Mayor Melvin Carter - Democratic Mayors

Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter delivered his State of the City Address, highlighting the city’s progress, growth, and opportunities ahead. Mayor Carter’s priorities are infrastructure, sustainability, public safety, housing, education, and guaranteed income programs.

Early in his address, Mayor Carter said that to realize a truly sustainable Saint Paul that can meet the demands of a growing city, they must address decades of disinvestment in infrastructure. To solve this, the Mayor highlighted their local sales tax proposal, which could generate a billion dollars toward streets, parks, and recreation facilities.

Beyond laying the groundwork for reinvesting in their infrastructure and sustainability, the Mayor noted that they must continue to build a coordinated, comprehensive, and data-driven approach to public safety. Mayor Carter shared updates about several initiatives, including a collaboration between the police department, community-first partners, and the Office of Neighborhood Safety on Project PEACE. This gun violence intervention initiative connects victims of violence with evidence-based resources, community-led programming, and wraparound support.

Mayor Carter also announced the launch of the Inheritance Fund, which will provide up to $110,000 in down payment assistance to descendants of Old Rondo to begin restoring the community wealth that was taken away by the construction of I-94.

Watch Mayor Carter’s full remarks here.

More State of the City Addresses

Las Vegas, Nevada

Mayor Shelley Berkley

Mayor Shelley Berkley delivered her State of the City Address, looking to the future and outlining how Las Vegas will continue to be a leading city that assists those in need, creates new opportunities, and provides safe and beautiful neighborhoods and amenities. She emphasized the city’s continued focus on helping vulnerable residents through expanded services, including the MORE Team pilot program, which connects individuals experiencing homelessness with mental health professionals, health workers, and street medicine, as well as the new Community Court that prioritizes structure, monitoring, and resources over punitive approaches.

Nashville, Tennessee

Mayor Freddie O’Connell

In his State of the Metro Address, Mayor Freddie O’Connell described his vision for a Nashville that is affordable, safe, healthy, welcoming, and prosperous, a city for everyone, and emphasized that progress will be purposeful, even when it is not always loud or linear. He outlined steps his administration will take to make Nashville more affordable, including proposals to cut the grocery tax, expand access to childcare, support small businesses, create jobs, build more housing, and invest in children from birth.

Knoxville, Tennessee

Mayor Indya Kincannon

In her seventh State of the City Address, Mayor Indya Kincannon proposed a lean budget that continues to prioritize public safety, affordable housing, parks, and high-quality people-focused services. She also emphasized the importance of being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, noting that her budget proposal covers essential services without raising taxes, even as the city navigates inflation, rising costs, and broader economic uncertainty.