Mayor Julie Hoy gave her second State of the City address on Wednesday, March 11, at the Salem Convention Center downtown. During her address she committed to continuing forward on the city’s current path, and praised city leadership for progress on addressing priorities, and touted a more sust ainable approach to funding city services.  Part of that approach includes addressing cleanliness and safety concerns downtown and in northeast Salem with a new pilot program launched in January.  That program, the Safe, Clean and Healthy Salem initiative, expanded police and cleaning crews to address issues related to unsheltered homelessness and safety concerns. The program also included a new mobile crisis response team through the fire department called the REACH team.  The goal of the pilot program is to reduce repeat emergency calls, increase cleaning of homeless camps, and eventually save money by avoiding unnecessary emergency room trips.  Watch the full address online here, and read Salem Reporter’s coverage of the event here: Mayor Hoy committed to ‘staying the course’ on new public safety programs, fiscal responsibility Below is the full text of the speech, as provided by the city of Salem. 2026 State of the City  Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you all for being here today. It truly is an honor and a privilege to serve as your mayor. The State of the City is a long-standing tradition in Salem. It is a moment for reflection, for honesty, and for shared purpose. It brings together people from every corner of our community: business leaders, educators, public servants, nonprofit leaders, neighborhood advocates, faith leaders, and residents who simply care deeply about this place we call home. That matters. In a time when so much of public life can feel divided or cynical, it matters that we still gather like this. It matters that we still believe this city is worth our time, our effort, and our hope. Before we begin, I want to recognize some of the people who help lead this city every single day. Members of the Salem City Council:Councilor Paul Tigan representing Ward 1,Councilor Linda Nishioka representing Ward 2,Councilor Shane Matthews representing Ward 3,Councilor Deanna Gwyn representing Ward 4,Councilor Irvin Brown representing Ward 5,Councilor Vanessa Nordyke representing Ward 7, andCouncilor Micki Varney representing Ward 8. Ward 6 Councilor, Mai Vang, was unable to join us today. These positions are all volunteer. The time commitment is great. I thought I was busy when I ran a restaurant. This involves serving on numerous boards and commissions. Allow me to elaborate.  Tigan: seven. Nishioka: eight. Matthews: eight. Gwyn: nine. Brown: eight. Vang: three. Nordyke: six. Varney: five. I serve on fourteen. That does not include the work we all do in work and executive sessions, neighborhood associations, and community events.  Also seated here with us today, the person driving the bus and helping turn vision into action, our City Manager, Krishna Namburi.  Also in the audience are members of the city’s leadership team. Please stand and be recognized when I call your name:  Assistant City Manager/Director of Strategy Courtney Busch; City Attorney/Deputy City Manager Dan Atchison; Police Chief Trevor Womack; Fire Chief David Gerboth; Public Works Director Brian Martin; Community Services Director, Gretchen Bennett; Community Planning and Development Director Kristin Retherford; Finance Director Josh Eggleston. A special thanks to Tami Carpenter, who keeps the wheels on the bus.  I want to point out that we have nine elected officials and nine members on the city leadership team.  Krishna stepped into this role during a time when Salem needed clear leadership, calm judgment, and a willingness to get to work. She has brought all of that and more. In a relatively short time, she and our city team have made meaningful progress. We all know there is still much work to do, but real changes have been realized, and our city is stronger because of the work happening inside city hall today. I am grateful for her leadership, and I am grateful for the many city employees who show up every day to serve Salem with professionalism, care, and commitment. Please join me in thanking our city council, our city manager, the leadership team, and all the people who do the often unseen work of keeping this city moving. Acknowledge Veterans and Service Members:  Acknowledge Dignitaries in the room: I also want to recognize the organizations that help make this annual event possible. Members of the Salem City Club, please stand. Members of the Salem Downtown Rotary, please stand. And this year’s host, the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for your investment in Salem and for continuing this civic tradition. We also want to thank Portland General Electric for joining us as a sponsor, and especially to Wendy Veliz for your support. We appreciate you being part of today. Before I go any further, I want to say a more personal thank you. To my family and friends, thank you for your support, your humor, your prayers, and your patience. Public service is never done alone. There is always a circle of people carrying part of the weight, often quietly, often behind the scenes. To my husband Roger, and to our restaurant team, thank you for picking up the slack in all the ways you do. Your hard work makes it possible for me to be fully present in this volunteer role and to serve this community the way it deserves. And yes, for those of