St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson reflected on a challenging first year in office during his State of the City address on Tuesday.
Anderson took the helm as mayor of St. Cloud in January 2025. He replaced longtime mayor Dave Kleis, who did not seek reelection after almost two decades in office.
“You left big shoes to fill, and they didn't fit quite right,” Anderson told Kleis, who was in the audience. “So I had a couple things I've had to pivot on.”
During his tenure so far, Anderson has had to navigate the challenges of a budget deficit and a federal immigration enforcement operation. In his speech at city hall, he acknowledged that it's been a year of transition, with a new mayor, several council members and staff.
And he said there have been some tough external pressures, including a $3.2 million budget shortfall due to inflation and the loss of grants.
The city raised property taxes for what Anderson calls "strategic investment." That includes catching up on deferred maintenance and replacing old equipment that had been delayed.
"So we had to make some tough decisions, and I got calls and emails from many of you about these tough decisions,” Anderson said. “But we had to, at the end, raise the tax rate for the sustainability of the organization."
But Anderson said the most difficult challenge he faced in the past year was the surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in St. Cloud beginning in January, mainly targeting the city's sizable Somali American population.
Anderson said he couldn't imagine having to carry his passport to prove his U.S. citizenship, as some residents did. He said he thinks the immigration response and its impact on the community “was much more damaging than people will recognize.”
"We talk all the time about, how do we integrate? How do we be a stronger community?” Anderson said. “One of the ways you don't do that is by singling out groups of people and targeting folks and making it not about seeking the worst of the worst, but simply targeting for political points."
Anderson said his top priorities for the coming year are public safety, infrastructure and quality of life. He said he also wants to make the city more attractive and improve its downtown, connecting it better to the St. Cloud State University campus.
One of the next tasks for the mayor will be developing a 2027 budget. He said so far it's not a rosy picture, but city officials will be looking for ways to make the best use of taxpayers’ money and avoid another tax increase.
Anderson also noted that he changed the name of the annual speech to “State of Our City,” saying the city includes everyone. He urged people to find ways to get involved.
"I hear a lot of negativity about St Cloud, and I read about it when you go on social media, which is why I avoid it. So often it's blaming someone else,” he said. “I challenge all of you, what can you do to make a better community?"