St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter came into office in 2018 bullish on building multi-family housing at sites such as Highland Bridge, where other candidates called for adding single-family properties. He later threw his support, initially, to rent control, a voter-approved ordinance that he’s since convinced the city council to repeal for housing built after 2004.

His reasoning? A major citywide slowdown in new housing construction. Given high interest rates, rising construction costs, post-pandemic demographic changes like remote work and other factors dogging the mayor’s progressive agenda, Carter is seeking re-election to a third term well aware that the past eight years have been difficult ones for the city, and for the nation.

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“I tell my wife everyday I have the best job on the planet, and she says well you sure picked the wrong eight years to do it,” quipped Carter, during a recent mayoral forum. “It is no secret that our world, our country, our state, our city has been through a lot.”

Carter, the city’s first Black mayor and among its youngest, once promised a greater focus on the city’s neighborhoods in light of complaints the previous administration had been too preoccupied with large new projects such as downtown CHS Field and Allianz Field in the Midway. State Rep. Kaohly Her, his most prominent challenger, has pointed out that some efforts, like a “Cultural Corridors” initiative to boost business in the city’s ethnic destinations, never got off the ground.

Instead, much of the mayor’s attention has returned to downtown, where major questions swirl around a proposed $450 million remodel of Grand Casino Arena, as well as vacant storefronts and office buildings that have fallen into foreclosure. As property values and tax collections decline downtown, the mayor noted, everyday residents will see their property taxes increase to make up for it, and the arena is a key part of turning that around.

“If we want a big change downtown, we have to change something big,” said the mayor, in an hour-long interview Tuesday.

Carter has proposed a 5.3% tax levy increase for next year. “There are calls for property tax relief,” he said. “We look around and see (municipalities raising tax levies) 19% and 18%, and frankly the county at 10%. We’ve worked really hard on that one. There are maybe two cities in the metro area that had a lower levy increase proposed this year.”

Leaning into social initiatives

In his first term, Carter — a fifth-generation St. Paulite who had once dreamt of becoming an Olympic runner — quickly leaned into social initiatives, from college savings accounts for the city’s newborns, an experimental “guaranteed income” pilot project and fine forgiveness for residents who are late to return library books. The mayor would go on to sign the city’s $15 minimum wage ordinance, as well as new residential tenant protections fashioned by the city council.

He also expanded the city’s Right Track youth internship program and an effort to have youth serve on public boards. Then came a city-driven effort around medical debt forgiveness, social workers embedded in public libraries and free youth sports at the city’s rec centers.

“The elephant in the room is poverty,” said Carter, during a recent mayoral forum led by the Coalition of Asian American Leaders. “It doesn’t matter who teaches our kids science if they don’t know if they’re going to eat tonight.”

With property taxes rising and the Trump administration threatening to block as much as $200 million or more in funding for the city in the next few years, some have said it’s time to abandon the mayor’s social initiatives, as well as a raft of Parks and Recreation-related proposals, like the five-mile Summit Avenue bikeway, a downtown promenade, a Mississippi River Learning Center at Crosby Farm Regional Park and a North End athletic complex.

While surrounded by challengers calling for property tax relief or a general change in course, Carter is asking voters to re-elect him so he can fulfill rather than abandon many of his initial goals, albeit in a relatively short amount of time. Given the city’s transition to even-year elections, whoever wins the five-way mayoral race on Nov. 4 will serve a three-year term.

“One of the most dangerous things I hear in this election season is ‘stick to the basics,’” Carter said. “All of this comes back to whether we want to preserve the city we had 100 years ago or to build the city we’ll need 100 years from now. … The ‘basics’ are what got us here.”

Some critics think “the role of government is to do whatever government did last year,” added the mayor. “The purpose of government is to help people. Once upon a time we decided that living together with other people is actually better than to try to clean my own water and plow my own road to my house… Living together in community makes that better. … Government has to think through how to make that life fair for folks, and facilitate common opportunity for ways that are accessible to every human being.”

A clash with firefighters union

In public forums, the mayor has noted that rates of violent crime have plunged in the capital city, but the city’s most urgent priorities still loom. To his mind, that includes addressing the fentanyl crisis, building “as much housing as we can,” revitalizing downtown and “protecting our neighbors, both from the attacks that we’re getting from the Trump administration, and to make sure that our neighbors can live with dignity in our community and our economy.”

