Mayor Malik Evans delivered his 2023 State of the City address Wednesday at the Rundel Memorial Library, touting the accomplishments of his first full year in office and addressing the challenges that Rochester faces.
Evans took office in 2022, after defeating incumbent Mayor Lovely Warren in the June 2021 primary and going on to win the uncontested general mayoral election. A former City Council member — and before that, the youngest person to ever serve on the Rochester City School District Board of Education — Evans ran on a platform of creating a city government that brings opportunity to city youths, fixes issues in housing, and invests in developments that would take Rochester, as he often said on the campaign trail, “to the top.”
The theme Wednesday night was hope, a term Evans mentioned 57 times during his nearly hourlong speech.
“Every neighborhood in Rochester is home to people who have hope, and that’s where we’ll find the solution to our challenges, the key to our success. In their hope,” Evans said. “And that’s why I’m proud to stand before you tonight and offer this report on the state of our city.”
In addressing the issues of public safety in the city, Evans noted that Rochester’s violent crime rate is on a decline. So far this year, the city has seen 43 shootings and 12 homicides, according to data from the Rochester Police Department. At this time last year, the city had seen 90 shootings and 23 homicides.
Still, Evans said, there is a “pandemic of violence that requires all hands on deck.”
“I’m keeping our city under a Gun Violence State of Emergency as one way to confront this issue head-on,” he said. “There are no magic wands, and this state of emergency is just one of many tools we are deploying. I’m gratified but not satisfied that the numbers of shootings and firearm-related deaths are trending downward, and I hope to accelerate that trendline in the months ahead.”
“What needs our most attention is our children” Rochester Mayor Malik Evans the 2023 State of the City address at the Central Library of Rochester. @WXXINews pic.twitter.com/PotJsWF4bK
— Max Schulte (@maxrocphoto) April 19, 2023
Evans also said creating the Office of Violence Prevention, which houses anti-violence groups like Pathways to Peace under the mayor’s office, and investing in the Person in Crisis (PIC) Team served as parts of a multifaceted approach to gun violence. The PIC Team received a $630,000 boost in Evans’ first budget last year.
Evans also said the city is taking strides toward creating better equity and opportunity for city residents. In a refrain he often mentioned in his campaign, Evans said he plans to invest more into youth employment.
“I want our kids to be too tired from working to respond to some TikTok challenge or get pulled into a dispute on Instagram or Snapchat that will get them killed,” Evans said.
Evans also said the Guaranteed Basic Income pilot is moving forward. The plan was first introduced by Warren and passed the Rochester City Council in December 2021 under former Mayor James Smith. The pilot was slated to run for two years, offering $500 per month to 175 low-income families in each round.
Evans said the plan is “gearing up” with support from federal pandemic relief dollars.
Another campaign promise that Evans made was to update the city’s housing code enforcement program. In his 2022-23 budget, Evans provided funds to hire six new trainee code enforcement officers. Additionally, last fall, the administration hired longtime housing attorney Mike Furlano, who has been tasked with filing court cases against slumlords.
“Working to create a prosperous Rochester is our aim, and we’re moving in a revolutionary direction,” Evans said. “When you inspire hope and deliver opportunity, it’s always nice to see the results — and we are seeing those results in the form of increasing prosperity.”
The mayor noted, however, that Rochester is still struggling with economic, social, and safety challenges. Federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act can bolster a new future for the city, or it can be squandered. He said the city is at a crossroads.
“Rochester is at one of the most significant turning points in its history, maybe even on par with the construction of the Erie Canal, and the stakes could not be higher,” Evans said. “One path from that turning point leads to great reward, where all the factors of Rochester’s awesome potential finally come together to propel our city to national prominence and draw more and more outside investment. The other path leads to the slow decline into obsolescence.”
If you have questions for the mayor during his "Connections" appearance on Thursday, you can call in, from noon to 1 p.m., at 1-844-295-TALK (8255), or submit them in the form below.
