Watch Melvin's candidate statement (filmed by St. Paul E-Democracy)

On the Issues

Why Melvin?

I am running for City Council because I love Ward One, and have a vision for the future of our community. The theme of my campaign is "As ONE We Win!" Our color, culture, native country, age, economic status, even our language may be different, but in Ward ONE, we are ONE Ward! I believe that the people who live, work and play in Saint Paul deserve to be:

Treated with dignity and respect at all times;
Engaged in the work of building our city; and
Reassured that their elected officials are building the best Saint Paul possible; honoring our community's history, while working for our future;
Afforded every opportunity to attain a quality education, a good job, and dignified housing.

This is the kind of community I want to live in, and the kind of city I look forward to working with you to build. To accomplish this vision, I have laid out my position on a number of issues key to this campaign, along with my proposed solutions. The position statements on this Web page are thumbnail sketches of my overall plan. If you are interested in learning more, I would love to talk with you in greater detail about any of these issues. I welcome your feedback.

Public Safety

I believe that a healthy community is a safe community. I reject the notion that hiring additional police officers automatically leads to a decrease in crime. This belief relies on the myth that a heightened fear of being caught will deter potential law-breakers.

I am convinced that public safety is best achieved through a comprehensive approach that balances an adequate supply of first responders with an adequate supply of opportunities that foster community growth and connectedness. I believe that city services such as libraries, recreation centers, and code enforcement play a crucial role in establishing these types of opportunities.

As a City Council Member, I will:

Support and promote community policing — bringing law enforcement and community representatives together as equal partners to design a joint strategy for establishing public safety;
Continue to promote the Civilian Review Process as an effective avenue to voice complaints about our police department, and as critical to maintaining the respect and trust of Saint Paul residents; and
Focusing on investing in the community through our parks, recreation centers, and libraries; and providing opportunities for jobs and after-school enrichment activities for our young people by partnering with schools, local non-profits, and area businesses.

Affordable Housing

Saint Paul is suffering from a shortage of affordable housing, keeping out many who would otherwise love to live here. Foreclosures, high rental and purchase prices, and the fear of being taxed out of one's home are huge obstacles for residents in Ward One. I will focus on developing the right mix of dignified, affordable housing because I know that it is one of the most important things the City can do to help families succeed.

I challenge the assumption that further price hikes and gentrification - particularly along the Central Corridor - are inevitable. Creating space for newcomers to move into our city, while preserving a place for those who love and wish to remain in our community, will be our greatest housing challenge. I propose to stabilize our currently vulnerable housing market by:

Investing in programs that provide assistance for home-buyers to purchase and renovate properties most in need of repair;
Encouraging developers to build dignified, affordable housing communities to meet local demand;
Uniformly applying the city policy requiring 20% of new housing to be affordable to households with incomes at 30% and 50% of the area median; and
Educating residents on how to buy and keep homes by avoiding predatory lending, equity-stripping and other scams.

Central Corridor/Light Rail Transit

With Light Rail Transit on Central Corridor swiftly becoming a reality, critical decisions will be made over the next four years ˆ decisions that will greatly impact how our neighborhoods will look and feel for generations to come. As we prepare for the renewed economic vitality we expect light rail transit to bring, we must make every effort to engage community members to play an integral role in the development of the corridor and the multitude of decisions we will make that will impact their daily lives. We must have a clear vision and distinct priorities, including: