MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA PRESENTS 11TH STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

Mayor Ras J. Baraka presented his 11^th annual State of the City Address tonight, in a joyful, impassioned, and triumphant speech to an enthusiastic crowd assembled at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, located at 1 Center Street in the city’s downtown.

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

The mayor delineated a remarkable sequence of improvements and upgrades to Newark living, focusing on the administration’s accomplishments this past year. Along the way, he recognized a wide variety of people who contributed to and experienced the impact of the City’s success in 2024.

The event provided an opportunity for residents, business leaders, non-profit organizations, and community stakeholders to learn firsthand about the City of Newark’s progress.

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

PUBLIC SAFETY

Newark crime reductions 2024:

Homicides down 23 percent

Auto theft down 35 percent

Non-fatal shootings down nine percent

48 new police recruits and 80 new firefighter recruits

Opening of the Metro/9^th Precinct downtown.

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

Re-established state-certified Newark Police Academy after a 15-year absence. This state-of-the-art facility features the latest technology, including a 300-degree virtual, immersive, and interactive training system.

Transitioning to a digital radio communications system for Police and Fire divisions.

The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR) fielded more than 2,800 client referrals from Newark’s Police Division.

OVPTR launched the Summer Safety Initiative, invested $13 million in Community Partner Capacity, and funded 37 community organizations to provide specified trauma-based support to city residents.

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

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

Mayor Baraka invited public safety leadership to stand for acknowledgement. He honored Police Officer Jairo Rodriguez and Police Sergeant Joseph Azcona, who were killed earlier this year in the line of duty.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Mary Eliza Mahoney Health Center patient visits increased by five percent overall from 2023 to 2024, and the center’s dental practice saw a 106 percent increase in patient visits year over year.

The Health Center’s Denture program was established in March 2024 and provides affordable dental care. To date, more than 800 dental procedures have been completed. 

The number of children served at the Immunization Clinic increased by five percent in 2024.

The WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program provides essential food assistance, nutritional counseling, and breastfeeding support to women and families with infants and children up to age five. Program enrollment increased by five percent in 2024, and the number of clients served rose by 12 percent.

The Childhood Lead Exposure Program performs home inspections for lead paint hazards. The number of inspections rose by 20 percent from 2023 to 2024, and the number of homes that received assistance increased by 22 percent.

Mammography in Motion, a mobile medical/breast cancer-screening program of University Hospital, began in April 2024. Since then, more than 500 women have been connected with the program, accounting for 25 percent of women screened throughout Newark.

Uber Health, implemented in April 2024, provides direct transport to and from medical appointments. With the support of Robert Wood Johnson Health, the Mary Eliza Mahoney Health Center has been able to schedule transportation for 6,605 patients to date at no cost to the patient or the health center.

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

SUSTAINABILITY

Planted more than 150 trees alongside Newark residences across all five wards. An additional 150 trees were planted by the NJ Tree Foundation and the South Ward Environmental Alliance in collaboration with the City.

Wrapped up the Nourishing Newark Community Grant Program, which was created in 2022 to address food insecurity intensified by COVID-19. In total, the program awarded 12 local nonprofit organizations more than $1.5 million.

Partnered with the Department of Public Works to acquire eight new electric vehicle garbage trucks, helping to reduce emissions and improve air quality.

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

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

Newark People’s Assembly purchased 1,000 doorbell cameras for their Doorbell Camera Initiative, which seeks to empower communities to organize against crime.

Encouraged the formation of 50 new block associations and re-engaged inactive ones.

So far, more than 15 neighborhoods have been involved in the citywide Community Clean-up initiative, and more than five tons of garbage have been collected from city blocks, corridors, and public parks.

CLEAN STREETS, CLEAN WATER, AND FISCALLY SOUND

Newark’s water quality was exceptional, with lead levels as low as zero parts per billion, well below the EPA safety threshold of 15 parts per billion.

The Newark Pequannock Water Treatment Plant is nearing completion of a $23 million upgrade, which will increase water production capacity to 60 million gallons per day.

The Green Infrastructure Program RainReady Newark was launched to improve stormwater management and cultivate more green space.

