Byron W. Brown's speech for second inaugural
Updated: 12/31/09 12:15 PM
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INAUGURAL ADDRESS MAYOR BYRON W. BROWN DECEMBER 31, 2009
THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
JUDGE SCONIERS, I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE PERFORMING THIS SWEARING-IN CEREMONY.
MY PASTOR, MINISTER MICHAEL CHAPMAN, IMAM FAJRI ANSARI, AND RABBI SCWARTZMAN — WHOSE WORDS LIFT OUR SPIRITS AND GIVE US HOPE; AND REVEREND ANGEL GAUTHIER — WHO WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM; AND, LATER, FATHER ART SMITH, WHO WILL BLESS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS CEREMONY.
MEMBERS OF THE BUFFALO COMMON COUNCIL — WHOM I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD A STRONGER BUFFALO;
MEMBERS OF OUR COUNTY, STATE AND FEDERAL DELEGATIONS -PARTNERS IN MY PLAN TO MOVE BUFFALO FORWARD.
IN PUBLIC LIFE, WE SACRIFICE MANY THINGS IN ORDER TO DEDICATE OURSELVES TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF WHAT IS BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.
I AM BLESSED TO HAVE A WONDERFUL WIFE, MICHELLE, AND A TERRIFIC SON, BYRON, WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME THROUGH EVERY STAGE OF MY PUBLIC LIFE.
THANK YOU MICHELLE AND B, AS WELL AS MY MOTHER-IN-LAW LIZ AND OUR EXTENDED FAMILY.
FINALLY — TO RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF BUFFALO — I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THE WORK OF MY ADMINISTRATION AND FOR OVERWHELMINGLY VOTING ME INTO A SECOND TERM AS YOUR MAYOR.
IT HAS BEEN A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO SERVE OUR CITY AS MAYOR AND I INTEND TO BUILD UPON THE SOLID FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS WE HAVE ACHIEVED SINCE 2006, MAKING BUFFALO SAFER, FINANCIALLY STRONGER AND MORE EFFICIENT IN THE DELIVERY OF CITY SERVICES.
WHEN I FIRST TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE AS MAYOR OF BUFFALO, I SAID THERE IS MUCH PROMISE BEFORE US — BUT THERE IS EVEN MORE WORK IN ORDER TO DELIVER ON THAT PROMISE.
WELL, I BELIEVE FIRMLY THAT WE HAVE DELIVERED ON THAT PROMISE SINCE 2006 BY REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CITY, DEMOLISHING OVER 2,500 DILAPIDATED STRUCTURES, ACHIEVING A RECORD CITY FINANCIAL SURPLUS, LOWERING PROPERTY TAXES EVERY YEAR AND CREATING A SYSTEM FOR GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY AND EFFICIENCY IN DELIVERING CITY SERVICES.
THERE IS STILL WORK YET TO BE DONE — I KNOW THAT — AND I WOULD NEVER SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED EVERY GOAL MY ADMINISTRATION SET FOR ITSELF FOUR YEARS AGO, BUT WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS, ESTABLISHED A FIRM FOUNDATION FOR OUR FUTURE AND EVEN IN THE FACE OF A NATIONAL RECESSION THAT HIS HIT OUR STATE THE HARDEST, WE KNOW THAT HELPING BUSINESSES GROW AND CREATING JOBS FOR OUR RESIDENTS REMAINS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
I BELIEVE THAT OUR REGION CAN ONLY BE AS STRONG AND DYNAMIC AS OUR RESIDENTS' DESIRE IF WE HAVE A STRONG AND DYNAMIC CITY.
I HAVE MADE MY CASE TO NEW YORK STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION'S ECONOMY AND JOB CREATION ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE HEALTH OF OUR NATION'S CITIES.
THE 100 LARGEST U.S. METRO AREAS ARE ON JUST 12% OF THE LAND AREA, BUT CONTAIN 65% OF OUR POPULATION AND GENERATE 75% OF OUR GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.
THEY INCLUDE 68% OF OUR JOBS, 75% OF GRADUATE DEGREE HOLDERS, AND 81% OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYMENT.
AND SO IT'S MY POSITION THAT JOB CREATION IN OUR COUNTRY SHOULD FOCUS ON THE ASSETS THAT ALREADY EXIST IN OUR NATION'S CITIES.
