Two candidates are running for West St. Paul’s Ward 1 city council seat and two others running for Ward 3 in November’s election.

General information about the Nov. 5, 2024, election is online at twincities.com/news/politics/elections including information on candidates for races in Ramsey, Dakota and Washington counties.

To find out what’s on your ballot, where to vote and other election information, visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s elections page at sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting.

Ward 1

Doug Fromm

Doug Fromm. (Courtesy of the candidate)

Age: 57

What would your top priorities be if elected? Ensuring that West St. Paul continues to do our part in addressing the regional housing affordability crisis. This includes adding housing where appropriate and helping keep any tax increases low. Help navigate the challenge of maintaining strong public services and continuing to address infrastructure issues in a period of significant cost increases. Finally, I want to provide opportunities to connect with all residents in Ward 1.This includes traditionally underrepresented communities.

What qualifies you to hold this position? Over 20 years of public service and leadership.I am the current chair of the West St. Paul Charter Commission, where I have been a member since 2013. Previous to that I served on the West St. Paul Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee for 6 years. I have also served as a West St. Paul election judge for almost two decades, most of that time as a Head Election Judge.

What do you think is the primary role of government? The role of local government is to connect with and serve the people by responsibly maintaining essential services and infrastructure. This includes public safety, road maintenance, high quality parks and other services that make life better for all residents.

How do you work to understand, and then learn from, opinions that differ from your own and people who disagree with you? It starts by accepting the fact that other people’s ideas might be better than my own. I am absolutely willing to hear multiple viewpoints on how to solve any problem. In fact, I want to hear multiple, diverse viewpoints on solving our important issues. I encourage folks to reach out to your representatives and show up to public forums to let us know what you think. I promise to give my genuine opinion in any discussion, but will always respect your opinion.

Website or contact information: dougforwsp.com

Andrew Rydlund

(Candidate information not provided)

Ward 3

Lisa Eng-Sarne (incumbent)

Lisa Eng-Sarne. (Courtesy of Cadence & Eli Photography)

Age: 40

What would your top priorities be if elected? Redevelopment that fosters community connections: We have significant opportunity in the former YMCA site (where Hy-Vee didn’t build) and have the potential for incredible public amenities and housing on that site. Additionally, Smith/Dodd is being realigned with a public plaza, memorial, and development likely to follow. If done right, these two sites alone create significant opportunity for creation of community spaces for connection in West St. Paul. Maintaining high-quality and efficient services for citizens and businesses: While it may seem routine, this is the bread and butter of local government. One example of creating efficiencies around this is looking closer at how we repair and assess alleys. The implementation of long-term strategic planning around our parks and infrastructure: We will move into the follow-through phase of plans instead of the naval-gazing portion. Historically, some parks were repaired due to the squeakiest wheel getting the grease, but the way we are looking forward will allow us to assess the biggest needs and then make those needed improvements. Similarly with our Smith/Dodd plan that was on the shelf for a long time, we will be moving into the implementation phase on more topics like this.

What qualifies you to hold this position? I have learned a great deal in my six years of service on the West St. Paul City Council and I can’t imagine being more prepared than I am now. I show up, I’m studied, I know the people and the issues, and I’m ready to have challenging conversations that lead us to being a better city. I know where to go to help you solve your problems and am a connector of people. I have been honored to serve as West St. Paul Public Safety Chair, Vice President of the Economic Development Authority, and as Chair of the Smith/Dodd Revitalization Committee. I have also enjoyed serving on the League of Minnesota Cities Improving Local Economies Committee and the League of Minnesota Cities Cannabis Subcommittee. I graduated from the College of Saint Benedict where I earned degrees in communication and peace studies, providing me with the framework to be a unifier who builds strong relationships in our community and with our partners.I attribute my toughness, strength in working as a team, and ability to think on my feet to 12 years of leadership on the roller derby track. I work hard to heighten West St. Paul’s visibility, increasing economic development and advocating for public art. I am optimistic for West St. Paul’s future and am running to continue the forward momentum we have as a city.

What do you think is the primary role of government? Our primary role is providing city services that keep our community healthy, safe, strong, and thriving. This includes maintenance of roads and infrastructure, public safety, community-building activities, and economic development that helps new, diverse, and existing businesses continue to succeed. Our biggest responsibilities are ones that folks don’t often think about, unless they’re not working properly. That’s why we take great pride in our snow plowing, street maintenance, parks, emergency services, and community engagement that all best serve the public.

How do you work to understand, and then learn from, opinions that differ from your own and people who disagree with you? I do this by continuing to be present, visible, and available, exactly where our community is. I do this by understanding that everyone is coming from a different place and has a different lived experience. Serving in this role, I also understand that many things can be true at the same time and one opinion or the other is not necessarily “right,” or “wrong,” it is where that person is coming from. I celebrate the opportunity to engage with my community and continue to see my role as one of an observer, where I gather public opinion and use it to help inform my decision-making.

Website or contact information: lisaforweststpaul.com

Anthony Smith

(Candidate information not provided)

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