Mayor Phillip Jones - Democratic Mayors

Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones gave his first State of the City Address, centered on the theme of Building Forward. He celebrated community accomplishments while outlining his vision to guide the city over the next several years.

Mayor Jones underscored the importance of education as a top priority for the community, praising the city’s educational achievements and sharing initiatives that will revise curriculum, increase accreditation, and close achievement gaps. He also discussed efforts to enhance early childhood education outcomes by developing a state-of-the-art early childhood center, which will open later this year.

The Mayor outlined various strategies and partnerships related to public safety, particularly to address gun violence. Mayor Jones noted establishing the Newport News Office of Community Safety, hiring a violence prevention manager, investing in youth sports programs, and exploring hospital-based violence intervention programs.

Mayor Jones emphasized the need for continued youth engagement and declared this year the Year of the Youth in Newport News. He encouraged the community to get involved in mentorship opportunities and other youth programming, such as the city’s summer youth employment program. The Mayor acknowledged the importance of businesses and the civic community engaging with young people as it is a collective responsibility to build a better future for the youth of Newport News.

Watch the Mayor’s full remarks 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.