>> CATHY: TIM WALZ IS NOT THE ONLY ST. PAUL RESIDENT WITH A LOT ON HIS PLATE RIGHT NOW.

ST. PAUL MAYOR MELVIN CARTER WILL PRESENT HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR THE CITY IN AN ADDRESS ON TUESDAY.

IT COMES AS DOWNTOWN ST. PAUL CONTINUES TO LOSE OFFICE WORKERS.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND MORE WITH St. PAUL MAYOR MELVIN CARTER.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK.

>> IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.

>> Cathy: I'M GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT GOVERNOR WALZ.

WERE YOU SURPRISED?

>> NO, I WASN'T, AND I GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS SURPRISED THAT I WASN'T SURPRISED.

BUT AS WE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, AS HE PRETTY MUCH NAILED EVERY NATIONAL INTERVIEW THAT HE DID ON THE NEWS, AS HE WENT VIRAL OVER AND OVER GAIN, AS I HEARD THE VICE PRESIDENT REPEATING HIS ARGUMENTS ON TELEVISION AND AS WE LOOK AT JUST THE FACT THAT MINNESOTA HAS BEEN AS GOOD -- AT LEAST AS GOOD AS ANY STATE IN THE COUNTRY AT TRANSLATING PROGRESSIVE VALUES INTO ACTIONABLE, EXECUTED POLICY, I WASN'T SURPRISED AT ALL WHEN SHE CHOSE HIM.

>> Cathy: REPUBLICANS ALREADY TAKING AIM AT HIS RESPONSE TO THE RIOTS AFTER GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH.

AND IT'S GOING TO KEEP GOING ON.

IT'S GOING TO KEEP HAPPENING DURING THE COURSE OF THE CAMPAIGN.

YOU WERE RIGHT THERE.

WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE RESPONSE?

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR REJOINDER TO ALL THAT?

>> WELL,S -- WELL, THAT IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION.

EVERYONE GOING AFTER THAT RESPONSE HAS ONE THING IN COMMON, THEY WEREN'T IN THE ROOM AT 2:00 A.M.

WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SITUATION.

ONE OF THE FUNCTIONS AS BEING A LEADER, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAS MAKE A DECISION WHERE THERE WERE NO GOOD OPTIONS ON THE TABLE, THAT'S CLEARLY A WEEK WHERE THERE'S NO GOOD OPTIONS ON THE TABLE.

THE MOMENT WE STARTED TO SEE UNREST IN THE St. PAUL, I CALLED THE GOVERNOR ASK ASKED HIM FOR SUPPORT, FOR NATIONAL GUARD SUPPORT, HE SAID, ABSOLUTELY, WE HAVE TO GET FINITE WITH REGARD TO WHAT THE SPECIFIC MISSION WAS HE WERE ASKING THEM TO ACCOMPLISH.

I THINK I MAYBE CAME INTO THAT THINKING, THERE WAS A SECRET UNDERGROUND LAYER, WHERE THERE WAS A BUNCH OF TROOPS IN BUNKS READY TO SPILL INTO VANS.

AS IT TURNS OUT, THOSE FOLKS GOT A CALL AT WORK SOMEWHERE, HAD TO CHECK OUT WITH THEIR BOSS, HAD TO GET PACKED, KISS THEIR SPOUSES, MAKE CHILD CARE PLANS, DRIVE IN SOME CASES ACROSS THE STATE, GET THERE, CHECK IN, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, THAT TOOK TIME.

I WOULD HAVE LOVED FOR IT TO TAKE LESS TIME, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE GOVERNOR DOESN'T HAVE A MAGIC WAND.

>> Eric: GOING TO -- THE 2025 BUDGET I GUESS YOU RELEASED ON TUESDAY.

>> YES.

>> Eric: YOU HAVE VERY AMBITIOUS PROGRAMS ABOUT REPARATIONS, MEDICAL DEBT, GUARANTEED ANNUAL INCOME.

IS THE MONEY THERE TO PROCEED WITH ALL OF THAT?

>> WE HAVE ERY AMBITIOUS PLANS AROUND A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS AND I APPRECIATE THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

MANY OF THOSE THINGS ARE ONE-TIME FUNDING, MANY OF THOSE THINGS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO VERY SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE FOR WIN AND GRANT FUNDING AND FEDERAL FUNDING AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT FOR.

