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2003 State of the City
Mayor Ralph K. Smith
STATE OF THE CITY 2003
July 23, 2003
Clarion Hotel
[Note: The State of the City Address will be cablecast on RVTV-3
on Thursday, July 24, 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, July 29, 9:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.]
Good Morning, Members of City Council, City Administration, and the Regional Chamber of Commerce, distinguished guests, fellow citizens.
I want to thank and commend the Chamber for hosting this third annual State of the City Breakfast. “Three” sounds like the beginning of a tradition to me.
What is the State of the City?
The State of the City is not a state of our city government, but rather it is the state of our City’s people.
Many words and phrases can define the State of the City – air service, drought, economic development, high tech, resource officers, stadium, school safety, water authority, and believing in ourselves.
These are just a few of the items that shape the State of the City today.
In my first two State of the City messages I reminded you that “we are better than we think we are – better than we give ourselves credit for.”
And more than anything else, we need to believe in ourselves and in the power of our own creativity and hard work.
Well, when faced with a drought from Mother Nature, we believed.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of abundance.
We went from one of the worst droughts in our history to one of the wettest springs ever.
Many prayed for an end to the dry spell and the Almighty answered.
As the old saying goes, God helps those who help themselves.
And that’s exactly what the city and county have been doing.
First and foremost, my fellow Roanokers actively did their part by remembering that “Every Drop Counts.”
The city’s marketing campaign is a great way to get the point across about conserving water.
And it’s still working.
Much credit goes to all of you who made “every drop count.” Thank you.
Next we’ve been busy creating a joint water and sewer authority. The City of Roanoke and Roanoke County are about to usher in an unprecedented climate of cooperation.
I am extremely proud of the city’s utilities director, Mike McEvoy and the County’s counterpart Gary Robertson. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty in this effort.
Roanoke has a new source of great pride in a renewed source of fresh water ---- Crystal Spring Filtration Plant.
It’s churning out between 3 and 4 million gallons of water every day.
Housing the largest micro-filtration system in Virginia, the plant was built in record time and under budget.
In fact, the Utilities Department did such a great job, Crystal Spring has been selected as a 2003 Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association.
Roanoke has been busy identifying enough potential water to meet our peak summertime needs, even if Carvins Cove dries up.
This past spring, City Council approved the money for additional well exploration.
This includes two new wells at River’s Edge Sports Complex and at Fire Station 8 on Crystal Spring Avenue. These additional water sources will help secure Roanoke’s water supply for decades to come.
Our water resource is a problem on its way to being resolved.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of “renovating versus wrecking ball.”
Does City Council have the will to tear down Victory Stadium?
Past Councils have not, and I predict future Councils will not.
So if we do build another stadium, I predict we will end up paying needlessly to maintain one stadium too many.
Before we begin building a second one, I suggest we decide what to do with the first ---- and that is renovate it.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of learning….learning the truth.
Concern over school safety and the underreporting of school violence has dominated recent headlines ---- and appropriately so.
I see a larger issue still.
Today the issue is school violence.
Yesterday it was questionable procurement practices.
A day earlier, it was hiring school employees with questionable backgrounds.
I believe the time has come for a new day of accountability within our school system.
A recent Joe Kennedy column in the Roanoke Times did an excellent job of putting into perspective the school leadership’s lack of accountability. It’s obvious that there needs to be a change in how the school system operates, from the School Board to the administration.
The School Board has its work cut out for it to turn this situation around.
It will have my support in that endeavor.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of spiritual growth.
This year, the Franklin Graham Festival brought together 55 denominations of Christians in the largest outpouring of prayer and fellowship our community has ever seen.
On the National Day of Prayer, Roanoke’s many religious communities came together for inspiration, strength and guidance, asking God for wisdom, courage, direction and comfort, offering thanks for the countless blessings God has provided us.
We continue to be a community of different faiths, and we continue to a community unified through faith.
The State of the City?
It’s the state of a new day ----- of new voices in Richmond.
Fralin, Ware, and Wyatt are familiar names in Roanoke – two of those will soon become familiar names in Richmond.
Many are saying that we are losing our voice in the General Assembly.
I believe we are ushering in a new day.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of belt-tightening.
Our economy, nationally and locally, is looking up, but we’re still in a shaky period of recovery, with high unemployment numbers, and corporate profits down.
I have advocated lowering the City’s annual budget, and I have fought many tax and fee increases, especially when our private and corporate citizens are struggling through a tough economy.
Although this seems to be a minority opinion in government, I believe our government should not be expanding its waistline when our citizens are being forced to tighten their belts.
I remain firmly opposed to tax increases.
Proposed sales tax hikes rejected by Northern Virginia and Tidewater voters last November tells me the public doesn’t want them.
City Council has put a cap on its spending, and the City administration has required all other municipal departments to cut their budgets.
