The St. Paul City Council announced on Tuesday that it will elect new leadership for 2025, including new leaders of the City Council, Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and Council committees.
St. Paul City Council member Rebecca Noecker, Ward 2. (Courtesy of the City of St. Paul)
The leadership changes will take effect on Feb. 12 following the transition of Council President Jalali who is stepping down to focus on her health after the Council meeting on Feb. 5.
Councilmember Rebecca Noecker (Ward 2) will become Council President and Councilmember Hwa Jeong Kim (Ward 5) will continue to serve as Council Vice President, according to a news release.
Councilmember Cheniqua Johnson (Ward 7) will chair the HRA, and Councilmember Saura Jost (Ward 3) will serve as Vice Chair.
The Council will also share information about the public appointment process to select an interim Councilmember for Ward 4 in the coming weeks.
St. Paul City Council president Mitra Jalali. (Courtesy of the City of St. Paul)
“As I exit City Hall to focus on my health, I care deeply about our community having continued focused leadership across the Council,” said outgoing Council President Mitra Jalali in a statement.
“Local government is on the frontlines for our community right now in a difficult national reality, and in this transition, I want Saint Paul to know we are still here for you,” Jalali said. “I am grateful to incoming Council President Noecker, whose institutional knowledge and experience will continue to be an asset to our Council; to Vice President Kim, for her continued support as Vice President in this transition; excited for incoming HRA Chair Johnson, who will become the first Black woman ever to chair the HRA; and thankful to CMs Jost, Bowie and Yang, who will all also be stepping up into more responsibilities. I have invested so much in our Council succeeding, and I am proud to see my colleagues take these steps forward. I know they will carry on our collective work in this next chapter together.”
Incoming Council President Rebecca Noekcer also expressed gratitude.
“I’m grateful for Council President Jalali’s leadership during our first year as a new Council,” Noecker said in a statement. “She has been a driving force for positive change, and she will be dearly missed. I deeply appreciate my colleagues’ support as I take on this new role, and I look forward to continuing our work to build a more resilient, vibrant, and inclusive Saint Paul. I will work hard every day to make sure our Council is fully equipped to pass good policy and fight for the interests of our constituents, especially in a time of uncertainty in federal and state government.”
Noecker will also chair the Council’s Organizational and Policy Committee, which is responsible for advancing shared policy priorities, with Johnson serving as Vice Chair.
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The Budget Committee will be chaired by Councilmember Nelsie Yang (Ward 6), with Kim serving as Vice Chair. The Audit Committee will continue to be chaired by Noecker.
The Library Board will continue to be chaired by Councilmember Saura Jost, and Councilmember Anika Bowie (Ward 1) will serve as Vice Chair.
The Council also intends to create a new Public Safety Committee whose scope and responsibilities will be defined. Bowie and Yang will serve as chair and vice-chair, respectively.
“This expanded leadership structure aims to maximize the expertise of new and returning Councilmembers alike and give more opportunities for Councilmembers to gain additional leadership experience,” the news release stated.
“We are reimagining how power is held and shared and building a deep bench of leadership ability amongst all Councilmembers,” said Kim in the news release. “When our members have a wider range of policy and leadership experiences, we’ll be able to craft better legislation and deliver better services for constituents.”
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