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West St. Paul voters will take to the polls on August 11 (or earlier) to decide who will compete to be mayor in the November general election. There are three candidates contesting the mayoral primary in 2020, and the top two will advance to November.
We’ve asked the candidates a series of questions to see where they stand on the issues. We’ll share one question and the responses at a time leading up to the election. We’ve already covered the biggest challenge facing West St. Paul. Here’s the second one.
Given the constraints of West St. Paul’s weak mayor system, what do you hope to accomplish in your two years as mayor?
We posed this question to all mayoral candidates (Jeramie Torkelson has dropped out, though his name will still appear on the ballot). Here are their responses:
Jonathan Diamond
(no campaign site)
Work on bringing more family run small businesses to the city.
Kimetha “KaeJae” Johnson
I hope my accomplishments as mayor will include bringing more of a family feel to the city, reduced debt, a real pathway to affordable housing, and a more diverse business community.
Dave Napier
I will continue to make it a priority to work closely with our council members to keep meetings productive and efficient. In a weak mayor system, it is critical for the mayor to have a strong relationship with the city manager. The city manager and I have established this relationship, which has resulted in a productive partnership. Our council members come prepared to every meeting, which is a testament of their commitment to our community. In the next two years, we are committed to completing the Town Center 1, Signal Hills and the Thompson Oaks development projects along with the River-to-River Greenway Trail. I will continue to provide the leadership necessary to accomplish our strategic initiatives.
Vote on August 11
The primary election is on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. The West St. Paul city website has details on where and how to vote. You can also vote early with an absentee ballot, either by mail or by stopping at the Dakota County offices.
We’ll be sharing more information about the primary election and where the candidates stand.
Thank you to the candidates for taking the time to respond to my questions.
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