Voters approve St. Paul administrative citations ballot measure. What does it mean?

St. Paul city ballot measure passesIt will allow administrative citations to be issued.

UPDATE, 5 a.m.

St. Paul voters have approved a measure allowing the city to issue administrative citations.

The final results show 68.19% (44,069) of people voted yes to the city question while 31.81% (20,560) voted no.

In addition to the mayoral race, voters in St. Paul will find two questions on their ballot this Election Day.

One question focuses on approval of a St. Paul Public Schools referendum, which would raise the district’s general education revenue by $1,073 per pupil and cost the median homeowner an extra $309 per year, according to the district.

The other question asks voters to amend the city charter and allow administrative citations.

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City leaders say their ability to enforce current ordinances is limited without administrative citations. Under the city charter, only criminal penalties are allowed.

Supporters of the measure — including Mayor Melvin Carter, his mayoral challenger Kaohly Her, and members of the city council — say St. Paul needs to be able to do what other cities can and issue non-criminal citations for things like wage theft and property negligence.

“Administrative citations offer a flexible tool to address code violations sooner, while reducing reliance on criminal penalties,” Carter said. “This measure would enhance compliance in a way that prioritizes education and accountability, aligning with our vision for a more just and responsive city government.”

Opponents say the citations could be issued arbitrarily.

Voting “yes” would authorize the change to allow administrative citations while a “no” vote would oppose the citations.

A simple majority is needed to approve the change.

To see a sample ballot, click here or view your ballot online.

STP sample ballotDownload

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