Mayor John Ewing, Jr., in his first State of the City Address, outlined a vision centered on the theme “One Omaha” and declared 2026 the “Year of the Neighbor”. His address focused on uniting the city through civic engagement, public-private partnerships, and a strategic “leveling up” of city services and infrastructure.
A primary focus for his 2026 agenda is a “transformational” approach to Omaha’s 250+ parks. The Mayor highlighted the Funding Challenge, which found that basic park operations are currently underfunded by $5 million annually. He shared that private donors have pledged $5 million to match the city’s investment to support maintenance and accessibility. Significant investments are additionally underway at Levi Carter Park ($45M), Tranquility Park ($50M), and Boyd Field ($8.5M).
Mayor Ewing shared progress across public safety, infrastructure, and economic development. Police staffing is improving, with 61 new officers hired in the last six months, and full staffing is expected by early 2027. A new Joint Police-Fire HQ is in development, and the new Central Library at 72nd and Dodge is scheduled to open soon. On tourism, the Mayor said Omaha welcomed 14.7 million visitors who spent $1.6 billion locally last year. He also noted support for small businesses, sharing that contracts awarded to small and emerging businesses grew by 22% to nearly $39.8 million.
Watch the Mayor’s full remarks here.
At a time when our rights, freedoms, and futures are under threat, Democratic Mayors are showing the nation what real leadership looks like.