you who have asked, I am still making the minestrone soup. And it is still delicious. As we look at the State of the City, I want to begin by recognizing that the future of Salem is sitting in classrooms across this city right now. Youth engagement and optimism Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to hear the Sprague High School orchestra perform. Their string orchestra tied for third place at the statewide championship. That kind of achievement does not happen by accident. It reflects dedication, talent, discipline, encouragement, and many hours of practice from students, teachers, and families. Thank you all for being here today and sharing your talents with us. A special thanks to the group’s longtime conductor, Lisa Rael. Last week, I dropped in on the PROSTART statewide competition for high school culinary and event management students, held right here in this building. Salem CTEC students swept both categories and will represent our city at the national competition in Baltimore next month. How great is that? And later this spring, students from South, McKay, and Blanchet High Schools will represent Salem at the national DECA competition. Last week, I also had the pleasure of welcoming more than one hundred students to the ILEAD Youth Summit, hosted by the city of Salem, the Boys Girls Club, and Marion County Health and Human Services. I was genuinely impressed by the quality of those young people—their questions, their openness, their energy, their dedication. No one arrived unnoticed, and I am certain no one left unchanged – including me. When I spend time with young people, I am encouraged. They are our future, yes, but they also bring something important to the present. They remind us that hope is not naïve. It is necessary.  It should be noted that we all contribute to student success because we all show up in our own ways. From the businesses that show up with sponsorships, to those of us who fill the stands and auditoriums, to the schools and teachers who cultivate our future every day, and most especially to the families who nurture this next generation.  One student recently asked me, “What is the hardest part of being mayor?” I told the truth. Sometimes the hardest part is knowing you want to fix a problem quickly, but a quick fix is not always possible. They seemed to understand that. Young people often do. They have not yet surrendered to cynicism. They have not decided that hard problems cannot be solved. They still believe things can get better. And honestly, I think we could all use a little more of that. Sometimes our community guides students to show up for us. I am excited to share that Isaac’s Room will be introducing a business project for flower baskets downtown focused on financial literacy to youth in our community. This initiative will help brighten downtown from May through October while supporting at-risk youth in developing entrepreneurial skills and fostering long-term investment and commitment in our community. Challenges last year Now, before we talk about where we are going, we need to remember where we were a year ago because context matters. Last year at this time, Salem was facing some very real challenges. We were navigating a leadership transition. We were staring at a nearly 13.8 million dollar budget shortfall. Residents were frustrated. Businesses were uncertain. Many people felt unsafe in parts of our city. And there was a growing sense that city hall had drifted too far from its core responsibilities. The community wanted a different path. When I ran for mayor, I promised to get Salem back to basics. Responsible budgeting. Public safety. Focusing on core services. A city government that remembers who it works for. Those priorities may not sound flashy. But local government shouldn’t be flashy. It needs to be reliable. It needs to be responsive. It needs to be focused. And it needs to deliver the fundamentals well. That has been my goal over the last year. Not chasing headlines. Not chasing ideology. Not pretending that every problem has a dramatic or instant solution. Instead, we’ve focused on doing the work that belongs to local government, and building a stronger foundation for everything that comes next. Back to Basics and deliver on the fundamentals Responsible budgeting. For me, that starts with the budget. The number one responsibility of any government is managing the public’s money wisely. Period. With the help of volunteers on the Forecast Review Team, a citizen-led efficiency group, city staff, and members of this community who were willing to lean in, we took a hard look at where we were and what needed to change. We adjusted our forecasting methodology, we looked inward to find efficiencies and cost reductions internally, and only then did we consider asking for additional money from the community for certain services. In May, the operating levy passed by voters gave us an important tool to sustain cherished community services like the library, Center 50+, and parks and recreation. That was significant. It changed the immediate picture and helped stabilize services people care deeply about. This also helped to protect public safety services. I want to be clear. I don’t believe more revenue is always the answer.  We have to manage what we have.  