AND A LOT OF THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE FRANKLY, DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT INTO OUR GENERAL FUND THAT'S FUNDED BY PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH IS WHERE PRIORITIES JUST COME INTO PLAY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING WITH FOLKS WHAT PRIORITIES HAVE LANDED ON.

>> Eric: BUT YOU HAVE BEEN ACCUSED BY ONE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SUBTERRAIN PLOT TO SCUTTLE THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES THAT WOULD BE ON THE NOVEMBER 5th BALLOT, CORRECT?

>> WELL, THAT'S WEIRD.

I DON'T KNOW HOW I DO AN YURCHED GROUND PLOT ON SOMETHING I'VE BEEN SAYING ABOVE GROUND, OUT LOUD TO EVERYBODY.

THE QUESTION, I THINK THERE'S SOME FOLKS SIMPLIFYING THAT INTO A QUESTION, DO YOU LOVE CHILDREN OR NOT.

WE ALL LOVE CHILDREN, WHICH IS WHY I THINK WE HAVE A PROPOSAL TO DELIVER ON OVER $100 MILLION OF PROMISES WITH $20 MILLION IN FINANCING, WE'VE GOT TO BLOW THE WHISTLE AND SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, THIS, AS THEY SAY IN WALZ COUNTRY, THIS DOG ON'T HUNT.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW FOR THOSE OF US WHO WORK IN DOWNTOWN St. PAUL, STILL PRETTY QUIET DOWN HERE, THERE'S A LOT OF EMPTY OFFICE SPACE.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THAT?

>> I THINK THERE'S INCREDIBLY PROMISING ROAD OUT AHEAD FOR DOWNTOWN St. PAUL.

AND WE CAN ONLY GET THERE IF WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A ROCKY ROAD UNDERFOOT RIGHT NOW.

INCREDIBLE TRUTH IS, THERE'S A LOT OF PROMISE FOR DOWNTOWN St. PAUL.

AND I THINK THERE ARE FOLKS WHO LOOK AT THAT, SAY, HOW DO WE BUILD A DOWNTOWN THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN?

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE REAL CHALLENGE.

WE HAVE A GLOBAL TIDAL WAVE OF PEOPLE DECAMPING FROM OFFICE SPACES AND St. PAUL IS NOT IMMUNE TO THAT.

BUT WHEN WE SEE PEOPLE CHOOSE WHERE THEY WANT TO LIVE, WHEN WE HAVE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, WE HAVE 90% OCCUPANCY RATE IN OUR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.

>> Cathy: SOME OF THE OFFICE BUILDINGS?

>> ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO ABSOLUTELY CONVERT OFFICE BUILDINGS TO RESIDENTIAL, WHEN WE SEE PEOPLE DECIDE WHERE TO PUT BIG HUGE MAJOR EVENTS, LIKE THE MUSIC FESTIVAL, FROZEN 4, WORLD JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP, WE'RE IN AN ERA RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN EVER IN OUR CITY AT WINNING THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS.

SO OUR JOB RIGHT NOW ISN'T TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TRANSFORM DOWNTOWN -- IS AS A PLACE THEY WANT TO BE, OUR JOB IS TO BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO ENJOY THE CITY, THE DOWNTOWN IN WAYS THAT THEY'RE ALREADY TELLING US THEY LOVE OUR DOWNTOWN.

>> Eric: YOU RELEASE THE BUDGET ON TUESDAY, SOMETIME IN DECEMBER IT'S FINALIZED, IS THAT THE TIMELINE?

>> THE CITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON EVERY ASPECT OF IT, AND WE'LL DETERMINE IT IN DECEMBER.

>> Cathy: I GOT TO ASK, SUNI LEE, IS THERE GOING TO BE A SUNI LEE STREET, AVENUE, IN St. PAUL?

>> WE'VE GOT A FIGURE OUT A LOT OF WAYS.

GOOD TIME FOR St. PAUL, JOE MAUER IN THE HALL OF FAME, SUNI LEE COMING HOME WITH OLYMPIC HARDWARE, A GUY MOVING TO WASHINGTON, D.C., SOON, GOO GOOD TIME TO BE A