When it comes to his social agenda, he plans to stay the course.

“If the Kresge Foundation wants to give us half a million dollars to help our kids go to college, I don’t know why any mayor would say ‘No thanks,’” said Carter, noting that beyond city staffing for his Office of Financial Empowerment, the “CollegeBound St. Paul” savings accounts are grant-funded. “Those things are not competitive with opening a library.”

He’s received a wide-range of endorsements in that mission, from Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar to the St. Paul Federation of Educators, four members of the city council, the progressive advocacy group Faith in Minnesota and the SEIU Minnesota State Council, which represents a wide range of government workers.

He’s also garnered the support of the Minnesota Nurses Association and the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, neither of which endorsed him in 2017. The St. Paul DFL, which is reconstituting itself, and the St. Paul Area Chamber’s political action committee chose not to endorse any of the five candidates in this year’s mayor’s race. St. Paul Firefighters Local 21 are backing Her’s campaign.

Carter points out that he’s never before received the backing of the Chamber of Commerce, even during his years on the city council, and the firefighters once presented him with a plaque adorned with a golden ax in gratitude for his investments in their department. Relations with the labor union soured when the mayor dug into scheduling and peak staffing models, and when the mayor pressed to have members of the city’s “Basic Life Support” EMS teams gain seniority protections at the same rate as firefighters.

Those EMS teams tend to be more heavily staffed by young people, women and people of color, the mayor noted, and they’ve saved the city thousands of dollars by freeing up firefighters from low-acuity calls like sprained ankles.

“There are folks who have been responding to 911 calls for three years who have less seniority than the last firefighter who was just hired,” Carter said. “We’re changing a lot with the fire department. … We’re sort of value-engineering city government services to deliver them more economically.”

Progress on trash, roads, parks, violent crime

That’s not the only change his administration has introduced. A new 1% “Common Cent” sales tax will pay for nearly $1 billion in improvements to roads and parks over the next 20 years, including much of Summit Avenue’s road reconstruction, though the mayor’s challengers note St. Paul now bears the distinction of having the highest sales tax in the state.

The city has made progress on organized trash collection through a new multi-year contract with a private provider that leaves city employees in charge of clearing 10% of the most difficult trash routes. When city workers finish that duty, they’re reassigned to clear illegal dump sites, which has helped with beautification.

“We’ve been through two Trump administrations,” said Carter, during the CAAL forum. “We’ve been through a pandemic. We’ve been through the murder of George Floyd and everything that happened behind it. And I’m proud of the way we’ve come out of it.

“I’m even proud of the things we won’t talk about much. We won’t talk much about homicides and gun violence here, because we’ve been able to bring every category of violent crime down by double digits. … St. Paul is on track for the lowest homicide numbers that we’ve had in over a decade. … We won’t talk about infrastructure, because we’ve doubled our pace to rebuild our main roads.”

“You’ll hear of course from my opponents tonight that that’s not enough,” he said. “And they’re right. That’s why I’m running for re-election, because we can do a whole lot more.”

Melvin Carter

Age: 46

Family: Married with three children at home, ages 5 to 18; three adult children.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida A&M University; Master’s degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota.

On the proposed remodel of Grand Casino Arena

Carter said he remains committed to remodeling the home of the Minnesota Wild, despite pushback from state lawmakers and a $450 million price tag. “It’s really important for all of us who talk about the future of downtown, and who get frustrated that we are collecting less property taxes downtown than we used to,” he said. “The biggest, most impactful thing right at the tip of our fingers right now is renovating that arena. I’m the only candidate who is actively saying that.”

On declining downtown property values and downtown revitalization

In addition to the arena renovation, the Carter administration has proposed incentivizing the conversion of office buildings into housing through a $5 million downtown fund and efforts to streamline permitting, including a new software interface known as PAULIE. The mayor has been a supporter of the Downtown Alliance, a partnership with major employers like Securian and Ecolab, who have formed the Downtown Development Corporation to pursue a downtown investment strategy, and have introduced street ambassadors, graffiti removal and skyway security collaboration through a fee-based Downtown Improvement District.

Foreclosures downtown have a silver lining — they’ve introduced new players to St. Paul, ones that are saddled with less debt, and hopefully more money to invest in their properties. “We’ve got a number of buildings that have sold recently,” Carter said. “We don’t have to go to a conference in Vegas to recruit someone to buy those buildings. We have to light a fire to make sure (the buyers invest) in those buildings.”