We have to think beyond one year at a time. We have to resist the temptation to create ongoing obligations without ongoing funding. That is why our city manager has committed to managing Salem’s budget with a five-year horizon. That matters. It is easy in government to make short-term choices that feel good in the moment and create bigger problems later. We are working to do the opposite. We are trying to be realistic now so that Salem is stronger later. That does not mean the road ahead is easy. It is not. Health insurance costs continue to rise. The employer share of PERS continues to put pressure on city budgets across Oregon. Those are real costs, and they are largely outside local control. But the right response is not panic, and it is not pretending the problem will solve itself. The right response is to be disciplined. The right response is to be transparent. The right response is making smart decisions before circumstances worsen.  We are also using pilot programs more intentionally. Instead of launching something large and permanent before we know whether it works, we are testing ideas on a smaller scale, building in expectations for performance, and learning as we go. That is just good government. And through the Council’s Finance Committee, we have launched a performance auditing program so we can look honestly at where we can work smarter, save money, and deliver better outcomes.  Budget committee meetings begin April 15 and are scheduled each Wednesday through the month of May. Please follow our budget process. And, keep us accountable.  Because at the end of the day, our job is simple: to be good stewards of the people’s money. And the people of Salem deserve the confidence that it is being handled with care. Public Safety Once you begin getting your fiscal house in order, you create conditions to focus on the next core responsibility of city government: public safety. Public safety remains one of my top priorities because it remains one of the top priorities of the people we serve. For me, public safety means something pretty straightforward. It means people should be able to live, work, shop, walk, recreate, and raise their families in Salem with confidence and sense of security. It means businesses should feel safe for themselves and for the customers who visit them. It means neighborhoods should feel seen. It means that when there is a crisis, the right people are showing up with the right services. And it means that dignity and accountability can coexist. In short, it means everyone feels safe. Immigration enforcement Over the last year, we have made meaningful progress. And before moving on, I want to address an issue that has weighed heavily on many community members over the past year.  Across the country, immigration enforcement actions have created fear and uncertainty for many families. Salem has not been immune to those concerns. These are deeply personal concerns and deserve to be acknowledged with honesty and compassion.  Let me be clear about something:  the city of Salem does not control federal immigration policy or enforcement. Those decisions are made at the national level. What we can do as a city is ensure that our community has access to clear information, trusted resources, and a sense of stability during uncertain times. That is why the city worked with community partners to make sure residents have access to accurate information about their rights and about the services available to them. We continue to support community-based organizations that provide legal guidance and family support. And, we made sure city departments understood how to respond when residents came forward with concerns. Every person who lives here deserves to feel that they are part of this community and that their city government cares about their wellbeing.  Fire police One major milestone in Public Safety was the Salem Fire Department’s transition to local ambulance service. In June, Salem Fire welcomed fifty-one new medics to the team. These EMTs and paramedics went through a rigorous recruitment and training process to be ready to serve this community. I am especially proud that this class reflects the diversity of our city, with women making up more than forty percent of the new hires. This transition represents more than a change in service delivery. It represents a faster response time, a stronger local system and a deeper commitment to community health. I want to thank the Fire Chief, David Gerboth, for his dedication, vision, and leadership in our community. I also want to take a moment to thank Police Chief Trevor Womack for his years of service to Salem, and thirty-four years in policing as he prepares to retire. His service has deeply impacted our community through some of our most challenging times.  Chief, I am so happy for you, and so grateful to your stewardship of Salem’s police officers and our community, stabilizing the department’s staffing so that it could continue to keep us safe and thriving, engaging directly in the tough conversations about violent crime and bringing our community alongside in partnership and trust through the Community Violence Reduction Initiative. Yours will be a lasting impact on our community, and your example of leadership will have a lasting impact on me. Thank you.  