Candidate Focus: Tylor Slinger for St. Paul City Council

Residents of St. Paul's Highland Park and Macalester-Groveland neighborhoods will enjoy a unique opportunity this November. Libertarian candidate Tylor Slinger is running to represent his Ward 3 neighbors, facing off against opponents John Mannillo, Eve Stein, and Chris Tolbert in a four-way race for an open seat on the City Council.

It will be St. Paul's first use of the ranked choice voting system, allowing each voter to rank candidates in the order of their preference: first, second, and third choices. With four candidates in the race, it's likely that no candidate will emerge with an immediate 50%+1 win, prompting consideration of voters' second or third choices.

Tylor Slinger is well-known to libertarians as a leader and a champion of civil liberties, and he's now becoming familiar to many in St. Paul as well. He has been an outspoken critic of the proposed gay marriage ban, and as LPMN Executive, co-sponsored the LPMN's resolution opposing this ban, a stance which garnered considerable media attention. Most recently, he appeared at the William Mitchell College of Law to debate the marriage issue. Demonstrating the types of out-of-the-box solutions he'd bring to the table for the people of St. Paul, he introduced a zero-tax stadium proposal that could allow a new Vikings stadium to be built but without taxes upon anyone. He would advocate a similar approach for any new St. Paul Saints stadium. More concerned about solving problems than taking a controversial stand, he has not been afraid to tackle tough issues, speaking about the failure of the nation's drug policies at an event covered by this article.

In his campaign, Mr. Slinger has not relied on the traditional methods of gathering endorsements from special interest groups or conducting fundraising in order to spend large sums on advertising. Instead, he has focused on what he believes matters most: meeting as many of his neighbors as he can and listening to their concerns. While all of the candidates have done this, Mr. Slinger has been hard at work doorknocking since June. His legwork has revealed some surprising stories of city neglect and heartless bureaucracy. He found several homeowners who are upset about property damaged during city maintenance projects, which the city then ignored for years despite repeated pleas. One resident was forced to demolish an upper story of his home because it was found to violate a single city code. As City Councilor, Mr. Slinger would not reflexively stand behind city regulations, but instead would stand up for his neighbors by challenging ordinances and requirements that do not make sense.

The candidates discuss city issues at a debate on October 19.

A major issue for Ward 3 is the redevelopment of the Ford Motors manufacturing plant, a large facility scheduled to close in December. Prompt action on the Ford site will ensure that it doesn't remain vacant and devolve into a center for crime, but can be quickly rebuilt into a vibrant new community. Given the city's current direction, a strict zoning scheme is likely to be employed, with city planners attempting to redesign the area based on their own wishes rather than what is actually needed. This could lead to prolonged vacancy of the property, extended maintenance costs for taxpayers, and even litigation as prospective buyers fight over zoning designations. Instead, Mr. Slinger advocates a better solution: flexible zoning based on the Houston model. This would allow a mix of residential and commercial establishments, so the area can evolve based on the actual needs of the community.

Another major issue has been the Project for Pride in Living (PPL) decision by the City Council to disregard their own procedures, a case which has upset many in his neighborhood. Mr. Slinger has spoken against that decision, calling it favoritism toward a major developer, exempting them from requirements that they had enforced upon others, a situation which thrust the city into a court battle. He believes that when requirements are enforced, it should be done equitably, even for large or politically-connected interests.

In this interview, Mr. Slinger discusses his views, the city budget, and other issues of importance:

All four candidates have participated in two debates so far. A radio forum can be seen here, and the standing-room only debate attended by 180 residents on October 19 can be seen here.

Mr. Slinger stands out from his opponents as someone who can truly represent his neighbors. He is not a major property developer like Mr. Mannillo, so residents need not worry about the conflicts of interest that may arise when a developer of city properties also sits on the City Council. Also, Mr. Slinger has not been endorsed by Mayor Coleman as Mr. Tolbert has, so residents can rest assured that he won't be representing the Mayor to the neighborhood, he’ll be representing his neighborhood to the Mayor.

Tylor Slinger knows all too well that many of his neighbors have been struggling to pay their bills and mortgages in this sluggish economy, and he will fight against property taxes and other city fees which burden residents. He will always listen to residents’ concerns, is ready to offer new ideas and fresh solutions, and is eager to represent his neighbors on the St. Paul City Council. Please support Tylor Slinger for City Council on November 8.

His website is http://www.slingerforstpaul.com, his facebook page is Elect Slinger for St Paul, and his email is tylor@slingerforstpaul.com.

Concerned about the expansion of government control and the erosion of individual liberty? Please consider joining and becoming active with the Libertarian Party of Minnesota. Libertarians support liberty on all issues, all the time. Libertarianism is a philosophical and political movement to promote personal freedom, voluntary consent, a genuinely free marketplace, and peace.