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Mayoral candidate Roger Reinert rolled out the first in a series of five issue-focused videos today.
“Our campaign has consistently talked about these ‘Big Five’ issues," said Reinert. "They are the direct result of the 1,000+ conversations we’ve had with Duluthians since our campaign launched last January. Over and over Duluthians have said we are concerned about housing, commercial tax base development, streets, affordable property taxes, and downtown Duluth.”
Over the next five weeks Reinert will speak in-depth about each of these. Answering these questions: Why is this an issue in Duluth? Why should Duluthians care? What tangible steps can the next Mayor and Administration take to move these issues forward?
The first talk is focused on housing. Reinert has consistently defined this as a need across ALL income levels. “We have to grow our population. .05%, or 400 new residents, in the last decade is a failure," said Reinert. "Not growing is stagnant, and stagnation leads to decline. But in order to grow our population we have to get serious about housing. Not 40 new homes, but 400. And across all income levels.”
Reinert argues the critical problem is that the Duluth housing market is stuck in the middle. “Those who have the means overpay, or over rent, for stock that exists and is available," he said. "This puts downward pressure on the housing stock, resulting in a growing population in need of affordable housing.”
In his comments Reinert addresses tangible steps to ramp-up construction of for-purchase market homes. These include infrastructure costs, employer purchase price assistance, and adding tax forfeited properties to the proven land trust model.
Reinert’s full comments can be found online at:
https://www.youtube.com/@RogerForDuluth
Source: Reinert press release, with minor edits. Note: The Duluth Times has committed to publishing candidates' press releases at no charge as a public service to its readership during the 2023 local campaign season. Candidates should email press releases for publication here.
