St. Paul City Council has announced that Ward 2 council member Rebecca Noecker will be its next president when Mitra Jalali steps down next month. Ward 4 member Jalali, who has been on the council since 2018 and was named president in January 2024, announced last week she intended to step down from the role to prioritize her health.

St. Paul City Council President Mitra Jalali, of Ward 4, has announced she will step down next month. In a Facebook post Friday, Jalali said she will be taking a leave of absence after the city council meeting on Feb.

Mitra Jalali, president of the St. Paul City Council for the past year and at one time considered its most progressive member, announced Friday she will take a leave of absence on Feb. 5 in consideration of her “physical and mental health and wellbeing” and then transition off the council.

Following the decision of current City Council President Mitra Jalali to step down from her position in order to focus on her health, St. Paul leaders say they now know who will be leading the council starting next month. Early Tuesday, the city announced Councilor Rebecca Noecker will be the next president, effective Feb. 12.

St. Paul City Council President Mitra Jalali announced Friday she will step down next month, after one year leading St. Paul’s first all-women council, and six years on the City Council. “I have made the difficult decision to prioritize my health and begin a transition out of City Hall,

The Council will also share information about the public appointment process to select an interim Councilmember for Ward 4 in the coming weeks.

After nearly seven years with the city, St. Paul council member and president Mitra Jalali has decided to step down. She says she is focusing on prioritizing her mental and physical health.