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Celebrating the public service career of Mayor Melvin Carter III and declaring December 18, 2025 as Melvin Carter III Day in the City of Saint Paul.
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WHEREAS, In his eight years as the Mayor of Saint Paul, the city faced countless unprecedented challenges- from a rock slide, to a global pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, civil unrest, a cyberattack, and now new Trump-era uncertainty- and through it all, Mayor Carter has led Saint Paul in making historic investments in families and neighborhoods-raising the minimum wage, eliminating library late fines, making youth sports free, and establishing Common Cent; and
WHEREAS, through CollegeBound Saint Paul, Mayor Carter helped Saint Paul establish college savings accounts for every child born after January 2020, ensuring families can invest in higher education and build their post-high school plans from day one; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Carter has expanded the City’s Right Track youth employment and mentorship programs, creating pathways for young people to gain experience, develop leadership skills, and prepare for successful futures; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Carter’s Community-First Public Safety framework took a holistic approach to reducing crime by addressing its root causes and Saint Paul launched the Office of Neighborhood Safety, expanded homelessness optimal response teams and mental health supports, and invested in community programming to ensure public safety included intervention and prevention; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Carter’s leadership has made Saint Paul a national model for innovative anti-poverty solutions-including launching Saint Paul’s guaranteed income pilots, like the People’s Prosperity Pilot and CollegeBound Boost, and a partnership with local hospital networks through the Medical Debt Reset Initiatives totaling $40 million-proving that direct financial support empowers parents, strengthens families, and breaks barriers to full social, economic, and political participation; and
WHEREAS, under Mayor Carter’s leadership, Saint Paul has expanded electric vehicle infrastructure, invested in clean energy, enacted a 10-year plan to replace all lead water service lines in the Saint Paul Regional Water Services service areas at no cost to property owners, and strengthened the city’s Climate Action & Resilience Plan; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Carter helped to reestablish the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, strengthened tenant protections, and launched innovative programs to make homeownership more accessible like The Inheritance Fund, one of the first of its kind in the nation, providing up to $100,000 in down payment assistance for descendants of families displaced from the historic Rondo and West Side Flats neighborhoods-helping to rebuild generational wealth, expand homeownership opportunities, and close racial homeownership gaps in Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS the Saint Paul City Council expresses deep gratitude and best wishes to Mayor Carter as he moves into the next phase of his life and career; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the Saint Paul City Council declares December 18th, 2025 as Melvin Carter III Day in the City of Saint Paul.