And here is the official announcement: Jane Prince, a long-time East Side resident, attorney, community advocate and volunteer, today announced her candidacy for the Saint Paul City Council Ward 7 seat being vacated by City Council President Kathy Lantry. Prince, who served as legislative aide to City Councilmember Jay Benanav from 1998 to 2007, said that she is “ready to hit the ground running” to maintain the progress that has been the hallmark of Lantry’s tenure. Prince’s campaign is chaired by State Representative Sheldon Johnson (67B). “Ward 7 is experiencing a renaissance, because we’ve drawn on the strengths of our diverse communities for the economic revitalization of this ward,” Prince said. She cited the new East Side Enterprise Center, a development and partnership organization designed to draw entrepreneurs and small businesses from around the area to grow a healthy East Side. A stalwart neighborhood advocate inside City Hall and in the community, Prince believes neighborhood quality of life is Saint Paul’s greatest asset. “Saint Paul’s neighborhoods, its beautiful parks, recreation centers and libraries need our best ideas and attention to keep this city a place where people want to live, work and play,” Prince said. Ward 7, with an expansive Mississippi riverfront, has the largest amount of open space in the city. “Protecting and enhancing these natural resources lifts our whole city, spurring investment, increasing property values and enhancing recreation options,” Prince said. A strong proponent of the “buy local” movement, Prince’s goal is to have the city offer more financial and technical support to locally owned businesses to strengthen commercial districts and job creation citywide. “Cities like Austin, Texas, provide us with a model of how we can make Saint Paul’s homegrown economy a draw for tourists, prospective residents and employees, including millennials looking for a vibrant, diverse and interconnected city to call home. Prince said that by making strategic investments to launch and expand local businesses, Saint Paul can build a stronger tax base. “The current proliferation of tax-increment financing and development subsidies to try to attract business is hurting Saint Paul and our business climate. We can’t keep raising taxes on homeowners to sustain a strong Saint Paul.” Prince cited recent retirees who have paid off their mortgages, but who now face property tax bills for which they did not budget. “Raising the tax burden on residential property owners is simply not sustainable,” Prince said. Prince also believes that Saint Paul building out its fiber-optic telecommunications network should be a top priority. “A high speed network is vital to the competitiveness of the city, and particularly its small and mid-sized businesses,’’ Prince said. “A telecommunications study completed by the city in 2007 provided a road map for expanding Saint Paul’s connectivity. It is time to revisit the plan and put it into action,” she said. As a lawyer representing residents and businesses on municipal zoning, licensing and ordinance enforcement, Prince is also committed to re-energizing and re-engaging Saint Paul’s workforce in developing process improvements and helping the city run more efficiently. “I know our city workers are great problem solvers,” Prince said. “We must seek their input and advice to make Saint Paul work better. Prince lives in Ward 7’s Mounds Park neighborhood, where she and her husband, David Murphy, purchased their home in 1984 and raised their son Sam, a 2003 Harding High School graduate. “We love our East Side neighborhood and all that it has given us,” said Prince. “I am honored to have this opportunity to give back to the East Side and to represent my neighbors and community to build an even better and stronger Saint Paul.”
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 16:05:38 +0000
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