Priorities
We have real challenges in our community and the County Board plays a critical role in solving them. My priorities include economic and workforce development, downtown revitalization, transportation, childcare and public health.
How we do this work is just as important as what we do. I’ll prioritize smooth coordination between the City and County, genuine community engagement, and effective use of public resources.
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We have real challenges in our community and the Ramsey County Board plays a critical role in solving them.
I am running for Ramsey County District 5 Commissioner to get things done for St. Paul. My priorities include economic and workforce development, downtown revitalization, transportation, childcare and public health.
Here’s an in-depth look at one of those priorities: RiversEdge.
The RiversEdge project is a powerful chance to reconnect downtown Saint Paul with the Mississippi River—a long-awaited transformation. The plan envisions housing, offices, street-level retail, and a sweeping public park and riverwalk that would invite residents, workers and visitors back to the waterfront.
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RiversEdge is an innovative public-private project led by Ramsey County that offers a lot to our community:
9+ acres of urban park space
Integrated trail systems
Expanded public Mississippi River access
A centerpiece for riverfront revitalization projects
Job creation
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The RiversEdge project has an equitable, sustainable plan:
Integration of affordable housing
Small business retention and support for local businesses
Flood mitigation, energy resilience, and bird-safe glass
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RiversEdge has tremendous economic opportunity:
Serves as a catalyst for $800M in private investment
Expands the tax base
Creates jobs
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The project timeline:
From 2015-2017, $17M was invested to clear and remediate the site for development
In 2022, Ramsey County committed $26M to the park.
In 2023, Minnesota appropriated $6.22M for design and preconstruction.
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On April 14, 2026, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved a new “Building Stronger Together” plan that will invest more than $320 million into Ramsey County’s future.
I applaud Ramsey County for committing to downtown revitalization with the Building Stronger Together initiative.
Both downtown and RiversEdge have long been priorities of mine.
We need downtown and riverfront revitalization. We need to increase our tax base. We need to invite residents, workers, and visitors back to the waterfront.
It will take strong City-County collaboration to make sure we get it right and maximize this huge investment. Having worked on downtown and the riverfront for 10+ years, I'm ready and excited to help make it happen.
RiversEdge
West 7th Street
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West 7th is a vital corridor, for local residents, for thousands of workers, and for people accessing local businesses.
Major infrastructure failures, unsafe sidewalks, and aging pavement demand urgent attention.
West 7th needs a transformative investment :
Transit that is fast, reliable, safe, comfortable, and easy to use
Roads that are rebuilt or repaved
Sidewalks that safely accommodate people of all abilities
Calmed traffic with priority lanes for transit and emergency vehicles
Green space and an improved tree canopy
Street parking retention to support local businesses
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Ramsey County spent two decades and allocated $730 million to the Riverview Corridor project aimed at revitalizing West 7th:
Modern streetcar to improve mobility
Replacing Highway 5 Mississippi River Bridge
Additional streetscaping
The big ticket item was the $2 billion streetcar that required federal funding and faced significant design challenges interweaving with Highway 5 and airport transit.
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These design challenges proved too steep, and the County officially, and abruptly, abandoned it in September 2024.
In June 2025, the Ramsey County Board voted unanimously to reallocate the $730 million previously allocated to the Riverview Corridor project.
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The Riverview Corridor project, and West 7th revitalization along with it, was dropped, leaving the City of St. Paul to pick up the pieces.
The County not only abandoned plans of real, overdue progress in this neighborhood, they did so without regard for hundreds of community members who invested so much time over so many years to drive this work forward.
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So what is happening now?
As of January 2026, The City of St. Paul, MnDOT, Ramsey County, and Metro Transit have made a commitment to West 7th:
Rebuilding and repaving West 7th led by MnDOT
Arterial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) led by Metro Transit
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After decades of planning and reallocating $730 million intended for West 7th, it is clear that the County left behind this vital corridor.
West 7th deserves thoughtful, effective investment that supports both the immediate needs and long-term goals of the neighborhood and broader city.
Now that there is a new, workable concept, I want to bring Ramsey County back to the table and ready to invest in this much-needed project.
Opioid Response
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We have real challenges in our community and the County Board plays a critical role in solving them.
I am running for Ramsey County District 5 Commissioner to get things done for St. Paul. My priorities include economic and workforce development, downtown revitalization, transportation, childcare and public health.
Here’s an in-depth look at one of those priorities: Opioid Response.
The opioid epidemic is a national public health crisis. Opioids are a class of drugs that includes a variety of both legal and illegal drugs:
Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl
Heroin
Prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine
Ramsey County opioid-involved deaths have increased significantly since 2019. Most of these overdoses are accidental.
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How are opioid programs paid for?
In 2021, Minnesota joined historic $26 billion multi-state settlement agreements that will bring more than $300 million into Minnesota to fight the opioid crisis.
In 2022, Minnesota joined five more multi-state settlements worth $20.4 billion that will bring $243 million into Minnesota.
Additional settlements are in process but not yet approved.
This settlement money will be split 75% to Counties and Cities and 25% to the State. I believe that Ramsey County and St. Paul should develop a unified strategy for an effective, compassionate response.
Rather than developing separate approaches as we’re doing now, a shared plan would ensure these dollars are working more effectively to support prevention, treatment access, and long-term recovery.
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How is Ramsey County currently responding to the opioid crisis?
Safe Medicine Disposal: The county provides five free public drop boxes for unwanted medicine.
Syringe Service Program (SSP): This is the only SSP in St. Paul. It collects used syringes and provides sterile syringes, naloxone, and drug overdose education as well as other important services like STI testing and vaccinations.
Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD): This culturally-responsive service provides correction-based treatment, care coordination, and community follow-up.
