4, 2023
30. "Saint Paul, Minn., Announces Technology Appointments". GovTech. October 31, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
31. "Mayor Carter Appoints New Director of Saint Paul Office of Technology and Communications | Saint Paul Minnesota". www.stpaul.gov. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
32. "MN Election Results". Electionresults.sos.state.mn.us. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
33. Gustavo, Solomon (September 17, 2021). "'Our biggest competition is apathy': a Q&A with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter".
34. "Mayor, St. Paul, Minnesota | Aspen Ideas". Aspen Ideas Festival. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
35. "Index". Election Results. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.

External links

• Media related to Melvin Carter (politician) at Wikimedia Commons
• Official mayoral website
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Political offices
Preceded by Chris Coleman	Mayor of St. Paul 2018–present	Incumbent