As Mayor-President and Chief Executive Officer of the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, I have the annual honor and privilege of reporting to our citizens on the state of our City and Parish.

It would be very easy to stand before you and simply say, Baton Rouge is strong….our economy is growing….we have weathered the storm and are bigger and better than ever.

All that would be true.

J. Willard Marriott, the American businessman who founded the Marriott hotels, said “Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.”

Considering the winds of change we have endured, you better believe.... Baton Rouge is strong.

I started out two years ago as your Mayor-President with a commitment to an open government… one more accessible to the people of Baton Rouge…..one that is a true partnership with the people of Baton Rouge.

So I am pleased to share with you today some of the highlights from a year of astonishing growth….complex challenges…..and extraordinary cooperation between the public and private sectors of Baton Rouge.

We began it all with a plan called our “Framework for Progress”….written with input from a volunteer committee of citizens from across the parish who explored our greatest challenges….and made recommendations for immediate priorities.

When I tell you we have accomplished so many of our four-year priorities in only two years, it may sound as if I’m bragging....and maybe I am.

But not just on our administration….but rather on the spirit of cooperation that is making Baton Rouge one of the most exciting cities in a New South.

I’d like to take a few minutes to tell you some of the accomplishments I am most proud of….and give you a glimpse of what the future holds for Baton Rouge.

As your Mayor-President, I have focused our priorities on public safety, economic development and bringing greater professionalism to city-parish government.

Whenever possible, we are directing resources to public education through our libraries…youth outreach programs… workforce development…professional development and leadership training.

First, let’s take a look at public safety….

As most of you know, Public Safety has been a top priority of our administration. From Homeland Security to Emergency Preparedness…from our police and fire departments to traffic management... we have made great strides to bring our city-parish to a level of professionalism and capacity fitting a city our size.

In the aftermath of the storms of 2005, we secured a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and with a 25% match, invested 8 million dollars to increase interoperability of communications within our region – something that proved to be perhaps the biggest challenge in our disaster response.

I testified countless times before Congress and the state legislature about the need for better communications among state, local and federal responders in an emergency. With this grant, we are addressing that problem.

We added 50 new officers to the Baton Rouge Police Department….and began implementing creative ways to use technology and community policing techniques to keep our city safe.

We’re in the process of installing audio and video equipment in all 400 of our police units….and have installed a security canopy of 58 cameras to monitor the critical infrastructure in our parish.

This year, we will continue to expand our community policing strategies….increase the number of uniformed officers on the streets….use video monitoring in areas of high crime…and debut our mounted patrol program.

My passion for this city and parish may put me at odds with some people from time to time. That is the greatness of democracy. But on the other hand, I will not remain silent as a headline heralds a 22% increase in homicides without putting these statistics in proper context.

We had 7 more homicides in Baton Rouge last year than in 2005. Five of these homicides occurred in one day in a domestic violence assault at a local church.

We are not seeing the increase in crime as in Orleans Parish or Jefferson Parish.

My words of caution when you write the headlines: If you keep distorting the statistics with perception versus reality - - you will destroy the economy of this great city and parish.

Business will be reluctant to locate here - - Our successful tourism industry will decline - - Hotels and restaurants will suffer and the unemployment rate will increase.

Too many people have worked hard to make this a city on the move. A headline taken out of context can destroy decades of progress.

Baton Rouge deserves better.

As for our efforts to continue improving traffic movement, we will implement a Traffic Calming Initiative that will reduce congestion….and help restore quality of life in our neighborhoods.

We will employ a red-light enforcement system to increase driver safety throughout the parish.

Rest assured that the battle to improve traffic flow and break gridlock continues throughout the parish.

Unprecedented growth brought new challenges, but we will continue our Green Light Road program with projects that include:

• The I-10 Frontage Road from Bluebonnet to Siegen Lane

• The Central Thruway clearing and embankment at Florida Boulevard to Sullivan Road

• Perkins Road from Essen to Siegen Lane

• And the O’Neal Lane clearing and embankment from George O’Neal to South Harrell’s Ferry Road

In April, my financial team and I went to New York and secured upgrades in our bond ratings for our Green Light Program and our sewer improvements program. The results are lower interest rates over the terms of these bonds...and millions in direct savings to you, the taxpayer.

In the sea of uncertainty that engulfed much of Louisiana, Wall Street signaled that East Baton Rouge Parish is headed in the right direction.

On the economic development front, we’ve put four tactics in place to help bring economic progress to our parish:

• First, we have funded a half-million dollar initiative through a partnership with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber to provide an Economic Development Office dedicated to growing a new economy for our parish.

• We opened Minority Business Opportunity Centers in Baton Rouge and New Orleans through a grant we were awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce...to help local minority businesses participate in the rebuilding of Louisiana...and those displaced to Baton Rouge get back on their feet.

• We have a micro loan program developed through our Bankers’ Roundtable to help increase the number of successful small businesses.

• And a small business loan program evolving through the Bankers’ Roundtable to provide even greater assistance.

Through our newly created Baton Rouge Film Commission, we are attracting television and movie production and post production to Baton Rouge…growing an exciting new creative industry.

Louisiana has some of the best tax credits for film production available anywhere…and now Baton Rouge is attracting even more attention by being one of the only cities to offer additional incentives in the form of workforce development funds to attract production to our city.

Our East Baton Rouge Parish Public Libraries are leading a nine parish effort to encourage every citizen to participate in reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” this year....and they have many activities planned around that.

