Dayton's Bluff, Saint Paul

St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker and state Rep. Maria Isa Perez-Vega are competing for the open District 5 seat on the Ramsey County Board, vacated by longtime Commissioner Rafael Ortega, who has endorsed Perez-Vega. The district spans downtown St. Paul, Highland Park, Macalester-Groveland, West Seventh, the West Side and Dayton's Bluff. The race has been closely contested, ending in virtual ties at both the DFL endorsement convention and the August primary, with early voting now underway ahead of the November election.

Noecker emphasizes her council record on housing, wages and constituent services, and has criticized Ramsey County's handling of the Riverview Corridor transit project and detox center closures. Perez-Vega highlights her legislative work on insulin price caps and West Seventh Street road funding, prioritizing protection of federal assistance programs and downtown revitalization. Noecker has secured more labor union backing, while Perez-Vega holds endorsements from a majority of county commissioners and numerous state legislators. County commissioners earn $107,000 annually, and the board oversees a proposed 8.25% tax levy increase alongside a $320 million downtown development package.

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her has reversed course on a proposal to close the Dayton's Bluff library branch, using more than $300,000 in new revenue from a renegotiated franchise agreement with Xcel Energy to fund her 2027 budget instead. The agreement means no fee increase for residential electric and gas customers next year, though commercial and industrial ratepayers will pay more.

The revised budget also draws on roughly $274,000 in savings from shifting St. Paul's municipal elections to even years, a change voters approved in 2024. Combined, the new revenue totals about $574,000, which Her has directed toward keeping Dayton's Bluff library open, preserving the Highwood Hills Recreation Center, restoring morning and holiday hours at rec centers, and funding continued enforcement of the city's separation ordinance limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The proposed 6.8% property tax increase, adding about $58 annually for a median-value home, remains unchanged. East Side residents had strongly opposed the original closure plans for the library and recreation center.