Rebecca Noecker To Become St. Paul City Council President As Mitra Jalali Steps Down

Rebecca Noecker To Become St. Paul City Council President As Mitra Jalali Steps Down

The leadership changes will take effect on Feb. 12.

St. Paul City Council has announced that Ward 2 council member Rebecca Noecker will be its next president when Mitra Jalali steps down next month.

Ward 4 member Jalali, who has been on the council since 2018 and was named president in January 2024, announced last week she intended to step down from the role to prioritize her health.

Noecker will step into the role as president on Feb. 12, a week after Jalali's final council meeting.

Other changes include council member Cheniqua Johnson (Ward 7) becoming the chair for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), with council member Saura Jost (Ward 3) serving as the vice chair. Council member Hwa Jeong Kim (Ward 5) will continue to serve as the council vice president

"As I exit City Hall to focus on my health, I care deeply about our community having continued focused leadership across the council,” Jalali said in a statement. "Local government is on the frontlines for our community right now in a difficult national reality, and in this transition, I want Saint Paul to know we are still here for you."

"I am grateful to incoming Council President Noecker, whose institutional knowledge and experience will continue to be an asset to our council; to Vice President Kim, for her continued support as vice president in this transition; excited for incoming HRA Chair Johnson, who will become the first Black woman ever to chair the HRA; and thankful to council members Jost, [Anika] Bowie and [Nelsie] Yang, who will all also be stepping up into more responsibilities," Jalali added.

Noecker was first elected to the city council in 2015. She will also chair the council's organizational and policy committee, which is responsible for advancing shared policy priorities, and will continue to chair the audit committee.

“I’m grateful for Council President Jalali’s leadership during our first year as a new council. She has been a driving force for positive change, and she will be dearly missed,” said Noecker. “I deeply appreciate my colleagues’ support as I take on this new role, and I look forward to continuing our work to build a more resilient, vibrant, and inclusive Saint Paul. I will work hard every day to make sure our council is fully equipped to pass good policy and fight for the interests of our constituents, especially in a time of uncertainty in federal and state government.”

The council added that it intends to create a new public safety committee, with Bowie and Yang serving as the chair and vice chair, respectively.

The council will also soon share more information regarding the public appointment process to select an interim council member for Ward 4 as Jalali exits. A special election is expected at some point.

SOURCE: Bring Me The News