As we learn together…as we build a new economy for Baton Rouge together….we find that our diversity...our unique cultural heritage... is a strength….not a weakness.

In just a few days, I will deliver the keynote address at the Louisiana Cultural Economy Summit in New Orleans.

Louisiana’s creative industries such as music, the arts, film and video, architecture and others have become the foundation in Louisiana for rebuilding our economy.
There are so many things cities can do to position ourselves to benefit from our natural talents and culture. We can do more....and we’re going to.

And how about downtown Baton Rouge?

Another 326 million dollars will be invested in our downtown in 2007 in exciting public and private sector projects.

We’ll begin construction drawings on the first phase of our Riverfront Masterplan......the North Boulevard Town Square that will complement the Entertainment District and residential projects that are underway.

But not everything is where it should be in our community. We rank too high nationally in new HIV and AIDS cases…with the majority of new cases in the African-American community.

We’ve secured grants for public education and free testing and I have personally recorded public service announcements urging at-risk citizens to get tested.

I formed a Mayor’s Task Force on HIV/AIDS to bring together the many providers of education and resources to fight this terrible disease.

You’ve probably seen me on other public service announcements encouraging early screening for cancer. I know first-hand the loss of family members who may have been saved through early detection.

The health of our community must be a top priority of the Mayor. If I can reach one person...or save one life by encouraging someone to get tested, it’s well worth our efforts.

We also face a challenge after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cut our funding from grants designed to help protect targets of regional importance...such as cities like ours with chemical, energy or nuclear facilities...or major transportation systems.

Seattle....one of the larger cities to receive funds this year....reported that the federal government did not even ask them for a proposal before announcing that they would receive over 12 million dollars. Now they plan to draw up a plan on how to spend the money.

Next week, I will be in Washington lobbying members of Congress to review the criteria used and ask the Department of Homeland Security to reconsider its process.

To run a 21st century city, we will continue to focus on technology and e-government services….to give each of you greater access to information and services.

We’re providing a government that is more accessible to you through Metro 21 and our city-parish website, brgov.com.

To assist in a more orderly and efficient development process, we’re moving toward online permit and employment applications, billing, public safety and inspection reporting…and online access to review building and development plans.

Our new 311 call center with trained operators will get you the information and services you need…..

It’s tied to a computerized system that tracks calls from the minute they’re received until the request is fulfilled….or the complaint solved.

Police Chief Jeff LeDuff and I talk a lot about community policing….but we also talk about a concept called community governance.

Community governance is a new paradigm of city government in the U.S. It’s actually a more common philosophy in other countries...but what it means is that we form stronger relationships among public, private and volunteer organizations...we empower neighborhoods and citizens to play a greater role in public safety...public health....education...and economic growth.

The best example you can see of this is our “Operation Restore Pride” – a neighborhood by neighborhood clean-up program that involves the Mayor’s Office...City Police...the Department of Public Works... the Office of Community Development... the Office of Neighborhoods... the Workforce Investment Board... Metro Council members... the faith community and volunteer organizations.

We go into at-risk neighborhoods and hold job fairs, crime prevention workshops, remove abandoned cars, clean up vacant lots and repair homes.

Our workforce usually consists of students who volunteer through their church or university for service to the community.

Since July, we’ve been in Zion City, the Avenues of Scotlandville, Eden Park and just last week Old South Baton Rouge.

We’re working with these citizens to restore pride in their neighborhoods....and it’s making a difference.

And finally, a few points about my personal priorities as your Mayor.

I will continue to develop partnerships and leverage the resources we have to make city-parish government more efficient and effective.

I welcome opportunities such as meeting with groups like this to give you confidence that your priorities are being addressed.

Our administration makes accountability and ethical conduct a top priority in serving our community...you never have to worry about that.

We vigorously compete with other communities for grants, state and federal funding and public-private opportunities. We may not always win, but Baton Rouge will always be in the game.

I willingly lend my time and resources to improving our public education system as a means of strengthening our community….and giving us every advantage in competing with other communities.

One of these efforts is the literacy coalition between the City-Parish, the Baton Rouge Rotary and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

I recognize that our current Plan of Government may require review and change to accommodate progress and growth for East Baton Rouge Parish….and I will work with the Metro Council and the leadership of city-parish departments to explore ways to make it more effective.

And lastly, I have a vision of Baton Rouge that I try to communicate to the world….as we continue to work toward developing a positive and contemporary image for our community that will help it grow.

We are a city that celebrates our history and heritage…one of three in America honored by the White House as a Preserve America Community in 2006.

We are a family of neighborhoods strengthened by two great universities and a growing Community College.... neighborhoods brimming with natural talent, creative minds and hopeful families.

My job puts me on the scene when we lose an officer in the line of duty…at lunch with a second grade class…around the country and sometimes the world in pursuit of an industry looking for a new location… and yes, even reigning as King of Spanish Town Mardi Gras.

It’s an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Baton Rouge….and Lois and I thank you for trusting it to us.

Baton Rouge is strong...and 2007 holds the promise of greater things to come.

Like many of you, I enjoy sports...the competition.... the thrill of victory.

Wayne Gretzky, the great hockey player, used to say, “I skate to where the puck is going to be...not where it is.”

When I became Mayor, one of the hardest things I faced was getting people to skate to that place with me.

Not where our city is....but where our city is going to be....where it can be.

But in just two years, I feel the change.

Let’s leave here today with a commitment that we are moving forward to a time when Baton Rouge will be.... America’s next great city.

We can make that happen....if we skate there together.

Thank you and God Bless.