The Department of Water and Sewer Utilities received two awards from the American Water Works Association of New Jersey.

Moody’s credit rating for Newark upgraded from Baa2 to Baa1, reflecting improved fiscal health and investor confidence.

City maintained 15 percent fiscal reserves without reliance on state aid or deficit financing.

City saw a 2.12 percent increase in total revenues from $940 million to $960 million.

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

Ward Satellite Service centers expanded to include sites that provide localized access to essential waste management services.

DPW implemented round-the-clock scheduling to ensure a consistent presence across Newark, improving cleanliness and service efficiency.

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

The Department of Engineering completed the citywide installation of solar-powered speed detection devices.

Installed ShotSpotter gunshot detection devices at various locations in Newark.

Managed approximately $90 million in active grant projects and roughly $15 million in grant pursuits.

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

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

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING

Five hundred five affordable units received Certificates of Occupancy by the end of 2024, with 1,381 affordable units approved citywide.

Newark Housing Tracker was launched, enhancing the City’s affordable housing pipeline transparency.

One hundred twenty-four city-owned properties were sold, generating $3.6 million in revenue to fund future housing projects.

The City was awarded a $4 million Housing and Urban Development grant to support Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (IZO) compliance and housing affordability initiatives.

Live Newark Program was expanded, awarding 54 home improvement grants and 20 closing cost grants, boosting homeownership.

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

Newark’s IZO program, First Dibs, ensured that more than 80 percent of the IZO units produced are housing Newark residents (188 units in 11 projects).

Stressing the importance of empowering residents without addresses by providing them with homes and hope, the Mayor said, “We continued our Housing First strategies around homelessness and we expanded our Path Home texting service. We grew our outreach team to include a metro division with psychiatric treatment and counseling services with the help of our community partners. We expanded the time to 24 hours. And are in the process of partnering with the Newark Alliance and NJ Transit to develop an outreach team just for Penn Station Newark, and that’s not all. We have joined with Newark Housing Authority to identify and begin to put our chronically homeless in 200 apartments renovated by the city of Newark. And we have 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 to expand our economy, to create jobs and opportunity, to be inclusive and leverage our diversity, to lift our spirit and to inform our direction. The expansions of NJPAC and the Newark Museum of Art, combined with the Lionsgate Film and TV Studio, are expected to generate $1 billion in economic impact. Besides those milestones, we are still going strong with our Creative Catalyst fund that 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 the country. This includes countless public arts projects about 75 murals in collaboration with project empty space. And Newark’s first Poet Laureate.”

Kaboom Park was completed, and the City won the New Jersey Recreation & Park Association Playground Design Award for Hunterdon Park & Playground, which was renamed Chamblee Square Park.

Public pools attracted 9,502 patrons in Summer 2024.

Phase C of Riverfront Park opened, revitalizing the waterfront with new public spaces, an amphitheater, and food kiosks.

City’s first Poet Laureate program created to promote the literary arts and provide poetry-writing workshops.

City hosted the North 2 Shore Festival and the Newark Arts Festival, two of the state’s largest performing arts festivals.

Expansion of NJPAC and Newark Museum of Art began.

TECHNOLOGY

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

Thirty-four thousand households received an Affordable Connectivity Program internet discount.

Wi-Fi coverage expanded on the Rutgers University-Newark campus.

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

Implemented 811 One Call across Newark Fiber operations to reduce disruptions and increased reliability for residents and businesses.

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

The mayor concluded his speech with 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 to know that this time, in this moment, this chaos, this whirlwind that we are in nationally — the rising hatred and dismantling of democracy – this is our David moment and the Giant is at the gates. We are going to face attacks – not just nationally but right here, in this very state, even this city. Our unity now is more important than anything else. We have to stop the petty attempts to undermine each other. They are going to try to tear us down, divide us. Amplify our mistakes, 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 holes they dug and threw you in. But this is our David moment! I don’t want you to forget who you are and how you got here,” Mayor Baraka concluded. “Let them come. We have three small smooth stones and an old worn-out rag. We are just sheepherders protecting our flock. With big dreams and a bigger God. A proud city. A city of immigrants both documented and undocumented came here looking for their dreams in a democracy held in hearts of the people in this humble port city.”