SCRANTON – In delivering his 11th “State of the City” address on Thursday, March 29, Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty recalled his first address and the original goals of his administration. Standing inside the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce building on Mulberry Street and Penn Avenue, the mayor said his original focuses when assuming office were the city’s parks, downtown, and finances. Recognizing the struggles ahead, including how the city will handle an Oct. 2011 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision affirming back pay to the city’s fire and police unions, Doherty said he was “very confident in the state of our city.” “I know we’re headed on the right track because we have been on the right track,” he said. Doherty said a “desolate” downtown has been transformed due to recently created living opportunities. The former Chamber of Commerce building at the intersection of Mulberry Street and North Washington Avenue will be the seventh building in the last 24 months to be converted into apartments downtown, he said. The introduction of The Commonwealth Medical College helped spur residential growth in center city, but young professionals and retired citizens have also been attracted to a downtown lifestyle. “We actually were ahead of the curve,” Doherty said. “We were writing what was taking place… We were on to something new, something different than what the studies told us.” Collaboration with the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and the city’s educational institutions will help progress, he said. “Communities that have invested in education have been able to weather this recession better than others.” Doherty said he has embraced the sale of the city’s three hospitals because promised investments by buyers will improve healthcare in the area. A renewed investment in neighborhoods will occur this year, with $1 million for paving projects and more than $300,000 in demolition slated through the Office of Economic and Community Development. “We have tremendous challenges ahead but no different than when I stood here 11 years ago,” he said. “Like 11 years ago, we accept those challenges. “We know that, in the future, there will be even greater challenges.” The “surprising and disappointing decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court,” as it was characterized by Chamber of Commerce Vice President Rick Bishop in his introduction of the mayor, presents perhaps the greatest struggle. The ruling found that the city must pay police officers and fire fighters back pay worth at least $20 million, according to estimates from City Hall. Citing recent positive discussions with Scranton City Council President Janet Evans, Doherty said the city is working to prepare a path for the next five years. “We are a city of accomplishments, but we understand our responsibilities and we accept our responsibilities,” he said. “We’re willing to make tough decisions to bring everyone together so we can move the city forward.”