Chief Womack built a strong leadership team, and I am excited to work with Assistant Chief. I am confident in his leadership and in the department’s ability to move forward smoothly during this transition. A few notable changes the past year to our Police Department: First, officers have increased their visibility downtown and in northeast Salem. After hearing from residents and business owners, we all knew we needed a more consistent presence in the places where people most wanted to feel improvement. That feedback mattered, and we acted on it and progress is being felt in those areas. Then, with financial support from the business community and unanimous Council action, we expanded the Police Department’s Homeless Services Team from four days a week to seven. That was an important step. This team does difficult work with a great deal of care. They help respond to unmanaged encampments, connect individuals to shelter and services, and address safety concerns in ways that are both practical and humane. We also expanded our cleanup efforts to seven days a week as part of the Safe, Clean and Healthy Salem initiative.  And then we added another piece. In January, we launched the REACH Team (Rapid Engagement, Assessment and Community Health) a partnership between Salem Fire and Marion County Health and Human Services. This team includes a paramedic, an EMT, and a county mental health associate responding to emotional disturbances, overdoses, and other health emergencies, while also doing proactive outreach to prevent emergencies before they happen. I greatly appreciate Marion County’s support in providing help for mental health resource for this program. Chief Gerboth was at Council Monday evening and delivered a report on the first month of service. The data proved, beyond expectations, the impact of this program.  That matters because not every 911 call needs the same response. Not every crisis is a crime. Not every situation is best served by sending a fire engine or a patrol unit alone. Sometimes what is needed is medical care. Sometimes it is behavioral health expertise. The relocation of the Marion County psychiatric center to a larger space is proving beneficial to those needing services. Sometimes it is relationship-building and follow through. REACH reflects a more thoughtful way of responding, one that helps people in crisis and also frees up emergency resources for other urgent needs.  What do we expect from all these efforts? We expect faster response to safety concerns. We expect more timely and appropriate care for people experiencing behavioral health or substance use crises. We expect more people to get connected to shelter, treatment, and mental health services. We expect fewer repeat emergency calls. We expect more cleaning of unmanaged encampments and trash left behind.  And yes, over time, we expect cost savings from avoiding unnecessary ambulance transports, ER visits, and repeated system use.  And perhaps most importantly, it already feels better. In order to function well, order is needed.  Focusing on core services I appreciate the comprehensive approach of the Safe, Clean, and Healthy Salem Initiative.  Following the unfortunate UGM stabbing incident. What began as my effort to focus on core services and strengthen public safety in downtown has evolved into an initiative that addresses multiple community needs.  This program started as a six-month pilot, and the city manager recently announced during a city council meeting that she hopes to present a budget this year proposing a 12-month extension. I am grateful for the council’s unanimous support in recognizing the opportunity to address these basic issues comprehensively and for supporting the process every step of the way. In other great news, the new Bridgeway facility on Front Street will be opening soon. Salem will have its first actual sobering facility. Congratulations to all involved, and a special thanks to Tim Murphy’s lifetime of dedication. This facility will open debt free. Wouldn’t be great if all projects could begin this way.  Community engagement and remember who we work for Over the past year, the city has focused heavily on community engagement, surveying residents to understand what matters most to them. Our initial survey was conducted in September 2025, and we asked residents about perceptions of safety in different parts of the city.  After making changes to our services, we followed up in early February to see whether those changes were making a difference.  The results were encouraging: perceptions of livability improved in downtown, West Salem, and north and northeast Salem, with downtown seeing the largest increase. Feelings of safety at night improved in all areas of the city, with the biggest gains in north and northeast Salem. That matters. And we’re just getting started. Because when people feel safer, they want to be out and about. They stay longer. They bring their families. They spend money. They participate. They help build momentum. And that is how positive change starts to compound. As we focus on these basics and deliver on the fundamentals: Responsible budgeting, public safety, focusing on core services, and remembering who we work for Something else begins to happen.  It creates the conditions for the private sector and community partners to thrive. Salem becomes a city where investors have confidence, businesses can grow, and residents can experience the benefits of a well-run city. It sets the stage for  Economic Development Tourism Partnerships Infrastructure Investment.  These are not separate from good governance. They are a natural extension of it.  It’s about building the foundation for Salem’s future prosperity.  