The city of St. Paul is advertising to fill a job for a government relations associate who will help with the city’s lobbying efforts at the state Capitol and in Washington, D.C.
The job is open because Wendy Underwood, the city’s lobbyist since 2005, left in January to take a job at Target.
The mayor also has Sarah Erickson on staff for government relations.
The city didn’t move to fill Underwood’s job during the session, but hired the Messerli Kramer law firm for $5,000 a month to lobby at the Capitol specifically for a new Saints baseball ballpark. (We’ll know this summer how successful they were: The ballpark didn’t make the bonding bill, but is eligible for an extra pot of bonding money that the Legislature established.)
The city’s government relations opening calls for someone who:
- Works with the city’s elected officials and city department officials to develop the city’s legislative agenda for both the state and federal level and lobbies on behalf of the city
- Directs federal government relations, including reviews and researches proposed public policies affecting the City of St. Paul
- Manages the city work on League of Minnesota Cities, the mayor’s leadership responsibilities on National League of Cities, and other organizational memberships
- Advises the mayor and staff on various intergovernmental relationships and policies
- Oversees the mayor’s appointments to city boards and commissions
- Represents the interests specifically of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and their implementation of the Great River Passage
The pay range: $65K-$85K.