After hearing from parents, and then touring our public schools myself, I saw first hand some of the deplorable conditions there, such as the bathrooms with no soap, no hand towel dispensers or working hand driers.
Contrast this with the extravagant spending, such as the multi-million dollar upgrade to the Civic Center.
I am convinced more than ever, we need to set our priorities straight.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of improving our government’s efficiency, while maintaining a focus on citizen service.
In my humble opinion, good governance is about common sense, and bringing a business approach to government. It’s about taking a serious look at what can be improved upon, and then improving it.
I am proud to tell you that our dedicated City of Roanoke municipal departments have done much over the past year to streamline services, cut waste, and keep us focused on providing good service to our customers – the citizens.
To outline all of the departmental accomplishments would take us past lunchtime.
So you can read all about them at your leisure in the handouts that are available this morning.
I will share with you a few of the highlights:
- The General Services department completed its vehicle utilization study, which resulted in a reduction of 600,000 dollars worth of underused city vehicles by various departments. The estimated cost savings over the next 10 years is about 3 million dollars. In addition, the department is salvaging parts from dead vehicles to repair damaged vehicles, and is reducing the number of expensive SUVs in the fleet, saving fuel, maintenance, and purchase cost.
- And our Police Department has implemented a take-home car program that allows officers who are City residents to drive their patrol cars home on a regular basis. This is designed to increase the visibility of marked vehicles on City streets and expedite police response to emergencies within the City.
- The Housing and Neighborhood Services department began the Southeast by Design pilot project on Bullitt and Jamison Avenues. The project tightly focuses federal block grant money into specific neighborhoods to spur redevelopment and improve quality of life in the Southeast Community.
So far, the City has renovated and converted a firehouse into a police substation, crime has been reduced by 50%, code violations have been reduced by 30%, properties are being renovated, and 16 new single-family homes are being built.
The next neighborhoods targeted for significant improvement include Gainsboro, Hurt Park, Loudon-Melrose, Washington Park and Old Southwest.
- Economic Development has implemented the Outdoor Dining Program, with eight downtown restaurants now participating, giving the downtown a more “metropolitan” feel.
- Management and Budget developed a 300 million dollar five-year capital improvement program that addresses critical community needs such as high school improvements, storm water management, flood reduction, parks improvements, downtown parking, economic development, and the need for more efficient and effective public facilities.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of cooperation.
At your direction, I have been an advocate for not only the “Star City”, but for the entire Roanoke Valley and Southwest Virginia.
Two and a half years ago, --- and for the first time in history, I – on behalf of the City of Roanoke, --- invited all elected officials and chief executives of the Valley governments together to meet on a regular basis to discuss our region’s economic future, and to work together for the mutual benefit of all our citizens.
Today, this Roanoke Valley Leadership Summit has expanded to include Alleghany County and Covington, as well as Virginia Tech and the New River Valley.
Our monthly work sessions are producing results, such as a new philosophy of sharing resources, rather than duplicating them.
One example is the City partnering with Roanoke County and Salem to bring larger sporting events to the Valley.
Events such as the national women’s softball World Series wouldn’t have happened without the cooperation of our three jurisdictions, because none of us individually have the facilities to handle that large of event without the help of the others.
And I am proud to announce that we are closing in on our goal of bringing more competitive airfares to the Valley by attracting a new low-cost carrier to the airport.
We currently have raised ticket purchase pledges from businesses, universities, and governments throughout the Roanoke and New River Valleys to attract a major carrier here.
The Regional Chamber, your local governments, Virginia Tech, Advance Auto, and hundreds of other companies have pledged $2 million to make Roanoke a more affordable place to fly in and out of. . . and those pledges continue to grow.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of economic development.
Creating cooperative governments, closer ties to Virginia Tech, better air service, and fiscally responsible government all lead to accomplishing another goal – opening Roanoke for business, and gaining new jobs for our citizens as a result of growing our existing businesses, and by attracting new employers to the Valley . . . . (yes, I said “the Valley,” not just “the City”).
Inc. Magazine calls us “one of the top 100 hot spots for business development.”
And according to Expansion Management Magazine, we’re one of the 50 hottest cities for business relocation and expansion of manufacturing. Economic development continues to thrive in Roanoke:
- Atlantic Credit and Finance --- a Roanoke-grown company --- is investing 8 million dollars by renovating the former Litton building, adding 225 new jobs. Atlantic Credit is one of Inc. Magazine’s 20 Fastest Growing Companies in America.
- Maple Leaf Bakery will expand again with an additional 12 million dollar investment and 25 new jobs.
- The Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership has created a partnership with the New River Valley Alliance to jointly market the two valleys and appear together at industry trade shows.
- High tech Roanoke-grown company -- Soft Solutions -- has graduated from the New Century Venture Center business incubator, and has been named the International Business Incubator Graduate of the Year. President Jay Foster cited our beautiful natural environment, and the educational resources at our universities as natural draws for start-up companies.
