>> Cathy: ST. PAUL MAYOR MELVIN CARTER RELEASED HIS CITY BUDGET FOR 2026 ON THURSDAY.

WHILE IT WAS A FAIRLY BARE BONES PROPOSAL DUE TO FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS AND FLAGGING DOWNTOWN PROPERTY VALUES, THE BUDGET STILL RAISED EYEBROWS WITH ITS INTENT TO OFFSET THOSE LOSSES WITH INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES.

FRED MELO COVERS CITY POLITICS FOR THE "ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS."

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

I READ YOUR ARTICLE IN THE PI PRESS.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: I LIKED THE LINE, IT WAS A NO FUN, NO TRILLS BUDGET.

>> THEY'RE FREEZING HIRING, MAYBE A COUPLE EXCEPTIONS HERE OR THERE.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO LAY ANYONE OFF BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT BY NOT ADDING ANYONE.

SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE IN THE LIMITED NEW PROGRAMMING.

THERE'S SOME EXPANSION OF EXISTING HOUSING PROGRAMS, LIKE A DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WILL DOUBLE IN SIZE FOR HOME BUYERS.

BUT OTHERWISE, NOT -- IF ANYTHING, HE'LL TAKE A COUPLE HOURS OUT OF THE REC CENTERS.

SO YOU'RE ACTUALLY SEEING A REDUCTION IN A LOT F AREAS.

I THINK SOME CITY DEPARTMENT LEADERS, THEIR HEADS ARE EXPLODING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

>> Eric: WITH SCHOOL BOARD, WITH COUNTY, AND WITH CITY, WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON PROPERTY PY TAXES?

>> BAD.

IT'S NOT GOING TO E FUN.

IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO BE A FUN YEAR.

MEDIAN VALUE PROPERTY, $280,000 IN THE CITY OF ST. PAUL.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITY, THAT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED BUCKS THAT IT'LL GO UP IF THIS EVY PASSES.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE COUNTY, THAT'S ANOTHER 200, 204.

TB THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HASN'T TOLD US YET WHAT THEIR IMPACT WILL BE, BUT THEY HAVE A SPECIAL LEVY REFERENDUM, A TEN-YEAR PROGRAM, SO IF VOTERS APPROVE THAT IN NOVEMBER, THAT'S ANOTHER 300.

SO YOU DO 100 PLUS 200 IS 300 PLUS 300 IS 600, AND THEN WHATEVER THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ADDS ON TOP OF THAT.

COULD BE 700, $800 ON A HOUSE LIKE MINE.

THAT'S LOT OF SKIPPED BAR OUTINGS FOR ME.

OR SKIPPED RACES FOR MY KID.

>> Cathy: WOW, OKAY, THAT STILL HAS TO BE APPROVED, THOUGH, BY THE CITY COUNCIL.

>> THEY EEM TO BE ON BOARD.

FOR THE CITY, IT'S ABOUT A 5.3% INCREASE.

THAT'S MUCH LESS THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR COMING OUT OF THE GATE.

HE WANTED I THINK 7.8, 7.9.

SO THEY'RE STARTING MUCH CLOSER TOGETHER.

THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT SAID.

>> Cathy: MAYOR CARTER AND OTHER MAYORS HAVE SAID THAT THEY WANT GUN CONTROL LAWS WITHIN THEIR CITIES, RIGHT?

IS THAT ENFORCEABLE?

>> NO.

AND THEY'RE VERY EXPLICIT ABOUT THAT.

THAT, HEY, WE WILL PASS A BAN ON NON-BINARY TRIGGERS.

WE WILL PASS A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS.

WE WILL PASS A BAN ON GUNS IN OUR LIBRARIES, IN OUR REC CENTERS AND NONE OF THIS CAN BE ENFORCED UNTIL THE STATE GETS IT TOGETHER AND SAYS, FINE, YOU CAN DO THIS, AND IF YOU DO THAT AT MIDNIGHT, WE'LL ALREADY HAVE IT PASSED SO WE'LL IMPLEMENT AT 12:01.

SO HE'S KIND OF PUTTING THE ONUS ON THE STATE LAWMAKERS TO FINALLY DO SOMETHING BEYOND THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.

I'M NOT OPTIMISTIC.

>> Eric: YOU TALKED ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS FOR FENTANYL FOR -- >> I'M STILL LOOKING INTO EXACTLY HOW THAT WOULD BE STRUCTURED BECAUSE THERE'S A TWO-MAN UNIT CALLED THE C.A.R.E.S.

