Rochester council president contenders discuss housing and city budget

Sep. 18—ROCHESTER — Candidates vying to head the Rochester City Council sparred on the city's approach to housing creation and the budget during Wednesday's League of Women Voters forum.

"My opponent does talk about affordable housing, but in fact he opposed an affordable housing project in northeast Rochester that had the highest score in the state as a site," said Randy Schubring , who is running against Ward 5 council member Shaun Palmer to fill the council president seat being vacated by Brooke Carlson.

Palmer said his opposition was based on a 2022 request to waive a prevailing wage requirement for what became the 66-unit Northern Heights Apartments near East Circle Drive.

"The City Council voted to take away prevailing wage," he said of the requirement to pay construction workers a defined minimum wage. "I did not."

The opposing vote wasn't Palmer's only vote against the project, however. He also voted against a 2021 zoning change required for the project.

During the forum, Palmer cited his advocacy for a variety of housing projects, including the City Council's recent unanimous decision to use sales tax funds to support the creation of 201 for-sale homes in northwest Rochester.

He said the effort addresses goals highlighted in a county housing study, which points to a need to build 900 new homes a year, with only 211 constructed last year.

"We are meeting those (housing) goals on apartments," he said. "We are not meeting them on single-family dwellings."

Schubring, who grew up in public housing, said he believes the city-supported project with homes will produce homes that are out of reach for those who need the most help. Expectations call for homes to be priced at up to $500,000, with at least 31 be priced below $426,100.

He said the sales tax funds should be used to build affordable housing for families struggling to afford rents and seniors needing more options.

"We really need to work on senior housing," he said. "We need to work on workforce housing."

Palmer, who pointed to his construction background and conversations with local developers, said the creation of new housing of all types will help spur the market and create opportunities.

"If we can raise that supply, then we can lower the prices and make it more affordable for people," he said.

The candidates also provided differing opinions about the city budget.

Palmer, who is in his second year of his third four-year term on the council, said city budgets are created with the needs of residents in mind, with the majority of tax dollars used to cover the costs of services they desire, including public safety, streets and parks.

"There's not a lot of waste in our budget," he said.

Schubring said he hopes to find new avenues for funding, as well as potential spending cuts.

"When I am on the City Council, I'm going to be looking at our budget, making sure in every line item we look for opportunities," he said.

Schubring pointed to a specific expense in the proposed 2025 budget, which comes with a projected tax levy increase of nearly 10%.

"Earlier this year, the City Council made a decision to build a new pool at Silver Lake (Park)," he said. "That is costing our taxpayers $500,000 a year."

Following the forum, Schubring said he wasn't suggesting the city's second outdoor pool be cut from the budget, but he cited a desire to have seen more discussion regarding where in the city it was located.

"We have to think of what our needs are," he said.

Palmer said the pool was seen as a need by the entire council after the existing pool was deemed too old to maintain.

"I think seven people on the City Council said that was a great idea, and that's why we did that,": he said.

Palmer and Schubring will be on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, with early voting options available starting Friday.

Videos of forums are available online at .

The League of Women Voters Rochester continues to host candidate forums for a variety of local races. Remaining forums held at the Rochester Public Library are:

* Olmsted County Commissioner District 3 candidates April Sutor and Gregg Wright at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19.

* Olmsted County Commissioner District 6 candidate Tawanda Burks and Bob Hopkins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19.

* Minnesota Representative District 24A candidates Heather Holmes and Duane Quam at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23.

* Rochester Public School Board Seat 7 candidates Christina Barton and Stephanie Whitehorn at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25.

* Rochester Public School Board Seat 3 candidates Karen MacLaughlin and John Whelan at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25.

* Rochester Public School Board Seat 1 candidates Don Barlow and Patrick Farmer at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26.