Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 4-15-16 Edition

Feature
Mayor’s State Of The City Address Filled With Accomplishments; More To Come
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Inside a building en- trenched in Tampa’s history, Mayor Bob Buckhorn de- livered on Tuesday an annual State of the City address that offered a glimpse into the fu- ture.
Hundreds of city employ- ees, elected officials, and citi- zens packed into the former Fort W. Homer Hesterly Ar- mory – now known as the Bryan Glazer Family Jewish Community Center –in West Tampa to hear Mayor Buck- horn praise the city’s achieve- ments.
While the city struggles with long-term solutions to cli- mate change and its anti- quated stormwater system, there’s still much to celebrate, he said.
An improved infrastruc- ture, lower crime rate, and a completed Riverwalk are just some of the advancements that have taken place over the last year, Mayor Buckhorn said.
Other accomplishments in- clude:
• Removing more than 400 tons of trash and debris from the Sulphur Springs neighbor- hood
• Reopening of the historic Cuscaden Pool in Ybor City
• Renovating Perry Harvey, Sr. Park that reflects the hey- day of Central Avenue
The city’s success belongs
Mayor Bob Buckhorn ad- dresses the audience with his State of the City address on Tuesday.
Karen Skyers, Rep. Ed Narain, Senator Arthenia Joyner and Chloe Coney.
City of Tampa Rec Dept. employees (NFL YET Center) Deidre Anthony and Alvin Holder.
to all Tampa citizens, not just City Hall, the Mayor said.
“You built this,” he said.
High-speed internet via Google Fiber, a renovated Ju- lian B. Lane Riverfront Park, and an extended streetcar route are just a few of the ini-
tiatives that are coming down pipeline for the city, Mayor Buckhorn said.
Ensuring all citizens have access to technology is critical to Tampa’s economic health, Mayor Buckhorn said.
High-speed internet is im-
portant especially to help en- trepreneurs and businesses compete on a global scale, he said.
“Our digital infrastructure is as important as our trans- portation infrastructure,” he said.
Tampa is suffering still from some lingering effects of the recession. Tax revenues have fallen from $160 million in 2009 to $142 million in 2015 and 700 fewer city posi- tions exist than did in 2009. But the city continues to re- ward and invest resources into its employees. Now, all full-
time workers make no less than $12 an hour, Mayor Buckhorn said.
“Our staff deserves to make a living wage,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Tampa is doing well, but no one should be satisfied with its present status, the Mayor said.
“Our journey is not yet fin- ished,” he said.
Tampa is a city whose “time has come,” he said.
“The state of the city is good,” he said. “The future is within our grasp.” (Photos by BRUNSON)
The City of Tampa Gospel Choir rendered musical selections.
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016