Article written by Ebube Ogbonna. Photo by Ebube Ogbonna.
The city of St. Cloud’s mayoral debate between candidates Jake Anderson and Mike Conway was held in St. Cloud State University’s Ritsche Auditorium at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Attracting graduates to stay in St. Cloud
One key issue discussed was the challenge of retaining recent graduates in the St. Cloud area. Both candidates shared their proposals on how to address this concern.
Conway emphasized creating more local business opportunities and ensuring affordable housing and job stability to encourage graduates and their families to stay in the city.
Conway mentioned, “St. Cloud State University plays a central role in our community, and we must leverage that connection to keep students here post-graduation.”
Conway also proposed enhancing transportation options between St. Cloud State and St. Cloud Technical & Community College.
“By providing better transportation links, we can offer students the flexibility to take classes at both institutions. This could also make the city more appealing for those who want to live here while studying,” Conway explained.
Anderson, on the other hand, pointed to the city’s attitude toward college students as a major factor contributing to the declining enrollment.
Anderson said, “One of the reasons we’ve seen a drop in enrollment is the city’s approach to college students. There’s tension between the university and local neighborhoods.”
To address this, Anderson suggested re-engaging with students and aligning university events with broader city initiatives to foster a more welcoming environment.
Anderson added, “This university is an important economic driver for the city, and it’s on city officials to address the negative attitudes and policies that push students away.”
Both candidates agreed that enhancing collaboration between the city, St. Cloud Technical & Community College, and St. Cloud State University could lead to more internship and employment opportunities for students, helping to keep them in the area after graduation.
Addressing public safety concerns
With crime rates rising in the Southside neighborhood, particularly around the university, both candidates proposed solutions to improve public safety.
Anderson focused on cracking down on landlords who rent to non-students and increasing the number of social workers in the area to better identify criminal hotspots.
“Wherever there’s blight, there’s crime,” Anderson remarked, stressing the need to improve housing conditions for students and address blighted properties.
Conway agreed that tackling blight and enhancing the visibility of law enforcement were crucial steps to curbing crime.
“Blight encourages bad behavior,” Conway said, supporting Anderson’s stance.
Additionally, Conway proposed increasing camera surveillance around the university to deter criminal activity and enhance student safety.
Candidates’ backgrounds
Both candidates shared how their experiences make them suitable for the mayoral position.
Anderson, a project manager for Stearns County, served on St. Cloud’s planning commission board from 2009 to 2020. He is a St. Cloud State University graduate with a degree in information systems from the Herberger School of Business.
Reflecting on his journey, Anderson said, “St. Cloud has been a great community for me. I ran for mayor while still in college and lost, but I kept running and eventually won a seat on the city council in 2022.”
Conway, who has been on the city council for six years, shared that while he’s not originally from St. Cloud, he grew up in the area. He graduated from St. Cloud State in 1994 with degrees in science education.
Conway noted his experience teaching in Sartell and added, “I quickly realized that while teaching is a noble profession, it’s tough to support a large family on a teacher’s salary.”
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