Discipline has allowed New Bedford to focus on what’s best for the city in turbulent political times, Mayor Jon Mitchell said Wednesday in his annual State of the City address.
Bathed in spotlights on a dark stage at the newly renovated Zeiterion theater, he quipped that the audience might be tempted to take their eyes off the speaker — him — to admire the splendor of the room.
Later in his remarks, he would strike a sober note about the $18 million budget gap facing New Bedford for next year — “about twice as much as it's ever been at this point in the process” — though the budget process is just beginning.
But first, it was time to tout the city’s accomplishments of the past year, including the opening of South Coast Rail, completion of Vineyard Wind, and the planned rebirth of the Star Store as an arts center.
“New Bedford is running up the score,” Mitchell said. “And it hasn't happened by accident or luck. It's because we've kept our eye on the ball.”
His strategy for the city, he said, rests on three pillars: quality of life, economic competitiveness, and a “collective sense of place” that energizes people to work toward a better New Bedford.
He highlighted data on long-term trends from his more than 14 years in office.
Violent crime has fallen by 66 percent since 2011, and property crime is down 53 percent, he said.
Mitchell said the city has placed new emphasis on fire prevention, yielding 43 percent fewer structure fires over the last three years.
In education, New Bedford High School’s 4-year graduation rate now tops 87 percent, up from 58 percent in 2012.
The mayor announced a new effort to coordinate public and private early childhood education. He said the city will hire someone to create a network of providers and identify children’s needs sooner.
“The idea behind it is that if everyone is talking to one another, the members of the network can identify learning disabilities more readily and earlier, and expert providers can intervene with services in a timely way,” he said.
The position will not be funded through the city's general fund, but “through a partnership with the School Department,” the mayor said.
A spokesperson for the mayor later explained that the money would come from a combination of school funds and outside grants. The New Bedford School Department gets roughly 7 percent of its funding from the city’s general fund, and the rest from state and federal sources, the spokesperson said.
In his address, Mitchell said construction will begin next year on the long-awaited RiverWalk, a path along the Acushnet River. Far more than a recreational opportunity, it will anchor redevelopment of the Near North End, he said.
At the same time, financial pressures on the city are getting worse. Driving the $18 million budget gap projected for next year are the rising cost of goods, salaries driven by collective bargaining, healthcare, and pensions, he said.
“These trends have forced the city in each of the last two years to use surplus funds from the previous year to close budget gaps,” he said. “That is less than an ideal financial practice.”
Mitchell said he will work with the City Council to manage the city’s financial obligations, “but I can tell you here today, we can no longer avoid tough choices.”
A city official said more than 600 people attended the speech, billed as the second-largest State of the City in Massachusetts, after Boston. The event was moved this year to the Zeiterion from New Bedford High School to help promote the theater.
In the past, the State of the City has included a sit-down lunch served by culinary students. This year, students offered pre-wrapped sandwiches and cookies in the newly expanded Zeiterion lobby.
Proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships for the State of the City — more than $20,000 — benefitted the Hunger Commission of the United Way of Greater New Bedford.
Toward the end of his speech, Mitchell urged residents, businesses, and anyone who loves New Bedford to consider not only what government can provide, but also what they can do in the city’s service — harkening back to President John F. Kennedy’s “ask not” moment.
“Even if you live in one of the surrounding towns, New Bedford is your city,” he said. “If you've been sitting on the sidelines, I want you to know that your city, our city, needs you to get in the game.”
