‍MAYOR RAS J. BARAKAPRESENTS 11^TH STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS AT NEW JERSEY PERFORMINGARTS CENTER

Mayor highlights achievements of the past decade and shares visionfor the future; Speech interweaves videos and stageacknowledgments of a wide variety of people who have experienced and contributedto Newark’s success

Newark, NJ – April 17, 2025 – Mayor Ras J. Baraka presented his 11^thannual State of the City Address tonight, in a joyful, impassioned, andtriumphant speech to an enthusiastic crowd assembled at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center,located at 1 Center Street in thecity’s downtown.

In his address, Mayor Baraka describedNewark as a city that has always fought “an uphill battle and the odds not inour favor. But look what we have done in spite of it all. Look how good youlook, Newark, and how far you have come. Look at the things you haveaccomplished.”

The mayor went on to delineate a remarkablesequence of improvements and upgrades to Newark living, focusing on theadministration’s accomplishments this past year. Stopping along the way, he recognizeda wide variety of people who have contributed to, and experiencedthe impact of, the City’s success in 2024.

The event provided anopportunity for residents, business leaders, non-profit organizations, andcommunity stakeholders to learn firsthand about the progress the City of Newarkhas made.

A PDF copy of the speech isattached. Checkthe City of Newark’s YouTube pagefor Spanish and Portuguese translations, which will be made available in thecoming days.

The speech and accompanyingState of the City report highlighted accomplishments in the following areas:

PUBLIC SAFETY

·     Newark crime reductions 2024:

o  Homicides down 23 percent

o  Auto theft down 35 percent

o  Non-fatal shootings down ninepercent

·     48 new police recruits and 80new firefighter recruits

·     Opening of the Metro/9^thPrecinct downtown.

·     Opening of the William MobileAshby Community Care & Training Center, which is a shared space for thecommunity that also serves as a training hub for police officers, firefighters,and social workers.

·     Re-established state-certifiedNewark Police Academy after a 15-year absence. This state-of-the-art facilityfeatures the latest technology, including a 300-degree virtual, immersive, andinteractive training system.

·     Transitioning to a digitalradio communications system for Police and Fire divisions.

·     Office of Violence Preventionand Trauma Recovery (OVPTR) fielded more than 2,800 client referrals fromNewark’s Police Division.

·     OVPTR launched the SummerSafety Initiative, invested $13 million in Community Partner Capacity, andfunded 37 community organizations to provide specified trauma-based support tocity residents.

·     Brick City Peace Collective(BCPC) served 50 high risk youth through their Peace Academy, helped 60students graduate debt-free through their Guaranteed Education Program, andreceived the Silver Certification from Bloomberg Philanthropies for theirdata-driven public safety model.

“Crime is continuing, by God’s grace,to trend downward, with notable reductions in homicides and shootings. We arecontinuing to expand our precincts and further train our officers. We areimproving technology — better equipping our officers, and improving publicsafety response times. We are continuing to strengthen our community relationsand removing barriers between law enforcement and residents,” Mayor Baraka said.

Mayor Baraka invited public safetyleadership to stand for acknowledgement, and honored Police Officer JairoRodriguez and Police Sergeant Joseph Azcona, who were killed earlier this yearin the line of duty.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

·     Mary Eliza Mahoney HealthCenter patient visits increased by five percent overall from 2023 to 2024, andthe center’s dental practice has seen a 106 percent increase in patient visitsyear over last year.

·     The Health Center’s Dentureprogram was established in March 2024 and provides affordable dental care. Todate, more than 800 dental procedures have been completed.

·     Number of children served atthe Immunization Clinic increased by five percent in 2024.

·     WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)Program provides essential food assistance, nutritional counseling, andbreast-feeding support to women and families, with infants and children up toage five. Program enrollment increased by five percent in 2024 and number ofclients served rose by 12 percent.

·     Childhood Lead Exposure Programperforms home inspection for lead paint hazards. Number of inspections rose by20 percent from 2023 to 2024 and number of homes that received assistanceincreased by 22 percent.

·     Mammography in Motion, a mobilemedical/breast cancer-screening program of University Hospital, began in April2024. Since then, more than 500 women have been connected with the program,accounting for 25 percent of women screened throughout Newark.

