Mayor gives update in State of the City address

The shadow of COVID-19 hangs over Lincoln; Mayor paints picture of recovery

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird’s State of the City address, held in partnership with Leadership Lincoln, was not entirely about the City’s response to the COVID pandemic, but in 2021, it’s nigh on impossible to ignore the topic entirely.

Thus, Mayor Gaylor Baird’s plea to “Take time to spread the love.” Appealing to a sense of pride in Lincoln, she continued, “Spread the love by doing something to take care of someone who needs support. Spread the love with a kind gesture, be it big or small. Of course, right now, the most impactful gesture that shows you care for others is to get vaccinated.”

Lincoln’s gestures are mostly of the big financial variety. Consider the $12 million dedicated to getting unemployed workers back into high-paying jobs that should benefit the economy at large. Or $23 million earmarked for travel and tourism. Or $21 million going to nonprofits. And there’s still more coming to help a group that’s seen huge impacts.

“Next week we will formally announce our program to distribute $10 million to the small businesses most impacted by the pandemic so that they can, in turn, provide jobs and build community”, said the Mayor. “We’re ready to provide direct assistance to your neighborhood coffee shop, favorite bookstore, and other small businesses that make Lincoln unique.”

There were many points of the speech that did not deal with the pandemic in any way, however. For example, there are plans to make a big investment in public safety, by working to hire more police officers from more diverse backgrounds, as well as more firefighters. Those new fire crews can also look forward to $11 million being invested into outmoded fire stations.

Full text and video of the speech can be viewed on the City of Lincoln’s website.