THAT'S WHY MY SECOND TERM AS MAYOR WILL BE DEDICATED TO CONTINUING PROGRAMS THAT HAVE WORKED AND REFORMING THOSE THAT HAVEN'T.
WE HAVE ACHIEVED GREAT PROGRESS, INCLUDING RECEIVING THE CITY'S HIGHEST BOND RATING IN APPROXIMATELY 30 YEARS FROM WALL STREET. THAT ALONE WAS CONFIRMATION THAT THE STRATEGIC CHOICES WE HAVE MADE AND THE CONSERVATIVE FISCAL PRACTICES WE HAVE FOLLOWED HAVE PUT THE CITY IN A POSITION FOR GREATER INVESTMENT, NEW JOB CREATION AND ACHIEVING A FUTURE THAT WILL BENEFIT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
THE CREATION OF A $30 MILLION "RAINY DAY" FUND AND, FOUR STRAIGHT UPGRADES BY WALL STREET BOND RATING AGENCIES HIGHLIGHT OUR PROGRESS IN LIFTING BUFFALO OUT OF ITS PAST FISCAL DIFFICULTY.
I WANT TO THANK CITY COMPTROLLER ANDY SANFILIPPO AND THE BUFFALO COMMON COUNCIL FOR WORKING WITH MY ADMINISTRATION IN A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY AND ACHIEVING THESE IMPORTANT OUTCOMES.
THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION THAT THE LANDSCAPE OF THE CITY IS CHANGING FOR THE BETTER.
WITH EXCITING PROJECTS LIKE UNILAND'S $78 MILLION AVANT DEVELOPMENT, THE $380 MILLION CANAL SIDE WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT OR THE OPENING OF THE $33 MILLION BURCHFIELD-PENNEY ART CENTER, POSITIVE CHANGE CONTINUES TO OCCUR IN THE CITY.
AND MORE DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE WILL CONTINUE THROUGH PROJECTS LIKE THE NEW $137 MILLION FEDERAL COURT HOUSE AND THE CONTINUED GROWTH AND EVOLUTION OF THE BUFFALO NIAGARA MEDICAL CAMPUS AND THE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL OFFERED BY UB 2020.
I WILL CONTINUE TO COMBINE NEW IDEAS WITH AN OLD FASHIONED WORK ETHIC THAT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR SOLID FOUNDATION AND HAS POSITIONED THE CITY OF BUFFALO FOR FUTURE STRENGTH AND VITALITY.
GROUNDED IN A TALENTED WORKFORCE, REINFORCED BY ADVANCES IN MEDICAL SCIENCES, SUSTAINED BY A REINVIGORATED WATERFRONT, AND CEMENTED BY THE IMAGINATION OF NEW LEADERS, THIS NEW FOUNDATION WILL SECURE BUFFALO'S FUTURE IN THE NEW ECONOMY THAT IS SWEEPING AMERICA AND THE WORLD.
JUST AS FOUR YEARS AGO, THE VOTERS OF BUFFALO HAVE GIVEN ME NOT ONLY THEIR MANDATE; THEY HAVE GIVEN ME THEIR CONFIDENCE, THEIR HOPE, AND THEIR TRUST.
I WILL NOT LET THEM DOWN!
OUR CITY'S GREAT AND HISTORIC LEGACY WAS CREATED BY MEN AND WOMEN FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, FROM ALL ETHNIC, RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS WHO DARED TO BELIEVE THAT THE FUTURE OF THEIR CITY WAS UNLIMITED.
WITH A POSITIVE SPIRIT AND BY WORKING TOGETHER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS AND, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, I WILL NOT ALLOW POLITICS TO STOP PROGRESS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT ACHIEVE SUCCESS ALONE AND THAT WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO GET RESULTS.
WITH ONE TERM COMPLETED AND, AS WE STAND AT THE DAWN OF A NEW DECADE, I AM CONFIDENT WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES FORWARD AND I WILL CONTINUE THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS TO PURSUE WHAT WE ALL WANT: A CITY OF BUFFALO THAT IS STRONGER, SAFER, MORE VIBRANT AND SECURE WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE.
THANK YOU, GOD BLESS BUFFALO.
