St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter delivered his “State of Our City” address on Tuesday afternoon, during which he discussed several issues facing the city, including aging infrastructure.
One undeniable issue with the city’s infrastructure is the crumbling streets, which Carter says have been neglected for decades and are on a 124-year replacement cycle.
“To put that into context, the last time Summit Avenue was reconstructed, William Taft was in the White House,” Carter said.
Carter is proposing a 1% citywide sales tax to help pay for street and park improvements, something he’s hoping will be on the ballot this fall. Still, he stressed that whether or not the sales tax is put in place, repairs and construction will cost the city. It just depends on how much.
“Whether we budget for it or not. Whether we want to or not. We will invest $1 billion into our streets and our parks over the next 20 years, and the longer we wait to act, the more expensive this work will become,” Carter said.
The mayor also talked about the city’s “Community First Public Safety Framework,” a system he says has already contributed to a decline in gun violence in the city.
However, the comments come after two people were killed on St. Paul’s east-side early on Tuesday morning. The shootings marked the 11th and 12th homicides of 2023 in the city.
Related
Related
