Melvin Carter (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melvin Carter
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| 55th Mayor of St. Paul | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Chris Coleman |
| Member of the Saint Paul City Council from the 1st ward |
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| In office January 8, 2008 – July 5, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Debbie Montgomery |
| Succeeded by | Dai Thao |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Melvin Whitfield Carter III
January 8, 1979 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Sakeena Futrell |
| Education | Florida A&M University (BS) University of Minnesota (MPP) |
Melvin Whitfield Carter III (born January 8, 1979) is an American politician. He is currently the mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. He was first elected in 2017 and then reelected in 2021.
Melvin Carter is the 55th mayor of St. Paul. He is also the first African American mayor of the city. His current term as mayor ends on January 1, 2026. Mayor Carter has worked to increase the city's minimum wage. He also helped start a group of mayors. This group focuses on beginning reparations programs in their cities.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Melvin Carter was born in the Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul. His father, Melvin Whitfield Carter Jr., was a police officer. His mother, Toni Carter, is a commissioner for Ramsey County. The Carter family has lived in Saint Paul for four generations.
Melvin Carter still lives in the Rondo neighborhood. He lives there with his wife, Sakeena Futrell-Carter, and their children. In junior high and high school, he joined a special math program at the University of Minnesota. He graduated from Saint Paul Central High School. Carter was a talented athlete in high school. He helped his school finish third in the 1997 state track meet. He won three races and placed second in the long jump.
Carter went to Florida A&M University. He earned a bachelor's degree in business. While there, he joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Later, he earned a Master of Public Policy degree. He got this degree from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
Career in Public Service
Melvin Carter has held several important roles. From 2008 to 2013, he was a member of the Saint Paul City Council. He also served as the council's vice chair. He taught graduate classes at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. These classes were about political campaigns and elections.
After his time on the city council, he worked for the Minnesota Department of Education. He became the Director of the Office of Early Learning in 2013.
Early Career Achievements
As a city council member, Carter helped create the Department of Human Rights & Equal Economic Opportunity. This department works to ensure fair treatment for everyone. He also supported laws like "Ban the Box." This law helps people with past criminal records find jobs. He also worked to stop the sale of candy cigarettes.
In 2010, he started the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood. This program brings together the community and government. Its goal is to improve education quality in schools. In 2008, Ebony magazine named him one of "30 Under 30." This recognized him as a young leader.
Mayor of St. Paul Initiatives
As mayor, Carter helped raise the city's minimum wage to $15 per hour. He also created the Office of Financial Empowerment. This office helps people with their money. He started CollegeBound Saint Paul. This program gives every child in the city a college savings account.
He also launched the People's Prosperity Pilot. This program gives 150 families $500 each month for 18 months. Mayor Carter's administration has a slogan: "Building a city that works for us all means we all must do the work."
Key Issues and Policies
Affordable Housing Initiatives
Mayor Carter introduced The Housing Trust Fund. This program helps create affordable housing in St. Paul. It aims to provide stable housing for low- and middle-income families. Carter also started The Families First Housing Pilot. This program gives financial help with rent to families in need. It works with St. Paul Public Schools to help families with children.
In 2023, Carter added more money to an Inheritance Fund. This fund helps homeowners in certain neighborhoods. It provides loans to renovate homes. The goal is to help residents build wealth through their homes.
Support for Immigrants and Refugees
In 2021, Mayor Carter started programs for immigrants and refugees. The St. Paul Immigrant Legal Defense Fund helps immigrants. It provides legal help to those at risk of deportation. This help is for refugees or immigrants with lower incomes.
Carter also introduced Welcoming St. Paul: Immigrant and Refugee Program. This program helps immigrants and refugees settle into the city. It connects them with services and other residents.
Raising the Minimum Wage
In 2018, Mayor Carter signed a Minimum Wage Ordinance. This law increases the minimum wage in St. Paul every year. It started in 2020. As of 2023, large businesses pay $15 per hour. Small businesses pay $13 per hour.
By July 2024, the minimum wage for large businesses will be $15.57 per hour. For small businesses, it will be $15 per hour.
Other Local Improvements
In 2023, Carter proposed a plan to get rid of medical debt. This plan would help over 45,000 St. Paul residents. It would use COVID relief funds to pay off about $110 million in medical debt. In 2018, Carter announced that libraries would stop charging late fees. This decision was made to help more people use library services. It took effect on January 1, 2020.
He also started CollegeBound St. Paul. This fund gives each child in the city $50 for a savings account. This money is meant for their future higher education. Parents can add more money to these accounts.
Budget Proposals and City Funding
In his 2024 budget plan, Carter focused on crime, city repairs, and property taxes. The plan was for $820.5 million. It included money to lower property taxes for many families. He also proposed using state safety aid funds. Half would go to stop gun violence. The other half would go to police, fire departments, and recreation centers.
In November 2023, St. Paul voters approved a sales tax increase. Mayor Carter had proposed this to improve roads. He also suggested using federal COVID relief funds to pay off medical debt. Another idea was to offer free swimming lessons for children under 10.
City Appointments
As mayor, Melvin Carter appoints people to important city roles. On November 1, 2022, he appointed Axel Henry as the new chief of police. In October 2022, he appointed Jamie Wascalus as the director of technology. He also appointed Stefanie Horvath as the deputy director and chief information security officer.
Elections for Mayor
2017 Mayoral Election
In 2017, Melvin Carter ran for mayor with a focus on several key areas. He talked about supporting people, improving places, building partnerships, and community policing. He also supported a $15 minimum wage. He wanted to help new businesses open and remove barriers to investment. Carter also spoke against certain federal immigration policies. He aimed to help people dealing with mental health or addiction issues. He won the election and became mayor.
2021 Mayoral Election
As the current mayor, Carter ran for reelection in 2021. He continued to focus on building and protecting communities. He also proposed a program to give guaranteed income to low-income families. Carter emphasized building community wealth. He supported the Office of Financial Empowerment. He also proposed a new budget to address the city's needs for society and infrastructure. He was reelected for a second term.
Personal Life
Melvin Carter enjoys running marathons. He ran the 2024 Twin Cities Marathon. He finished the race in 3 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 seconds.
Images for kids
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Melvin Carter at an event in St. Paul.