UNIT, WHICH IS E.M.S., FIRE DEPARTMENT, RESPONDING TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS INSTEAD OF JUST LOOKING PEOPLE UP WHEN THEY'RE CLEARLY IN CRISIS.

HE'S ACTUALLY FOLDING THAT IN TO THE REGULAR FIRE DEPARTMENT, AMBULANCES, INSTEAD OF HAVING IT BE SEPARATE.

SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A REDUCTION AND AN EXPANSION AT THE SAME TIME WITHIN THE INTERPRETER DEPARTMENT.

THE UNION'S CONCERNED THAT WHAT LOOKS LIKE AN EXPANSION IS ACTUALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS COULD BE FEWER FIREFIGHTERS.

IN TERMS OF NOT HIRING, FILLING SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS.

SO WE'LL SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT.

BUT THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT I THINK WILL ROLL OUT OVER THE EXT YEAR.

>> Cathy: HE MENTIONED THE CYBER-ATTACK.

IT JUST KEEPS KIND OF DRARPING OUT.

>> I DON'T THINK IT'S OVER.

THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON SAFEGUARDING EVERYTHING WITHIN THE CITY AND PROTECTING IT.

THEY GAVE ALL THE CITY EMPLOYEES EITHER NEW TECH OR NEW PASSWORDS.

IT'S GOING TO COST THE CITY OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.

SO THAT'S PART OF THIS BUDGET.

IT'S COSTLY.

>> Eric: DOWNTOWN, THE MOST URGENT THING AFFECTING THE CITY.

>> THINGS LOOK TOUGH DOWNTOWN.

I WAS LOOKING AT PROPERTY TAXES FOR U.S. BANK CENTER.

I THINK THEIR VALUE WAS $20 MILLION, $22 MILLION A FEW YEARS AGO.

THAT SAME BUILDING IS VALUED AT $14 MILLION TODAY.

THAT'S A BIG DROP.

AND WHEN YOU TAX IT, THE TAX IS LOWER.

WELL, WHO MAKES THAT UP?

THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING, IT'S THE HOMEOWNERS ARE MAKING THAT UP.

IN THE PAST THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS WERE AINING VALUE A LITTLE FASTER.

THAT'S NOT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

THEY'VE ACTUALLY KIND OF LOST A LITTLE BIT OF VALUE OVER THE PAST YEAR.

SO IT'S REALLY ME AS A HOMEOWNER THAT'S GOING TO BE FEELING THIS AND HOMEOWNERS ACROSS THE CITY.

>> Cathy: DO YOU THINK HE'S GOING TO RUN FOR SOMETHING BEYOND ST. PAUL MAYOR?

JUST CURIOUS.

>> YEAH, MOST MAYORS DON'T GO PAST THREE TERMS IN T. PAUL.

I THINK GEORGE LATIMER IS PROBABLY THE LAST ONE THAT I CAN REMEMBER.

SO YEAH, THERE'S A THREE-YEAR TERM COMING UP, BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING TO EVEN-YEAR LECTIONS, AND THEN AFTER THAT, I DON'T KNOW.

YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO BE A PROGRESSIVE MAYOR IN A PURPLE STATE.

AND WE'RE NOT REALLY ENTIRELY BLUE AND WE'RE NOT REALLY ENTIRELY RED AND WE'RE VERY SPLIT IN OUR LEGISLATURE.

SO, BUT, YEAH, I COULD SEE HIM DOING WELL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., BUT WHENEVER I ASK HIM, HE SAYS, MY KIDS ARE HERE, I'VE GOT A KID IN KINDERGARTEN HERE.

LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, IT'S AN OUTRAGEOUS QUESTION.

>> Cathy: BECAUSE THIS BUDGET AIN'T LOOKING TOO GOOD.

>> AND THAT'S TRUE FOR A LOT OF CITIES I THINK.

I THINK MINNEAPOLIS HAS SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS AHEAD OF IT TOO.

ST. PAUL -- THE MAYOR'S ASKING FOR A 5% INCREASE IN THE TAX LEVY.

RAMSEY COUNTY IS ASKING FOR A 9.75% INCREASE.

>> Eric: KEEPING WATCH ON THE BUDGET IN RAMSEY AND ST. PAUL.

>> Cathy: AND WE DEEPLY