St. Louis Park Mayor Jake Spano has announced he won’t seek a third term as mayor | City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota
St. Louis Park Mayor Jake Spano has announced he won’t seek a third term as mayor | City of St. Louis Park, Minnesota
City Of St. Louis Park issued the following announcement on Mar. 21.
St. Louis Park Mayor Jake Spano has announced he won’t seek a third term as mayor. The conclusion of his term as mayor on Jan. 2, 2024, will mark 12 total years Spano has served on the St. Louis Park City Council. He was first elected mayor in 2016 after serving a four-year term as an at-large council member.
“Being chosen by my community to serve as their mayor has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Spano said. “I also know that the civic health of our community relies on allowing for a variety of leadership and voices. After 12 years on the council, it’s time for me to make space for others to accept the opportunity to lead our community.”
Spano recapped many highlights from his 12 years on the city council, from passage of a climate action plan in 2017 to the community visioning process in 2018 that led to the city’s current strategic priorities; to investments in community resources including the Recreation Outdoor Center (ROC), the interpretive center at Westwood Hills Nature Center and St. Louis Park City Hall. He is especially proud of the progress the city has made in its strategic priority of race, equity and inclusion.
“I look around the room at our city’s leadership team and I see many people of color and women in those roles,” Spano said. “That’s a dramatic difference from where we were as a city just a few years ago, and their perspectives will help bring our community along in its continued journey toward equity.”
Locally, Spano serves on the executive committee for the Regional Council of Mayors and is the co-founder of Minnesota Mayors Together, working with mayors around the state to advance shared urban and rural prosperity in Minnesota. He also serves on the Southwest Light Rail Transit Corridor Management Committee. Nationally, Spano is in his second two-year term serving on the National League of Cities (NLC) Board of Directors; is the former co-chair of the NLC Race, Equity and Leadership (REAL) council; and is a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
City offices on the ballot in November 2023 are mayor, council member at large A and council member at large B. Candidate filing for city offices opens Aug. 1 and is open for two weeks. More information will be available from the city this spring and summer about how to file for office and what it means to be a member of the city council.
Original source can be found here.
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