Mayor Eileen Higgins delivered her first State of the City Address just over a month into her tenure, speaking directly to residents about the city’s current moment and the work ahead. She highlighted early priorities and initial accomplishments, emphasizing a commitment to listening, cutting red tape, and building a city government that works more effectively for the people it serves.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell delivered his State of the Metro Address, celebrating Nashville’s strong forward momentum, unique sense of belonging, and the benefits of a reliable, resilient local government. Mayor O’Connell presented a recommended operating budget for fiscal year 2026 built on a common-sense approach to governing that prioritizes quality schools, reliable services, and safe neighborhoods for Nashvillians. Education is a central pillar of the FY2026 budget, with Metro Nashville Public Schools receiving 37.2% of the total allocation, a 13% increase from the previous year. With federal emergency funds expiring, the city is investing $64.5 million to maintain key student services, including college and career readiness, mental health support, Community Achieves, safety ambassadors, and programs for English learners and students with disabilities.
Mayor Jane Castor delivered her State of the City Address, celebrating a period of unprecedented progress, major infrastructure upgrades, and the continued resilience of the Tampa community. Under Mayor Castor’s leadership, Tampa launched the PIPES program in 2019. Since then, the city has replaced more than 270 miles of aging water and wastewater lines and repaired or replaced more than 4,800 stormwater structures, preventing countless leaks, breaks, and cave-ins. Long-standing flood-prone areas, such as portions of Henderson Avenue in South Tampa, have been eliminated, and new projects such as the MacDill 48 Nature Park now serve a dual purpose, offering major flood relief while also creating beautiful public spaces.
In his State of the City Address, Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter emphasized housing growth and investments in the city’s downtown infrastructure. He also highlighted significant public safety progress and announced a citywide summit to address fentanyl and the opioid crisis. Public safety remains the Mayor’s foremost priority, with the Community-First Public Safety framework yielding significant results. As of early April, Saint Paul recorded a 73% drop in non-fatal shootings and no gun-related homicides in 2025—a testament to coordinated efforts across the police department, Office of Neighborhood Safety, and community programs. Additionally, the city purchased Minnesota’s first electric fire engine and shared plans to buy a second with a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass delivered her State of the City Address, reflecting on the community’s resilience and her administration’s progress with the Palisades recovery, public safety, homelessness, economic development, job creation, and upcoming major events in the city. Mayor Bass noted that homes are being rebuilt in the Palisades, with permits to rebuild issued more than twice as fast as after the Camp and Woolsey fires. Water was restored nearly a year and a half faster than after the Camp Fire, and power was restored in just two months. She cited sweeping emergency orders and shared that the fires also cost people their jobs, which is why four Impacted Worker and Family Recovery Centers were opened across the city to provide assistance to workers and businesses.
In his third State of the City Address, Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans highlighted progress on public safety, housing, and neighborhood revitalization, emphasizing a citywide momentum driven by community collaboration and shared purpose. Public safety remains a top priority for Mayor Evans’ administration, and the city is experiencing significant improvements. From 2021 to 2024, shootings have dropped by 53%, shooting injuries by 51%, and fatal shootings by 49%, with a dramatic decline in fatal shootings involving youth, down from seven in 2022 to just one in 2024. These trends reflect both targeted enforcement and strengthened community relationships, particularly in neighborhoods such as Lyell-Otis, Edgerton, and Maplewood, where residents are partnering with police to foster safer streets and vibrant local spaces.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott gave his State of the City Address, centered on “Built Different, Building Different.” Mayor Scott emphasized Baltimore’s positive momentum over the past four years, highlighting successes in reducing homicides, rehabilitating vacant properties, and renewing support for local businesses. Over the past three years, students across Baltimore have ranked second in the country for their reading progress. As part of a renewed commitment to keeping this progress going, Mayor Scott announced he is working alongside city schools to meet two goals, including increasing the percentage of students who are reading and writing on grade level by more than 10 percent by 2027 and more than double the percentage of students on grade level for math in that time.
In his State of the City Address, Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb reflected on progress made during his first term while outlining the road ahead and a bold vision for Cleveland’s future. His priorities include public safety, economic transformation, education, infrastructure, and tackling potential federal threats. Public safety remains central to Mayor Bibb’s agenda, with the city seeing a 46% decline in homicides since he took office. Recruitment efforts have resulted in 134 new cadets, Cleveland’s highest number in five years, while police pay has increased by 34%. The administration has invested in new tools, such as the city’s first Crime Gun Intelligence Center, and forged strong partnerships with state and federal agencies. Cleveland now has a nearly 90% homicide solve rate.
In his State of the City Address, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther highlighted the city’s progress and shared how his Administration is driving change across the community’s top priorities of housing, safety, mobility, and prosperity for all residents. Mayor Ginther highlighted a 14% increase in residential construction permits compared to 2023, noting this expansion is expected to create more than 6,000 new units. The city’s Zone In initiative has helped expedite the rezoning and building processes, while affordable housing bonds approved in 2019 and 2022 have funded more than 4,000 new income-qualified rental units. He announced that he will place a $500 million housing bond on the November ballot to further expand the city’s housing stock and infrastructure investments without raising taxes.
Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson’s State of the City Address celebrated a year of listening, learning, and laying the groundwork for a more equitable future. Mayor Thomson’s first year focused on assembling a dynamic leadership team and defining clear values to guide City Hall through accountability, transparency, co-creation, and joy.
Mayor Janet Cowell delivered her first State of the City Address, highlighting Raleigh’s momentum, resilience, and her administration’s focus on building a more inclusive and livable city for all. Her priorities include housing, public safety, transportation, and quality of life. The Mayor noted that since taking office, the City Council has approved developments totaling over 3,000 new housing units, including five projects with affordable housing components. To support residents experiencing homelessness, the city’s “Bring Our Neighbors Home” program is giving funds to former homeless individuals living in encampments for two years to help them get on their feet and find stable housing. So far, the program has housed 47 families, and Raleigh has allocated an additional $800,000 dedicated to prevention and stabilization efforts.
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam delivered his State of the City Address, highlighting Hartford’s resilience, progress, and his administration’s commitment to building safer, stronger communities while enhancing affordability and expanding opportunities for young people. His priorities include public safety, infrastructure, housing, and education.
Scranton Mayor Paige G. Cognetti delivered her State of the City Address, focused on her administration’s progress, including an ongoing commitment to public safety, upgrading infrastructure, improving government transparency and fairness, and enhancing residents’ quality of life. Mayor Cognetti provided an overview of Scranton’s major initiatives and achievements since 2020, beginning with its financial status. The city shed its label as a financially distressed municipality in 2022 and increased its credit rating through Standard & Poor’s three levels in 2023 and 2024 to its current BBB+ rating. The improved credit rating created $2.2 million in savings through bond refinancing, further stabilizing Scranton’s finances.