One additional opioid program is notably missing from this list: the Ramsey County Detox and Withdrawal Management Center.
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Ramsey County announced in September 2025 that they’d be closing the County’s detox facility on December 31, 2025. This closure highlights the need for transparent processes and clearer collaboration.
According to Ramsey County, the detox facility ran under capacity and “underperformed expected financial targets year-over-year.”
Ramsey County planned to fill the service gap with one-time capacity-building grants to community programs. These grants are still under evaluation.*
While the County’s capacity-building plan is not yet in action, the center is already closed, disproportionately affecting our downtown community.
This closure also impacted workers.
Thirty-seven community members lost their jobs when the County closed the center. These were frontline workers dedicated to helping people through incredibly difficult times.
The County must act transparently and collaborate clearly with all affected parties. That includes bringing labor and affected workers into the conversation up front.
*Status per Ramsey County’s RFP Program DemandStar as of early March 2026.
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Our community members are suffering greatly from the opioid crisis. While I am glad to see our state fighting for accountability, it is crucial that Ramsey County and St. Paul coordinate their opioid strategies. We must ensure that settlement dollars work better to support our residents through prevention programs, treatment access, and long-term recovery.
I am running to bring a new sense of transparency, partnership, and action to the Ramsey County board and to stand up for the residents of St. Paul.
Workforce Development
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A strong workforce depends on reliable transportation, affordable childcare, and effective job training for workers across every sector. When everyone has access to a thriving-wage job, families are stable and our economy grows.
While Ramsey County is prosperous on average, the average hides a vast disparity between those who are making it and those who are not.
1 in 5 households make under $35K per year
1 in 7 children live in poverty
1 in 4 students don’t graduate on time
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The 2025 Legislative Auditor found that the workforce metrics the state reports are unhelpful for measuring program success. While this gap starts at the state, it impacts counties. If we cannot prove which programs are actually working, then how do we know what to fund?
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Job training programs should be tied to position and wage commitments from employers before training begins. Alternatively, if training is done by a provider, funding should be tied to positive outcomes.
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Practical, easy-to-measure workforce assistance such as employer-connected training, job fairs, and driver’s license programs provide concrete, measurable fixes to job readiness gaps.
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Help all students get a driver’s license by partnering with St. Paul Public Schools and finding ongoing funding for the County’s drivers license program
Expand access to high-frequency transit so more workers can reach their jobs without the burden of car ownership
Tie all job training programs to outcomes: employer training must include position and wage commitments up front and provider-led program funding must be for successful outcomes only
Make sure all workers can afford high-quality childcare by fully funding the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and investing in childcare centers that pay workers a thriving wage
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“When workers have high-paying jobs with dignity, our community thrives. Ramsey County needs top-notch job training and placement programs—
and we need to give our own employees the compensation, dignity and respect they deserve.”
Rebecca Noecker
Candidate for Ramsey County Commissioner in St. Paul’s District 5
Affordable Childcare
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Affordable, accessible, and high-quality childcare is a public good that requires public support to be successful. It gives kids the best start possible, allows more residents to participate in the workforce, and strengthens the Minnesota economy.
Avg. monthly rate for a child in any care type (center or home): $1140/mo
Average wage of local childcare workers: $17.27/hr
Percent of licensed providers that accept subsidies: 23%
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Avg monthly rate for childcare in MN is $1140/child.
7% of family income for childcare is the index of affordability. Ramsey County families spend 15% on average.
MN has 55,000 subsidized childcare slots for 330,000 total children.
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Ramsey County only has .30 highly-rated care spots per child.
Just 3 of every 100 providers offers non-standard hours care for those working between 6 pm and 6 am.
Childcare workers are paid below living wage, have no defined career progression, and experience high work stress.
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Fully fund the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to ensure no child is stuck on a waitlist.
Invest in childcare centers that pay workers a thriving wage with the County’s new economic development fund.
Expand the Early Childhood Academy to bring more childcare options online and support small providers.
Partner with the City’s libraries, rec centers and College Bound program to make sure all families know about the County’s childcare assistance and public health nurse home visiting programs.
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"Helping all kids get off to a great start is the best way to build a thriving, just society. When childcare is accessible, kids are ready for school, parents can get to work, and our economy thrives. The County can make sure high-quality childcare is available to every family—not just a privileged few."
Rebecca Noecker
Candidate for Ramsey County Commissioner in St. Paul’s District 5
Housing & Homelessness
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Everyone in our community deserves a safe, affordable, dignified place to live. It takes all levels of government to make Ramsey County more accessible, affordable, and equitable.
Units needed at 30% AMI: 11,000
Unhoused neighbors per night: 400
Percent of those seeking assistance who receive it each month: 6%
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St. Paul has a deficit of 11,000 units at 30% AMI.
50% of Renter households spend over 30% of their gross income on housing.
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Hundreds of people remain unsheltered daily.
We need accessible, culturally responsive, and safe shelter for all ages.
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1,600 households request assistance each month, but only 96 households receive it.
Reduced prevention funding can increase need for emergency shelters.
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Expand shelter capacity and diversity, including smaller places where people feel safe and can bring their partners, pets, and property.
Increase funding for equitable prevention programs and permanent supportive housing to keep people housed and healthy.
Build more single-room occupancy (SRO) buildings through a strengthened partnership with the City.
Collaborate with the City on a joint housing strategy to prioritize our affordable housing dollars and make them go further.
Develop an internship program with local social work schools to dramatically expand street outreach to those who are vulnerable.
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"When we have a home, we have a foundation for work, for school, for safety, for peace of mind. Our greatest test as a society will be whether we can take the abundance all around us and use it to make sure everyone is afforded this basic human right.”
Rebecca Noecker
Candidate for Ramsey County Commissioner in St. Paul’s District 5