·     Uber Health, implemented inApril 2024, provides direct transport to and from medical appointments. Withthe support of Robert Wood Johnson Health, the Mary Eliza Mahoney Health Centerhas been able to schedule transportation for 6,605 patients to date at no costto patient or health center.

“Our Guaranteed Educationprogram now has 60 students currently on track to graduate with collegedegrees, debt-free. No tuition cost, no room, and board cost. And sevenstudents are on the Dean’s list with GPAs above 3.4 and one of them preparingfor international study. We are breaking generational cycles of poverty, andcreating real hope in the lives of our young people,” the mayor said.

SUSTAINABILITY

·     Planted more than 150 trees alongsideNewark residences across all five wards. An additional 150 trees were plantedby the NJ Tree Foundation and the South Ward Environmental Alliance incollaboration with the City.

·     Wrapped up the Nourishing NewarkCommunity Grant Program, which was created in 2022 to address food insecurityintensified by COVID-19. In total, the program awarded 12 local nonprofitorganizations more than $1.5 million.

·     Partnered with the Department of PublicWorks to acquire eight new electric vehicle garbage trucks, helping to reduceemissions and improve air quality.

“We also acquired eight electric garbagetrucks to do our part in clean energy. We are initiating this year Cool Roofsprogram to reduce energy costs and mitigate urban heat. We are allocating$50,000 for youth led sustainability projects. We invested in the enhancementof urban farming to address challenges of food insecurity,” Mayor Baraka said.

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

·     Newark People’s Assembly purchased1,000 doorbell cameras for their Doorbell Camera Initiative, which seeks toempower communities to organize against crime.

·     Encouraged formation of 50 newblock associations and re-engaged inactive ones.

·     More than 15 neighborhoods havebeen involved in the city-wide Community Clean-up initiative so far, and morethan five tons of garbage collected from city blocks, corridors, and publicparks.

CLEAN STREETS, CLEAN WATER, AND FISCALLY SOUND

·     Newark had exceptional waterquality with as low as Zero parts per billion of lead, well below the EPAsafety threshold of 15 parts per billion.

·     Newark Pequannock WaterTreatment Plant nearing completion of a $23 million upgrade, which willincrease water production capacity to 60 million gallons per day.

·     Green infrastructure programRainReady Newark launched to improve storm water management and cultivate moregreen space.

·     Department of Water and SewerUtilities received two awards from American Water Works Association of NewJersey.

·     Moody’s credit rating forNewark upgraded from Baa2 to Baa1, reflecting improved fiscal health andinvestor confidence.

·     City maintained 15 percentfiscal reserves without reliance on state aid or deficit financing.

·     City saw a 2.12 percentincrease in total revenues from $940 million to $960 million.

·     Department of Public Works(DPW) Office of Customer Service created.

·     Ward Satellite Service centersexpanded to include sites that provide localized access to essential wastemanagement services.

·     DPW implemented round-the-clockscheduling to ensure a consistent presence across Newark, improving cleanlinessand service efficiency.

·     Between 2022 and 2024, refusecollection went up 10 percent, and recycling collection up 21 percent. Withmore people taking bulk trash to Ward Satellite Service centers, sidewalk bulktrash pick-up declined by 32 percent.

·     Department of Engineeringcompleted city-wide installation of solar-powered speed detection devices.

·     Installed ShotSpotter gunshotdetection devices at various locations in Newark.

·     Managed approximately $90million in active grant projects and approximately $15 million in grantpursuits.

·     Upgraded Newark with stormwater mitigation and corridor-wide street paving.

The Mayor also noted the City’sefforts to save costs while improving the quality of life for its municipalteam members. “We secured $8 million to reduce employee healthcare costs, saved$4 million on prescription costs and announced at our all-city meetingyesterday that we are taking steps to embark upon Reference-Based Pricing for healthcarethat would significantly reduce their out of pocket costs and costs to ouroverall budget as well,” he said.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING

·      505affordable units received Certificates of Occupancy by the end of 2024, with1,381 affordable units approved citywide.

·      NewarkHousing Tracker was launched, enhancing transparency in the City’s affordablehousing pipeline.

·      124city-owned properties were sold, generating $3.6 million in revenue to fundfuture housing projects.

·      TheCity was awarded a $4 million Housing and Urban Development grant to supportInclusionary Zoning Ordinance (IZO) compliance and housing affordabilityinitiatives.

