Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird - Democratic Mayors

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird delivered her State of the City Address, which focused on significant street infrastructure, affordable housing, and workforce development successes. She also announced critical advancements in initiatives to grow Lincoln’s vibrant economy and quality of life.

Mayor Gaylor Baird reported $47 million in street infrastructure investments over the past year, resulting in the construction and resurfacing of nearly 18 lane miles of arterial streets and eight miles of residential streets. Additionally, she highlighted the success of the voter-approved Lincoln on the Move sales tax, set to expire next year, which has increased the city’s capacity to deliver street improvements.

On housing, the Mayor celebrated progress toward her goal of creating 5,000 new or rehabilitated affordable units by 2030. She announced that her administration had incentivized the creation of 2,641 units of new or rehabilitated affordable housing, putting Lincoln ahead of schedule and over halfway toward achieving its goal.

As a result of her administration’s priority on workforce development, Mayor Gaylor Baird noted that nearly 1,500 residents have benefited from the city’s job training initiatives designed to equip workers with skills in high-demand fields, such as manufacturing, IT, and the health sciences. She also highlighted city investments to support early childhood workforce programs that are helping to credential new educators and expand access to quality childcare for working families.

Watch the Mayor’s full 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

Mayor Indya Kincannon

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.