Economic/community development That is why economic momentum matters so much. It is not separate from city government doing its job well. In many ways, it is a result of it. In 2025, new commercial and industrial building permits exceeded seventy-eight million dollars in valuation. That is not just a statistic. That represents real projects, real construction activity, real investment, and real jobs. Every building project brings with it both immediate economic activity and long-term opportunity. It means people working. It means businesses growing. It means tax base. It means confidence. Affordability is a primary issue on many levels.  At the same time, the city processed more than one thousand land use applications in 2025, up significantly from just two years earlier. And on the housing side, the city issued permits for roughly 855 housing units, including continued growth in middle housing and accessory dwelling units. That equates to duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, cottage clusters, and other creative housing forms that help us meet demand in ways that fit Salem’s neighborhoods.  I also want to be candid here. We have heard clearly from the development community that city processes during permitting, and construction still needs improvement. That is fair feedback. We have accomplished a lot, but there is more to do. Salem needs to be seen as a partner. Because when someone is willing to invest in Salem, we should be ready to help them succeed. We need to continue the mindset of “City of Salem. At Your Service.”  Where we are falling short, we need to pick it up and do better. I am committed to making “At Your Service” our posture and will keep doing everything I can as your mayor to support consistency across all city services.  Tourism Tourism is another important measure of growth and confidence. Last year, our region welcomed 2.7 million visitors, and tourism supported around 8,000 jobs. Visitors support hotels, restaurants, retail shops, event spaces, and a whole range of small businesses. They bring energy and outside dollars into our local economy. They help make the city more vibrant for residents as well.  On February 13, 2020, then-Mayor Chuck Bennett stood in this very spot and spoke about the success of the convention center. He noted the fact that in fifteen years, this venue had brought an estimated fifty-one million dollars in revenue to our community, along with more than one million attendees, with an average of 580 events annually. He also shared the good news about the early payoff of the revenue bonds used to pay for the project. The success of this public/private partnership was proven.  Mayor Bennett also announced the expansion of this venue, which was said to take place the following year. Three weeks later, Covid shut progress down, and we were all in a fight for our lives. Both personally and professionally, survival became the name of every game.  To date this facility attracted many events to Salem, bringing families and visitors into our downtown and our community. Countless nonprofits have expanded their outreach through events on this property, and I think I’ve been to most of them! It is our premier gathering space for events in Salem, and a first ever public/private partnership to get this done. It has served nonprofits, businesses, civic groups, and visitors. And an expansion remains a smart economic development opportunity for Salem.  Opportunities like these can have a lasting impact on our community, and we should explore the best ways to move them forward. Similar prospects exist throughout our community. We all know properties that are right for redevelopment and that could serve as catalysts for change yet to be imagined. Partnership One of the most important aspects of running a local government is building strong partnerships with the counties and the state. Over the past year, we’ve made significant progress in these relationships. Marion County’s support for the REACH program was a key step forward, and we continue to work with the state on our legislative priorities and with ODOT to better maintain their rights-of-way. These partnerships are critical to Salem’s future. Infrastructure And while we are talking about visible progress, let’s talk about infrastructure. The city of Salem was awarded $1.35 million for the Salem-Willamette Valley Airport in the 2026 Session. Thank you, Representative Mannix and Representative Andersen, Representative Evans, Representative Munoz and Representative Diehl, Senator Patterson, and Senator Thatcher for supporting the city, and all our supporters who provided testimony in support of the city’s ask. This funding sets up the Salem-Willamette Valley Airport as a regional base for emergency functions and resiliency efforts in event of a natural disaster.  We’ll be able to combine this funding with another $850,000 in federal funding, from an appropriation Congresswoman Salinas secured, and complete the airport terminal master plan and building additional passenger waiting areas.  We are expecting $500,000 from a federal appropriation to provide emergency power at two Salem Housing Authority senior housing properties. During the 2021 ice storm, both properties, housing 114 residents, were without power for seven days, leaving residents without heat, elevators, cooking facilities, or the ability to contact emergency medical services. This funding will ensure reliable emergency power and protect our senior residents in future crises. The 2022 Safety and Livability Bond gave us the chance to make long-needed investments in parks, streets, sidewalks, and transportation connections across Salem. These are not glamorous line items on a spreadsheet. They are the kinds of projects people actually experience in daily life. Safer intersections. Better parks. Improved drainage. Roads that function. Spaces where kids can play and neighbors can gather. Across Salem, we are seeing new play equipment, sports courts, and gathering spaces at parks like Morningside, Livingston, Geer, and Highland. McKay park will be the first restroom built in Salem in a long time. It will be Portland loo style: the premier place to go. Soon, Riverfront Park will feature a newly expanded inclusive playground. That is exciting, not just because it is new, but because it reflects a city trying to create spaces where more people feel welcome and connected.  