All-female St. Paul City Council sworn into public office today

Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press
Updated ·3 min read
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The youngest and most diverse city council in the history of Minnesota’s capital city was sworn into office on Tuesday at the downtown Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, officially elevating the first all-female St. Paul City Council into public service at City Hall.

“St. Paul is teaching everybody what leadership looks like, and this election has been noticed across the country,” said returning Council Member Mitra Jalali, who will be appointed council president on Wednesday.

The council members were joined at the Ordway by Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, former St. Paul Mayor Jim Scheibel and an audience of hundreds. Carter recalled serving on the city council 16 years prior:

“At 28 years old, I was the young one, the only person of color,” said the mayor, noting he served alongside former Council President Kathy Lantry, then the only woman.

All-female council

St. Paul is believed to be the largest city in the nation to be led by an all-female council. Jalali, the daughter of immigrants from Iran and Korea, said the historic moment had not come without pushback, especially from social media.

“A whole bunch of people who were comfortable with majority male, majority white (city councils) across the country are suddenly sharply concerned about representation,” she quipped, to widespread laughter. “My thoughts and prayers are with them at this time.”

Jalali also used the occasion to reiterate her support for residential rent control, renters’ protections, increased public investment in housing and new pathways to home ownership, as well as climate action and a cease-fire in Gaza.

The seven council members, all of them under 40 and four of them new to the role, will host their first official public meetings on Wednesday.

Here’s how committee and commission assignments are slated to shake out, including mayoral appointments to city and outside boards.

Anika Bowie

Bowie has been appointed by the mayor to serve on the Visit St. Paul board of directors, the Ramsey County Dispatch Policy Committee, the Family Housing Fund and the Board of Water Commissioners. The city council is poised to appoint her to serve on the Ramsey County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

HwaJeong Kim

Kim has been appointed by the mayor to serve on the Ramsey County Dispatch Policy Committee, the Joint Property Tax Advisory Committee and the Metropolitan Transportation Advisory Board. Kim is poised to be appointed secretary of the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

Mitra Jalali

Jalali has been appointed by the mayor to serve on the Visit St. Paul board of directors, the Ramsey County Dispatch Policy Committee and the Joint Property Tax Advisory Committee. Jalali also will chair the council’s budget committee.

Cheniqua Johnson

Johnson has been appointed by the mayor to serve on the St. Paul Port Authority, the Ramsey County Workforce Innovation Board, the Red Rock Corridor Commission and the Joint Property Tax Advisory Committee. The council on Wednesday is poised to approve Johnson as vice-chair of the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

Saura Jost

Jost has been appointed by the mayor to serve on the Board of Water Commissioners and as an alternate on the Metropolitan Transportation Advisory Board. Jost is poised to be appointed treasurer of the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority and chair of the St. Paul Public Library Board.

Rebecca Noecker

Noecker, who had once expressed interest in the position of council president but withdrew her name, has been appointed by the mayor to serve on the Great River Rail Commission, the St. Paul Children’s Collaborative and the Visit St. Paul board. She also will chair of the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the council audit committee.

Nelsie Yang

Yang has been appointed by the mayor to serve on the St. Paul Port Authority, Ramsey County League of Local Governments, the Family Housing Fund and the Board of Water Commissioners.

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