Mayor Indya Kincannon

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon presented her State of the City address and budget proposal, sharing the city’s challenges and how it has remained strong due to the hard work and collaboration of community partners and city employees. Mayor Kincannon’s top priorities are competitive wages for city workers, improving parks, infrastructure development, affordable housing, mental health services, public safety, and broadband access.

In her remarks, Mayor Kincannon discussed creating the city’s Office of Community Safety to address violent crime, starting a CrimeStoppers tip line program, and working with nonprofits to train and equip teams of street violence interrupters. She also noted plans to bring employee pay up to fair market rates by including $16 million in the upcoming budget to make wages competitive.

“We have had an incredibly challenging 2.5 years. But Knoxville is resilient. And through it all, we have stayed true to our mission and values. Because of that, we have a lot to celebrate today,” said Mayor Kincannon.

Watch Mayor Kincannon’s address here.

More State of the City Addresses

Las Vegas, Nevada

Mayor Shelley Berkley

Mayor Shelley Berkley delivered her State of the City Address, looking to the future and outlining how Las Vegas will continue to be a leading city that assists those in need, creates new opportunities, and provides safe and beautiful neighborhoods and amenities. She emphasized the city’s continued focus on helping vulnerable residents through expanded services, including the MORE Team pilot program, which connects individuals experiencing homelessness with mental health professionals, health workers, and street medicine, as well as the new Community Court that prioritizes structure, monitoring, and resources over punitive approaches.

Nashville, Tennessee

Mayor Freddie O’Connell

In his State of the Metro Address, Mayor Freddie O’Connell described his vision for a Nashville that is affordable, safe, healthy, welcoming, and prosperous, a city for everyone, and emphasized that progress will be purposeful, even when it is not always loud or linear. He outlined steps his administration will take to make Nashville more affordable, including proposals to cut the grocery tax, expand access to childcare, support small businesses, create jobs, build more housing, and invest in children from birth.

Knoxville, Tennessee

In her seventh State of the City Address, Mayor Indya Kincannon proposed a lean budget that continues to prioritize public safety, affordable housing, parks, and high-quality people-focused services. She also emphasized the importance of being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, noting that her budget proposal covers essential services without raising taxes, even as the city navigates inflation, rising costs, and broader economic uncertainty.