·      LiveNewark Program was expanded, awarding 54 home improvement grants and 20 closingcost grants, boosting homeownership.

·      EquitableInvestments in Newark Communities program awarded 48 parcels to 16community-based developers, creating 374 new affordable units.

·      Newark’sIZO program, First Dibs, ensured that more than 80 percent of the IZO unitsproduced are housing Newarkresidents (188 units in 11 projects).

Stressing the importance ofempowering residents without addresses by providing them with homes and hope,the Mayor said, “We continued our Housing First strategies around homelessnessand we expanded our Path Home texting service. We grew our outreach team toinclude a metro division with psychiatric treatment and counseling serviceswith the help of our community partners. We expanded the time to 24 hours. Andare in the process of partnering with the Newark Alliance and NJ Transit todevelop an outreach team just for Penn Station Newark, and that’s not all. Wehave joined with Newark Housing Authority to identify and begin to put ourchronically homeless in 200 apartments renovated by the city of Newark. And wehave already begun to move people in.”

ARTS, CULTURE, RECREATION, AND SENIOR SERVICES

Discussing the arts, the mayor said, “Here In Newark, we are using art toexpand our economy, to create jobs and opportunity, to be inclusive andleverage our diversity, to lift our spirit and to inform our direction. Theexpansions of NJPAC and the Newark Museum of Art, combined with the LionsgateFilm and TV Studio, are expected to generate $1 billion in economic impact. Besidesthose milestones, we are still going strong with our Creative Catalyst fundthat has supported over 500 local artists with millions of dollars in grants,which allowed Newark to be listed as the eighth most vibrant arts city in thecountry. This includes countless public arts projects about 75 murals incollaboration with project empty space. And Newark’s first Poet Laureate.”

·     Kaboom Park completed and Citywon New Jersey Recreation & Park Association Playground Design Award for HunterdonPark & Playground, renamed as Chamblee Square Park.

·     Public pools attracted 9,502patrons in Summer 2024.

·     Phase C of Riverfront Parkopened, adding new public spaces, an amphitheater, and food kiosks torevitalize the waterfront.

·     City’s first Poet Laureateprogram created to promote the literary arts and provide poetry-writingworkshops.

·     City hosted North 2 ShoreFestival and Newark Arts Festival, two of state’s largest performing artsfestivals.

·     Expansion of NJPAC and NewarkMuseum of Art began.

TECHNOLOGY

·     Provided internet service to 25businesses and 1,600 Newark Housing Authority units.

·     34,000 households received an AffordableConnectivity Program internet discount.

·     Wi-Fi coverage expanded onRutgers University-Newark campus.

·     Connected Hope Village 2 withfree high-speed internet and donated seven refurbished computers, benefiting 25residents.

·     Implemented 811 One Call acrossNewark Fiber operations to reduce disruptions and increased reliability forresidents and businesses.

At the speech, Rabbi AvrahamMinski offered the invocation. The Newark Honor Guard presented the colors.Dion Simmons rendered the National Anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” andPoet Laureate Margie “Mia X” Johnson performed spoken word. Minister NiveaNieves of House of True Worshippers gave the benediction.

The mayor concluded his speechwith inspirational encouragement for not only Newarkers, but the world:

“I love this city with everything I have. And I know you do too. I want you toknow that this time, in this moment, this chaos, this whirlwind that we are innationally — the rising hatred and dismantling of democracy – this is our Davidmoment and the Giant is at the gates. We are going to face attacks — not just nationallybut right here, in this very state, even this city. Our unity now is moreimportant than anything else. We have to stop the petty attempts to undermineeach other. They are going to try to tear us down, divide us. Amplify ourmistakes, our collective issues, our struggles, our stumbles, our shortcomings,and the times we fell. They are going to try to blame you for the very holesthey dug and threw you in. But this is our David moment! I don’t want you toforget who you are and how you got here,” Mayor Baraka concluded. “Let themcome. We have three small smooth stones and an old worn-out rag. We are justsheepherders protecting our flock. With big dreams and a bigger God. A proudcity. A city of immigrants both documented and undocumented came here lookingfor their dreams in a democracy held in hearts of the people in this humbleport city.”

The State of the City Booklet can be accessed here.

For photos of the event, here.

For video shown during the address, here.

To see the speech on the Cityof Newark’s YouTube page, here.

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