Minnesota and North Dakota Voter's Guide

Forum Communications Co., in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and of North Dakota, is providing this voter guide to help keep you informed ahead of the 2024 election.

  • Learn where candidates running for office in your community stand on the issues.
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Voter Guide

West St. Paul City Mayor

The role of city mayor can vary from city to city. However, the mayor is usually the head of the city and may represent the city in front of other government bodies. A mayor also usually has a role in proposing a city budget that is approved by the city council. The budget influences the services the city provides to its residents. Mayors sometimes are voting members of city council, and in some cities the mayor is in charge of city council meetings.

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  • Candidate picture

    Dave Napier
    (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

If elected, what strategies will you use to ensure transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in city government under your leadership? (500 characters)

How will you engage with residents to solicit feedback, involve them in decision-making processes, and ensure their voices are heard? (500 characters)

How will you approach public safety and community policing to ensure the well-being of all residents? (500 characters)

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I've served West St. Paul for 13 years. Six as Ward 3 Council Member and more than seven as Mayor and I want to finish what we started. In 2013, our city was in decline: Robert Street was crumbling and businesses were leaving. I helped lead the effort to rebuild it, and today it's an economic engine for our community. Now we're redeveloping the old YMCA site at 150 Thompson Ave with new housing, a restaurant, and park space. We've also attracted a $30 million reinvestment from LTS (formerly Tapemark) into their West St. Paul campus, one of the largest investments in city history. I know how to balance growth with fiscal responsibility.
My priorities are: 1) Keep the annual tax levy increase to a minimum by limiting new programs, finding efficiencies, and pursuing grant funding. 2) Continue improving our aging infrastructure so it keeps pace with growth. 3) Work with the state to extend our local sales tax, which funds road rebuilding without raising property taxes. Together these keep West St. Paul affordable while investing in the projects residents rely on every day.
I'll continue the transparent, open approach I've led as Mayor: every council meeting is open to the public, broadcast on local cable, and streamed online. I welcome public comment and hold myself to a high standard of fairness in how I run meetings. I'll keep budgets, decisions, and processes clear and accessible, and continue encouraging residents to serve on committees, boards, and commissions so more voices shape city decisions.
I believe good government starts with listening. As Mayor, I've prioritized open houses, neighborhood meetings, and well-attended community events where residents can weigh in directly. Our high number of applications for committees, boards, and commissions shows people want to be involved, and I'll keep building on that. I'll continue holding accessible public meetings, welcoming feedback at every stage, and making sure resident input truly shapes decisions.
Public safety has always been a top priority for me, and as a longtime Fire Board member, I see firsthand the excellent work our department does. We've worked hard to attract and retain high-quality public safety professionals, many from our own community. I'll continue supporting strong staffing, training, and resources for police and fire, and keep communication open between public safety staff and the neighborhoods they serve.
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The League of Women Voters of Minnesota and North Dakota crafted the questions sent to the candidates in the Spring of 2024. They reached out to candidates based on contact information in their public candidate filings. Candidates with email addresses were invited and reminded with emails. Candidates with only mailing addresses were sent a letter. Candidates with phone numbers received a phone call as well.

Candidate responses are published as they responded and have not been edited, except when responses were longer than the given character limit. In those cases, the responses are truncated.

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