Scranton Mayor Paige G. Cognetti delivered her State of the City Address, outlining a six-year turnaround that has taken the city from the brink of financial distress to a position of stability and growth, while continuing investments in public safety, infrastructure, quality of life, and lower costs for residents. Mayor Cognetti also highlighted Scranton’s financial progress, including three credit rating upgrades since exiting financially distressed status in 2022 and achieving its current A- rating with a stable outlook.
Mayor Cognetti shared investments in housing, public safety, and infrastructure. She announced that 1,067 housing units have been built during her tenure, with additional projects underway, while the city has strengthened rental registration policies and legal strategies to hold irresponsible landlords accountable. The Mayor detailed more than $5 million invested in police training, recruitment, and technology, alongside continued investments in the fire department through new equipment, station alerting systems, and future apparatus upgrades. She also emphasized nearly $23 million invested in stormwater and infrastructure projects since 2020, including improvements designed to protect neighborhoods from flooding and major street safety projects across the city.
The Mayor discussed updates on major downtown and neighborhood improvement projects designed to improve safety, accessibility, and quality of life for residents. Downtown projects totaling $15.3 million will add new sidewalks, curbs, accessible ramps, period lighting, underground utility cables, and safer traffic patterns. Mayor Cognetti noted that these investments build on years of infrastructure upgrades, including $9 million in street paving from 2021 to 2025, repainted crosswalks, and the replacement of thousands of damaged street signs. She also highlighted nearly $12.8 million in park improvements across the city, including upgrades to pools, playgrounds, walking trails, and dog parks, while continuing to reduce fees for residents and businesses and modernize city permitting systems.
Watch the Mayor’s full remarks here.