We are also making major progress on transportation corridors. If you have driven near McGilchrist or down 25th Street, you have seen the transformation underway. What used to be a narrow corridor with drainage issues is becoming a modern, safer, more functional route for people and goods. Projects like that test patience, I know. But good infrastructure does not happen without disruption, and this one will be worth it. We are already seeing signs of new development interest nearby.  Silverton Road is next for major improvements. And looking ahead, Marine Drive in West Salem will become an important new connection, helping improve mobility and giving people more options.  One of the most notable projects is the Detroit drawdown and water security. This is one that many residents rarely think about – unless it becomes a problem. Our drinking water.  As you may know, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been conducting a multi-year drawdown of Detroit Reservoir as part of its work to improve fish passage in the Willamette River Basin. This work is important for environmental restoration and for protecting endangered species. But, the drawdown also created special challenges for communities such as Salem that rely on the North Santiam River as a primary source for drinking water.  Our Public Works Team, including Director Brian Martin, began preparing for this well in advance. They coordinated with the Corps of Engineers, the State of Oregon, and other regional partners to monitor conditions and plan for potential impacts. They evaluated water treatment options, closely monitored river conditions, and took steps to ensure Salem’s drinking water remained resilient and safe. This kind of preparation may not make headlines, but it is exactly the kind of work that keeps a city running safely and reliably. I’m proud of the work the team has done to stay ahead of this challenge. Our residents expect that when they turn on the tap, clean drinking water will be there. Businesses as well. I know firsthand that our local Yamasa facility, a thirteen-generation company, and a great community partner, came to Salem because of the quality of our water.  Water security may not always be visible, but it is one of the most important responsibilities of a municipality.  All these projects are about quality of life, yes. But they are also about economic opportunity, safety, and long-term growth. Downtown Downtown deserves its own mention. This past year, we took practical steps to support downtown recovery and revitalization. We transitioned to paid on-street parking, which is already improving turnover and making more spaces available for customers. We phased out the downtown business parking tax and returned parking district taxes to businesses that had paid in since July. That matters. Businesses need to know the city is listening and willing to adjust.  We also opened the urban renewal-funded grant program to both businesses and property owners in and around downtown so they can improve storefronts and properties. That is exactly the kind of catalytic investment urban renewal is supposed to support. The Marion Parkade renovation is another good example: improving safety, lighting, and appearance in a way that helps spur further redevelopment.  Revitalization does not happen in one big dramatic moment. It happens block by block, project by project, decision by decision. It happens when public investment and private initiative start to reinforce each other. And that is the direction downtown is moving. A special shout out to the city’s Downtown Advisory Board and Salem’s Main Street Association. They offer passion, ideas, and real solutions to bolster downtown and all it offers. Our community services matter too, because a city is more than budgets, pavement, and emergency response. A city. Our city. Is also the place where people connect. Operating levy Thanks to the five-year operating levy passed by voters last year, we have expanded hours at the Salem Public Library and continued support for parks, recreation, and Center 50+. That is worth celebrating. These services are not extras. They are part of what makes a city livable. And voters made it happen, and that is worth celebrating.  