With changes already afoot, new Duluth mayor sworn in

DULUTH - With the city's four living former mayors at his side, Roger Reinert took office Tuesday as Duluth's 40th leader, ushering a more moderate era into the long-liberal city.

The inauguration marks a shift in City Hall, where Reinert has already announced changes to top personnel, and comes after a contentious campaign, where two-term Mayor Emily Larson was defeated by a wide margin after nearly $500,000 was spent on the nonpartisan race.

Instead of sharing glimpses of his vision, however, Reinert gave a bit of a Duluth history lesson and lauded its past leaders, citing the contributions of mayors John Fedo, Gary Doty, Don Ness and Larson, all present in the crowded City Hall rotunda of supporters, city workers, elected officials and neighboring leaders.

"This place is special," Reinert said. "I stand here today in this place filled with both excitement and a sense of profound responsibility."

He said the full scope of his vision will come in his April State of the City address.

His campaign platform — what he said residents told him were the city's five biggest issues — included maintaining roads, holding the line on property taxes, developing the commercial tax base, and improving housing and downtown safety. He has said climate work, where Larson devoted much energy, isn't a priority for a first term.

In his conversations with city residents, he has said, he learned that many felt like they hadn't been heard "for a long time."

In a Tuesday interview, the moderate DFLer said residents can expect measurable change in city services, shifting legislative priorities and potentially a revised annual budget for the City Council to approve. Larson's budget was approved last month.

Reinert, who has been criticized for making unrealistic promises to voters, said his State of the City address will share how the issues he campaigned on "have been operationalized in a way that the public can both understand but also hold us accountable to. … The campaign was really specific on a number of things and we want to get after those things."

Reinert, 53, has already proposed the dismissal of two key city leaders in Chief Administrative Officer Noah Schuchman and City Attorney Rebecca St. George. Schuchman, who replaced retiring David Montgomery, has been replaced by Montgomery on an interim basis. St. Louis County Court Referee Jessica Fralich was hired in St. George's place. The City Council will be asked to approve those choices.

St. George, a descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and White Earth Nation, was the first woman to hold the position.

Community relations officer Breanna Ellison and communications and policy officer Phil Jents were also dismissed from their mayor-appointed roles. Reinert said he'd likely hold the positions open for a while to absorb the costs involved with paying Schuchman's and St. George's severance pay, about $140,000 combined, plus benefits.

Reinert said he would work with department heads for the next few months before making any more personnel changes.

He will continue to prioritize lead pipe remediation work and the city's Housing Trust Fund, but would not push state lawmakers for new library funding, he said, a project championed by Larson. He's also interested in lobbying for sales tax forgiveness for large housing projects, he said, and a state-level infrastructure bill, similar to President Biden's.

"When you look at a municipal tax base to try and support 26 by 8 miles of infrastructure, it never works," he said. "And depending on [local government aid] to do that is not a sustainable option."

Duluth struggles with aging sewer pipes, crumbling roads and tough-to-build-on terrain, though progress has been made on roads and water lines in recent years.

Former City Council candidate Ginka Tarnowski said she sees a more business-friendly administration from Reinert.

Through door-knocking, she said, she learned "a lot of people were upset with how there were so many regulations and red tape preventing businesses from opening up."

Former City Councilor Howie Hanson said he expects Reinert to have a "short honeymoon."

Budget restraints won't allow him to fulfill everything he's promised, Hanson said.

State Sen. Jen McEwen, DFL-Duluth, attended the inauguration and said she has hopes Reinert will continue to prioritize housing and "quality of life" issues.

He "talked a lot about history and a lot about place, and it was nice," she said. "And I am looking forward to hearing what he thinks about the future."

Reinert is a licensed attorney, commander with the U.S. Navy Reserve and former college instructor. He has served on Duluth's City Council and in both chambers of the Legislature. As a state senator, he helped found the bipartisan Purple Caucus.

New city councilors will be sworn in Thursday.