Downtown Summer in the Parks

Join us for a vibrant lineup of activities for everyone to enjoy. Our downtown parks are home to live music, art, food trucks, festivals, and more.
Events and Activities
Mayor Carter in winter in front of cathedral
Mayor Carter in winter in front of cathedral

Mayor Melvin Carter

Melvin Carter is the 46th, and first African-American mayor of the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota’s Capital City.

A fifth-generation Saint Paul resident, Mayor Carter leads with an unapologetic equity agenda. Since taking office in 2018, his accomplishments include raising the city’s minimum wage to $15/hour; tripling free programs in rec centers; eliminating late fines in public libraries; reestablishing an Affordable Housing Trust Fund; expanding immigrant & refugee support resources, and launching an Office of Financial Empowerment. One signature initiative is CollegeBound Saint Paul, Mayor Carter’s plan to start every child born in the city with a $50 College Savings Account, starting January 1, 2020.

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Council

City Council

As the legislative body, the City Council is responsible for setting City policy through ordinances and resolutions. The Council also has sole responsibility for adopting the City’s budget. The Council legislates by passing Ordinances which become City laws. The Council also makes performance auditing decisions and monitors the operation and performance of city agencies and holds regular oversight hearings on city departments to determine how programs are working and whether budgeted funds are being spent well. In its decision-making roles, the City Council actively involves the public through its weekly public meetings.

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Latest News

Saint Paul City Council Extends Local State of Emergency to Respond to Digital Security Incident

8/1/2025 City Council

Announcing extension of emergency declaration to enable rapid mobilization of local, state, and federal resources

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Important Information on City Services During Digital Security Incident

7/29/2025 Technology and Communications

The City of Saint Paul is actively responding to a digital security incident that is temporarily impacting access to some internal systems and online services. Public safety and critical infrastructure systems remain fully operational. Our teams are working closely with local, state, and federal partners to resolve the situation and restore full functionality.

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Parks & Recreation Weather & Storm Updates

7/29/2025 Parks & Recreation

Updates on heat, snow, and other weather-related closures or programming changes, along with guidance on reporting tree-related storm damage after major storms.

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News Room

Last Edited: July 29, 2025