Melvin Carter, the mayor of St. Paul, Minn., unveiled his 2026 budget proposal last week, which includes over $1 million to strengthen the city’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to cybersecurity threats.
The proposal comes after the city suffered a significant cyberattack this summer, impacting access to some internal systems and online services.
“Six weeks ago, we faced a defining test – one that proved the power of early investment and having the right people at the right time,” Mayor Carter said on Sept. 4 during his 2026 budget address. “A coordinated and sophisticated criminal threat actor launched a cyberattack against our digital infrastructure.”
Carter thanked city officials and the Minnesota National Guard for coming together in “a strong, strategic defense” in response to the cyber incident.
Together, they were able to restore many city services and reset every single employee password and credential.
“This budget invests $1 million to finish the job – restoring systems with stronger safeguards, expanding proactive cybersecurity defenses, and doubling down on secure, transparent service delivery,” Carter said. “We are well on our way to full recovery and will share a full after-action analysis once forensic investigations conclude.”
“In crisis, we adapted, we learned, and we came back stronger. This budget turns that resilience into momentum,” he added.
Additionally, Carter said he is proposing a $489,000 investment to launch a new employee service portal “to streamline support and keep business moving,” as well as automate digital requests to increase efficiency. The mayor said the funding will also “complete the secure restoration of our systems while accelerating modernization.”