On administrative citations

The mayor has supported a proposal on the November ballot that would amend the city charter and empower the city council to create fine ladders for those who break particular city ordinances. Critics fear city inspectors will go overboard, issuing fines for minor violations like tall grass, or the city will use fines to balance its budget.

“We get to decide how they’re used,” Carter said. “I think it’s a stretch to say that the administration that eliminated library late fines and made youth sports free and eliminated medical debt wants to use administrative citations as an oppressive weapon against their own residents.”

Currently, when it comes to dilapidated housing and problem properties, “we get to leave it there or condemn the building. … We don’t have the same intermediate tools that every other city has.”

On the St. Paul Public Schools special levy referendum

The mayor said he will vote “yes” on a special tax levy referendum that would raise $37 million annually for the St. Paul School District, adjusted each year for inflation.

“You’re either a city that invests in your children or you’re not,” the mayor said. “Now is a really hard time to consider a property tax increase for anything. … Those graphs that the school district has to show about what other school districts are spending per pupil versus what we’re spending are really telling. Like any parent in the district, I want my kids to have the best.”

On housing

In addition to supporting office-to-residential conversions, the Carter administration has established or expanded programs around down-payment housing assistance, emergency rent assistance, a new raft of tenant protections, and major exceptions to the voter-approved rent control ordinance with the goal of jumpstarting new housing construction.

Carter noted the mayor’s office launched an “Inheritance Fund” that offers additional housing down-payment assistance to former residents of Rondo and the West Side who lost their housing to road construction and other public projects. The city is also creating a fund to support cooperative housing.

“Mainstream media tends to leave race out of the conversation because it’s an uncomfortable conversation for a lot of folks,” Leon told City Limits.

Author and performer Joél Leon (courtesy of Leon)

​​Last month, performer and storyteller Joél Leon joined attorneys Keith White and Ken Montgomery at JACK Arts in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, for a conversation examining the intersection of gentrification and race in New York City.

During the discussion at the nonprofit Brooklyn Combine, the three advocates reflected on their personal experiences with gentrification after witnessing the neighborhoods they grew up in transform into more commercial and white-adjacent spaces. The conversation touched on the importance of community involvement in preserving the health, culture, and diversity of New York City neighborhoods.

After the event, City Limits caught up with Leon—author of the essay collection “Everything and Nothing at Once: A Black Man’s Reimagined Soundtrack for the Future”—to discuss what’s often missing from mainstream media conversations about gentrification and race, and which historic movements have most inspired his work.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

CITY LIMITS: What stories do you think are missing from mainstream conversations about gentrification?

JOEL LÉON: I think the conversations we’re missing in mainstream media about gentrification—there’s a few. A lot of them just lack transparency, right? Like where gentrification starts, where it comes from. Mainstream media tends to leave race out of the conversation because it’s an uncomfortable conversation for a lot of folks.

We don’t talk enough about the history of gentrification. We’re especially at a point now in America where there’s assumed knowledge around a lot of topics, and there’s an opportunity to talk about where gentrification comes from. Something we talked about inside here is that it’s not just gentrification. Gentrification is the output of a lot of other things—of colonialism, capitalism, fascism, right? A lot of those things are interconnected in the conversation around gentrification that I think are missing.

CL: What are some examples of community-led resistance to gentrification that inspire you?

JL: Some of those things are not present right now, but when I think about the Black Panther Party’s work around the free breakfast program. When I think about The East —I think they might have just had a showing for the documentary of The East—but The East was a Brooklyn based program, an art center, that was very much centering Black and brown voices. Very much taking a page from the Black Panther Party. I think there were actually some members from the Black Panther Party that helped to create The East, and so I think about that.

I think about what Brooklyn Combine is doing in the community, right? Community-based initiatives that are focused on the community at large, but also are in the community. It’s one thing to talk about the societal issues and things that ail a block or a neighborhood; it’s another thing to have the folks who are talking about those issues also in the community as well, which I think changes the trajectory of the conversation and also changes the color of the conversation, for lack of a better term.

CL: What gives you hope when it comes to protecting communities and their cultural vitality?

