FALL RIVER — The city is strong and getting stronger — that was the theme of Mayor Jasiel Correia II’s State of the City address during a joint City Council and School Committee meeting on Tuesday.
The upbeat address parroted most of the accomplishments he touted in stump speeches during the recent recall election, which exactly a week before saw the 27-year-old mayor recalled then immediately re-elected from a slate of five candidates.
Without directly addressing the recent recall election, Correia asked for cooperation from his fellow elected leaders.
“I know we haven’t always gotten along, and I know some of you are not happy with recent developments. For the good of the city, and adhering to your oath, please put the differences aside to get even more great things for the citizens of our great city,” said Correia.
Promising that his administration is committed to providing services to the citizens the city services they have asked for and deserve.
Correia again highlighted trash pickup, which received a round of applause from his supporters.
“You elected me to serve as your mayor in the hopes that the programs that are important to you and the fees and expenses that have burdened you will be eliminated,” said Correia. “You asked me to eliminate the $120 trash and we did it. You asked me to get rid of the purple bag program and we did it.”
Correia repeated the claim that his administration is the only community in the commonwealth to have eliminated two fees and increased the city’s stabilization account from $500,000 when he took office three years ago to more than $7 million.
“In fiscal year 2020 we will focus on raising new revenue that does not burden our residents and businesses. Solar development, marijuana sales, billboard and electronic advertisement will all be revenue that does not come from taxpayers' pockets,” said Correia.
A new transfer station, a project he announced during the recall election, will bring in $750,000 annually, Correia claimed.
A new street-sweeping program “brought street-sweepers to neighborhoods where they had never been to before,” Correia said.
“This is what we deserve, a clean and safe city. Our infrastructure is strong and getting stronger,” said Correia using the catchphrase he would repeat throughout the half-hour speech.
With no detail, Correia dropped two news items when he declared that the old Bedford Street police station and the contaminated refinishing company known as Nu-Chrome would be in the hands of private entities in a month.
Correia touted the improvements to public safety that will include his increasing manpower in the Fall River Fire Department from 175 to 195, give police raises and increase overtime.
He acknowledged that there were still challenges facing the city with the opioid crisis.
“I need everyone’s help with tackling this issue,” said Correia.
As for education, Correia vowed that in addition to building a new B.M.C. Durfee High School, the city will build a new Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School.
Email Jo C. Goode at jgoode@heraldnews.com.
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