And this year, Center 50+ celebrates fifty years. Think about that. Fifty years of service. Fifty years of connection. Fifty years of creating a place where older adults can learn, contribute, belong, and thrive. That kind of legacy says something wonderful about Salem. Bloomberg / Harvard City Leadership Initiative Before I wrap up, I want to briefly share something that has opened a meaningful new path for Salem. Last year, I was invited to participate in the Bloomberg-Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a program that brings mayors together from cities around the world to share ideas and learn how to tackle tough local challenges. Through that experience, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside leaders from forty-seven cities. We’ve shared what’s working, what’s not, and how cities can approach complex problems in smarter ways. But the most important part is what it means for Salem. As part of this work, we assembled a local team of thirty people from across our community, individuals representing different backgrounds, perspectives, and areas of expertise. Together, they have engaged in thoughtful and sometimes very candid conversations about one of Salem’s most important priorities: public safety. When we talk about public safety, we are talking about the full picture, cleanliness in our public spaces, the challenges of homelessness, mental health needs, and criminal activity of all kinds. These are complex issues, and they require thoughtful solutions. This group has already begun identifying meaningful opportunities to improve safety and vitality in our downtown and across the city. Next week, seven members of this Salem team will travel to Harvard to meet with teams from other cities around the world. Each city is bringing a small group like ours, people working together to learn from one another and to share ideas that can help move our communities forward. For Salem, this represents a new approach, bringing together local leadership, national expertise, and global perspectives to tackle our most important challenges. It reminds us that we do not have to solve every problem alone. Good leadership means learning from others, building partnerships, and bringing the best ideas we can find back home to serve our community. Leadership Reflection / Story During one of the Bloomberg leadership sessions, we discussed the story of Ernest Shackleton and his Antarctic expedition in the early 1900s. Shackleton set out in 1914 with a crew of twenty-eight men, hoping to accomplish something no one had ever done, to cross Antarctica from one side to the other. But the journey quickly turned into something very different. In 1915, their ship, the Endurance, became trapped in the ice in the Weddell Sea. For seven long months the crew drifted, frozen in the ice, until the pressure finally crushed the ship and it sank. Suddenly the mission was no longer exploration. It was survival. The crew escaped in small lifeboats and eventually reached a remote island. But they were still hundreds of miles from help. So Shackleton and five of the men set out again, sailing more than 800 miles across the Ocean in a small lifeboat to reach help. After several failed rescue attempts, Shackleton returned for the rest of his crew. Twenty-eight men had begun the expedition. All twenty-eight survived. Not because the original plan worked, but because the leadership did. It remains one of the greatest examples of leadership through uncertainty, staying steady, adapting when circumstances change, and never losing sight of the people you are responsible for. In many ways, Salem’s work together reminds me of that lesson. Can you imagine convincing twenty-eight people to commit to something difficult together? I can. In fact, I asked thirty. And we’re doing that work right now. Like Shackleton’s crew, we face challenges. Sometimes progress is slower than we would like. Sometimes we need to change course. But when we stay committed to the work, and to each other, we move forward. Little by little.Day by day. And that is how communities succeed. As I reflect on the past 14 months as your Mayor, this is exactly what happened to Salem. We focused on the basics: responsible budgeting, public safety, delivering core services, and remembering who we work for. Together, we have made meaningful progress. We have turned the corner. The challenge now is whether we can stay the course. I am confident that we can. It will require discipline and sensible, thoughtful decisions to continue moving forward. As your Mayor, you have my commitment that I will continue to lead us in staying on that course. Closing I want to close by reflecting on something that is easy to overlook but incredibly important: the impact each of you has on this community. As I look around this room, I see people who give their time, their energy, resources, and their passion to Salem. You may be members of our faith community.You may be business owners or employees.You may own a home or rent here.You may be raising your children.You may be advocates for causes that matter deeply to you. But what connects all of you is this: you care about Salem. And it is those everyday connections, the conversations, the volunteer work, the partnerships, the willingness to show up – that shape the future of our city. That is how communities grow stronger. I am excited about what we can accomplish together. I see the people in this community helping shape the next chapter of Salem. And I invite all of you to continue being part of that work. My commitment, like so many of yours, is service to this community. To the volunteers, the advocates, the leaders, and the neighbors who make Salem what it is today: Thank you. The future of Salem is something we will build together. Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected]. LOCAL NEWS DELIVERED TO YOU: Subscribe to Salem Reporter and get all the fact-based Salem news that matters to you. Fair, accurate, trusted – SUBSCRIBE The post READ IT: Mayor Julie Hoy’s full 2026 State of the City address appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less