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State of the City Address by Mayor Paul A. Dyster January 28th, 2010
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome. Welcome to 2010 – a full decade down the road from wh en we first greeted the dawn of the 21st century. Think back to that time and the events that preceded it. The 1990's were good times for a lot of places, but hard times here in Niagara Falls. Factories, stores and offices were closing and downsizing. Budgets were imbalanced. City workers were being laid off. Taxes were going up. Buildings and businesses were boarded up. The city had no capital budget to purchase equipment or rebuild roads. Labor relations were dismal. Public safety was politicized. A succession of mayors and Council members just couldn't get along and resolve their disputes peacefully. Some people came to believe that a state-imposed control board was the city's only hope.
Tonight, as we assess the state of the city we all love, we have some progress to report. Last year, a shuttered factory reopened, creating our first green collar jobs. We celebrated a series of groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings across the city, as the public and private sector saw the wisdom of investing here. We passed a balanced budget with no layoffs and no increase in the tax levy for the second year in a row. We're able to buy equipment to take care of our infrastructure. We completed the most active street repair season that any of us can remember, with more on the way. Police and fire protection are no longer political pawns. The executive and legislative branches are able to work together without resorting to lawsuits. And no one is talking about a control board.
We've accomplished a lot. But there is much more to do.
In many ways, the story of Niagara Falls is, as Scott Brown of Channel 2 reminded us with his TV special, a tale of two cities. On one hand, we're making progress at a rate we haven't seen in many years. On the other hand, we've got a long way to come. After 40 years of hardship, we cannot be satisfied with two years of progress.
So I can report to you tonight that the state of our city is strong. But the state of our city is also restless. To use a football analogy, we may have gained 50 yards, but we're not in the end zone yet. It's great to advance the ball, but like our beloved Buffalo Bills, we've got to improve our Red Zone offense.
So tonight, you can be sure, I'm going to share some of our accomplishments together this past year. But I just want you to know we're going to build on them, not rest on them.
City government is a team sport, I want to introduce some of my teammates. Please welcome the members of the City Council: Chairman Sam Fruscione, Councilman Bob Anderson, Councilman Steve Fournier, Councilwoman Kristen Grandinetti, and Councilman Charles Walker. We don't always see eye to eye on every issue, but we're going to work out our differences, work together, and get the job done.
As we reflect on the successes of 2009, it's only appropriate to recognize the service of former Councilman Chris Robins, who led the Council last year. A local columnist gave Councilman Robins an "A" for his tenure on the Council. I agree. Councilman Robins truly belongs on the Dean's List of public servants.
I also want to welcome and thank my Cabinet: City Administrator Donna Owens, Police Superintendent John Chella, Fire Chief Bill Mackay, City Controller Maria Brown, Corporation Counsel Craig Johnson, Economic Development Director Peter Kay, Public Works Director Dave Kinney, City Clerk Carol Antonucci, Personnel Director Joyce Mardon-Serianni, Community Development Director Bob Antonucci, Management Information Services Lead Engineer John Cahill, Purchasing Agent Dean Spring, and City Assessor Dom Penale. Each of you has played a vital role as part of our very effective team. And of course my most heartfelt thanks goes to the person who makes the Mayor's office (and me) run smoothly: Donna Winstanley, my confidential secretary. And a very warm welcome goes to the newest member of our team, City Engineer Tom Radomski.
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