- America Online’s strategic partner and start-up company The Vidette Group chose Roanoke’s growing e-Town district as its headquarters. With an abundance of fiber and digital providers in the area, our skilled workforce, and outstanding quality of life, we expect other companies to follow The Vidette Group's lead.
- Approximately 2 million dollars in renovations have been done to complete the Warehouse Row Business Center – Roanoke City’s "technology" facility offering emerging new economy businesses flexible space and flexible leases.
- The Riverside Centre, which will house our biomedical research park, has begun construction with a parking garage, daycare facility, and more property acquisition.
- Virginia Western Community College has initiated a new workforce development program at the Higher Education center.
The program is focused on training and retraining our workforce for the jobs that exist today, and on being more responsive to the needs of the business community.
- This year, Carilion Health System --- nearly a billion dollar company --- brought more than 280 million new dollars to our area from people living outside the region seeking healthcare here.
And the numbers are growing as Carilion expands its facilities to accommodate more patients.
Healthcare is truly becoming one of the engines that drives our local economy.
- And finally, Roanoke has a natural climate for Tourism ---- with new greenways, a new Railwalk, a new Welcome Center at the Norfolk & Western Passenger Station, the O. Winston Link Museum, and continued local support of arts and cultural institutions, in spite of State funding cuts.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of assessing our strengths, and then telling the world about them.
In an effort to attract new business, increase tourism and raise our civic self-esteem, the City of Roanoke has begun the process of branding itself.
Just as businesses brand themselves, our community is working to identify its greatest strengths --- the things that make us different from the cities we compete against --- and then market those strengths to the world.
What are the keys that will drive the Roanoke brand?
· Roanoke has the right mix of big city amenities and small town charm.
· Roanoke is a gateway to a beautiful natural environment.
· And Roanoke is a place where one person and one business can truly make a difference.
The State of the City?
It’s a state of national recognition.
I think back to my first State of the City speech three years ago, and I said then, “we are better than we think we are.”
Despite our challenges, Roanoke doesn’t give itself enough credit for all the things we have and all the things we are.
Other people are recognizing us for our outstanding achievements. It’s about time we recognize them ourselves.
If you don’t believe me, just listen to what others are saying about our five-time All-America City:
- As I stated before, Inc. Magazine calls us “one of the top 100 hot spots for business development.”
- Expansion Management Magazine calls us one of the 50 hottest cities for “business relocation and expansion of manufacturing.”
- Money magazine not only said we are “one of the top eight places in America in which to retire,” but also “one of the top three small southern cities in which to live.”
- And we were twice named “America’s top digital city” by the Center for Digital Government for effectively bringing services and information to our citizens via the internet.
- Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine recognized Roanoke as “one of the top 10 healthiest places in the nation.”
- The University of Kentucky called Roanoke among the nation’s top 20 cities in quality of life.
If you are not convinced yet!
- Parenting magazine said Roanoke is one of the 10 best places in America to raise a family.
These are just a few of the accolades that we have received.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are the “Star City” – we need to recognize how special we are.
Roanoke is big enough to beat Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Tidewater to host events like the ---- Miss Virginia Pageant, Virginia’s Commonwealth Games,
FiddleFest --- America’s International Bluegrass Competition, and this fall’s International Technology Symposium.
I said it here three years ago, and I’ll say it again today:
Perhaps our biggest obstacle is a lack of confidence in ourselves. More than anything else, we need to believe in ourselves and in the power of our own creativity and hard work.
At the beginning of my speech this morning, I mentioned that the State of the City is not just the state of our city government, but it is also the state of our City’s people.
Helen Keller once said,“I long to accomplish a great and noble task,
but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”
What is our great and noble task?
To make Roanoke better tomorrow than it is today. But that can only be attained through many smaller tasks that we all must work on daily:
· to create an environment where businesses and employees prosper
· to preserve our green spaces and beautiful natural landscape
· to work with our neighboring communities for the good of all our citizens
· to spend our financial and natural resources wisely
· to educate our children to be the best they can be
· to create a safe environment in which to live and work
Each new success is building on the momentum of the last.
Do we have the unique combination of resources to be better tomorrow than we are today, and to stand out from other cities?
Yes! Those resources are already here. They are our natural beauty, our can-do business community, our abundance of colleges and universities, and our diverse and friendly people.
Do we have the confidence in ourselves to achieve it?
We do if we believe.
Do we have the willingness to do it?
That is the question. And the State of the City, ladies and gentlemen, is ultimately the state of our willingness.
Willingness to stand up publicly, take the reigns if others won’t, and work proudly for that better tomorrow.
Many in this room have already done that. But many more outside these walls must hear the message and stand up, as well.
Let’s take the message everywhere we go, and then challenge others to turn words to action.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
God has blessed America. He has blessed Roanoke, and may He bless us all
as we go about our great and noble task.
Thank you.
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