Hartford Mayor Delivers State of the City Address

In his 2014 Sate of the City Address, Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra emphasized that the city has come a long way and said he wants to make it one of the best capital cities in America.

Segarra delievered the speech around 5 p.m. Monday in the City Hall council chambers. He focused on the city's need to improve safety, jobs, education and quality of life.

He cited Standard & Poor's increase of the city's bond rating as proof Hartford is on the right track economically.

"Four years ago, we were in the middle of one of the worst economic periods in America. In Hartford, we were literally in crisis. Many people couldn't see the way out," Segarra said. "No one bailed us out. No one came to our rescue. Instead we tapped into our best qualities to create solutions... Hartford is a resilient city and the results speak for themselves."

Segarra also discussed building Hartford's first online permit portal to make it easier for businesses to apply for permits and highlighted the fact that the city is seeing its lowest crime rate in years.

But Segarra said there is still much to be done, including improving trust between the community and police force and devleoping infrastructure.

"For our communities to feel safe, it takes a number of things: a compassionate, effective and diverse police force, streets that are well lit and clean, and a community that takes responsibility and pride in their own neighborhoods," Segarra said.

For the first time, on-site translations were offered in Spanish.

The speech was open to the public.

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