State of the City

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams focused on the 2015 budget and his three major development projects Tuesday at the State of the City address in City Hall. Williams also unexpectedly highlighted several social issues plaguing Huntington as well.

Along with discussion of the budget and major projects, Williams also talked about what is being done to combat the drug problem and to help the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Instead of ending with the state of the city as being “vibrant, teeming with optimism, fiscally sound and is at the beginning of a renaissance,” Williams opened his address this way.

Williams said that the city has to take on the responsibility of everyday things that affect the citizens of Huntington.

“We are expected to act, because we deal with potholes, sidewalks, garbage pickup, fire protection, law enforcement and upkeep of neighborhoods on a daily basis,” Williams said. “Our citizens rightly demand efficient and effective services.”

Williams said that the city council heard his plea last year to rise to excellence and did just that. He cited several underway projects as evidence of their excellence in action.

”We embraced excellence and experienced a level of accomplishment that has not been observed in our city in seven decades,” he said.

As predicted, Williams talked about his major development projects throughout the speech, including a proposal to address street flooding, free Wi-Fi for downtown Huntington, commercial development of Hal Greer Boulevard, high-speed broadband for the city, the “River to Jail” Strategy, Saturday and Sunday morning cleanups and off-campus rental property inspections.

In reference to the budget, which has decreased from the amount in 2014 with revenues down 5 percent, Williams said he is accommodating for the loss.

“We have constructed a budget within the limits of our revenues,” Williams said. “We will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do. It is necessary for us to determine how we will address our long-term capital needs. Just as we have successfully established a paving program by having a dedicated revenue source, we need to establish a consistent capital improvement program.”

However, Williams said that he has faith in Huntington’s ability to be a great city.

“We live in a marvelous city,” he said. “Our city was constructed in a way that leaves others envious. Our city has wonderful bones. The bones have been allowed to deteriorate. But the structure can be restored to its former grandeur.”

Williams also mentioned his three major projects, the commercialization of Hal Greer Boulevard, the River to Rail development and the brownfield industrial area, and the fourth project high-speed broadband Internet for the entire city, which will tie the other three projects together with a virtual ribbon.

“These three project areas combined with a proposal to deploy high-speed broadband provide our city the greatest opportunity for consistent economic expansion since the 1940s,” Williams said.

One of the social issues Williams focused heavily on was drugs in the area.

“The single-largest issue we are facing is the level of addiction in our community,” he said. “We have chronicled all that we are doing to address the drug issue.”

Williams said he feels that an underutilized resource in the community is its youth.

“We often times place this group aside and somehow expect them to sit back and listen rather than be heard,” Williams said. “When we turn a deaf ear to this group we lose insight and a fresh perspective. I’ve had opportunities to meet with the youngest of our citizens as I have visited our schools. I always leave invigorated and impressed at their passion, intellect, ingenuity and incredible patience.”

Williams said that he embraces diversity in his council and wants to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard and their concerns addressed.

“I have formed an LGBT Advisory Council,” he said. “We have created a liaison between the LGBT community and my office as well as with the police chief and fire chief. We do not have the time or luxury, nor should we ever be inclined, to exclude anyone from the table of community affairs and field of mutual ambition. We need all hands on deck.”

Williams ended his address on a positive note.

“Behold, we are here to do a new thing,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming, but change has finally come.”