JL: Events like tonight. There are a lot of intersections here. We’re at JACK, an art space in Brooklyn, and Black men and women are at the helm of that. It’s in conjunction with programming from Brooklyn Combine, also a Black-led initiative. We have folks who’ve never been to JACK before, who walked by, heard about this program and are now going, ‘Oh, I wonder what else JACK has to offer?’ There’s an intersectionality in that that gives hope. It opens up the opportunity for bigger and broader conversations around the arts. 

I often think about how we can find access points. How do we access things that matter? So much of that is just showing up for the conversations and events happening in our community.

To reach the reporter behind this story, contact Marianad@citylimits.org. To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org. Want to republish this story? Find City Limits’ reprint policy here.

The post Talk of the Block: Author Joél Leon on Gentrification & Race appeared first on City Limits.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has agreed to settle its case against an ex-Wells Fargo & Co. executive who had been facing a $10 million fine and a ban from working in the banking industry for her role in a scandal that involved bank employees opening millions of potentially fake accounts to meet sales goals.

Claudia Russ Anderson (Courtesy of Bill Anderson)

Claudia Russ Anderson, of Lake Elmo, who served Wells Fargo’s community bank group risk officer, no longer must pay a fine and may be employed by a bank in the future if she wants, under the terms of the settlement finalized in a consent order signed Wednesday.

In 2020, the OCC brought administrative charges against Russ Anderson, initially seeking a $5 million penalty, which the agency later increased to $10 million. The final order, issued by Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu, fined Russ Anderson $10 million and forbid her from future participation in the banking industry.

The OCC’s decision to settle came as oral arguments were approaching in Russ Anderson’s federal court appeal of Hsu’s decision, said Brett D. Kelley, Russ Anderson’s attorney.

Kelley called the outcome a “total vindication” for his client, adding that the agreement “resolves the most significant civil enforcement action brought by the OCC against individual bankers in U.S. history. Reducing a $10 million penalty to a $0 offer speaks for itself.”

A spokesperson for the OCC did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday. A spokeswoman for Wells Fargo declined to comment.

Anderson was one of several Wells Fargo executives accused of engaging in “unsafe or unsound” banking practices, misleading bank examiners and violating federal law in connection with the bank’s sales practices.

Regulators alleged that employees, trying to meet aggressive sales targets, opened bank and credit card accounts, moved money between those accounts and created fake email addresses to sign customers up for online banking — all without customer authorization. Debit cards were issued and activated, as well as PINs created, without customers’ knowledge.

Wells Fargo was fined $185 million by California and federal regulators in connection with the scandal.

Douglas Kelley, another of Russ Anderson’s attorneys, said the settlement means his client will be able to spend time with her 77-year-old husband. Russ Anderson, 66, does not plan to work in banking “ever again,” he said.

“We are glad the OCC decided to throw in the towel,” he said. “We are ecstatic that this ends the nine-year nightmare for Claudia and her family.”

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Minnesota United had an opportunity to cash in by selling Joaquin Pereyra to a European club during the summer. Instead, they have signed the Argentine attacking midfielder to contract extension.

The Loons said Thursday the club and Pereyra have agreed to a new deal through the 2028 season, with a club option for 2029. He joined United last summer on an initial term though 2027 and an option for 2028.

Terms were not disclosed. One of the club’s two Designated Players, Pereyra received $754,800 in guaranteed compensation for the 2025 season, per MLS Players Association.

This one-year extension comes after Turkish club Trabzonspor put in a bid of $8 million for Pereyra in August, but MNUFC turned it down as they moved Tani Oluwaseyi to Spanish club Villarreal for a similar sum. The Loons bought Pereyra’s rights in 2024 for approximately $2 million from Atletico Tucuman in Argentina.

Pereyra had a slow start to his Loons tenure at the end of last season but has been one of the best playmakers in MLS in 2025. He is tied for 12th in the league with 11 total assists. Lionel Messi of Miami and Anders Dreyer tied for the league lead (19).

“I’m very happy to continue my journey with Minnesota United,” Pereyra said in a statement. “From the moment I arrived, I’ve felt the support from my teammates, the staff, and the fans. It means a lot to keep building something special here. Every day I try to contribute in my own way, whether it’s creating chances, helping defensively, or pushing the game forward. My goal is to keep improving to help this team compete for trophies. I’m excited for what’s ahead.”

This season, Pereyra has chipped in six goals while playing in 33 of 34 regular-season games. He only missed one match regular-season match, for yellow-card accumulation, and finished fourth on the team with 2,561 minutes played in 2025.