Spokane Mayor Dennis P. Hession delivered the 2006 State of the City address to about 500 people on Friday, Jan. 20, focusing on his goals and priorities for the City. The Mayor also reviewed highlights from 2005 from both the City and the community. The speech was part of a morning meeting of the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Mayor laid out an aggressive initial work plan that included:
- Attacking the City's budget from all directions to deal with its fundamental structural imbalance.
- Creating a strategic plan for expanding the City's boundaries.
- Pursuing municipal consolidation of services where appropriate.
- Making key personnel decisions, including hiring a new Police Chief and City Attorney.
- Forging a strong relationship between the Mayor's Office and the City Council.
- Developing a comprehensive strategic plan for the City, with the assistance of the City Council.
- Improving relationships and cooperation with other jurisdictions, especially Spokane County, the City of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, the state, Spokane Public Schools, and the other cities within the County.
- Promoting economic development, including the build-out of the University District.
- Improving and maintaining water quality in the Spokane River.
This was Mayor Hession's first State of the City address, following his swearing in as Mayor on Jan. 3. The full text of the speech is attached.
The Mayor's address will be replayed on CityCable 5, the City's government access cable station found on channel 5 on the Comcast cable system in Spokane, on:
- Friday, Jan. 20, at 10 p.m.
- Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Jan. 22, at 8 a.m.
- Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Jan. 26, at 9:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 3, at 9:30 p.m.
Comcast Cable also will feature the speech as part of its Video on Demand offering. It will be located under the "Get Local" heading.
