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Resident presses mayor to sign regional letter denouncing alleged state fraud; mayor says the letter is "heavy‑handed"
Summary
During public comment, resident Kirsten Smith accused council of poor communication and asked Mayor Olsson why he would not sign a regional letter denouncing alleged state waste, fraud and abuse; the mayor responded that he found the letter "heavy‑handed" and said he prefers to focus on city matters and direct contact with state legislators.
Kirsten Smith, a Baxter resident of more than 20 years, used the public-comment period to deliver an extended critique of the council’s outreach and conduct and to press Mayor Olsson to explain why he would not sign a letter circulated among several area mayors denouncing alleged state waste, fraud and abuse.
Smith said she had witnessed what she described as "uncooperative postures and verbal beatdowns of business owners, neighbors and constituents" at prior meetings and argued that required notice procedures were not reaching affected parties. She recounted an episode involving a road behind the Holiday Inn/IHG where she said local business owners were not adequately informed and then felt disrespected by council responses.
Smith also said she observed a dispatch official raise a legal concern about handling an item in closed session and that the official’s concerns—she said tied to attorney guidance—were not acknowledged by council. She said this and other examples led her to question the council’s integrity and its willingness to hold wrongdoers accountable.
The central request in Smith’s remarks was that Mayor Olsson sign a letter, supported by eight mayors in the region, denouncing state waste, fraud and abuse. Smith said her small business had failed and alleged that funds intended for Medicaid ("MA") patients had been fraudulently diverted, which she said contributed to her business failure and to residents leaving the state.
Mayor Olsson responded that the letter had been initiated by Mayor Crossley and that, after discussing it, he found the text "pretty heavy‑handed." He said he believes the city must work with everyone in St. Paul and cannot "pick and choose" who to work with; he added that he stays in contact with the city’s congressional representatives and did not think signing the letter was his place.
Smith thanked the mayor for the answer but said she remained unconvinced and urged council members to "call out what you see and hold people accountable." The exchange ended without a formal council action on the letter; Smith said she would send a copy to the council that night.
