Best and worst of times, mayor says

For Mayor Lioneld Jordan’s state of the city address last night, he recalled Charles Dickens’ famous line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

In the best of times column, he cited the establishment of the Satellite Campus of the UAMS medical school in Fayetteville, improvements to the city’s website, and expansion of infrastructure, including the district court building.

The primary goal for this year would be to secure funding for establishing a green jobs training center in Fayetteville, the mayor said.

Mayor Jordan delivers his speech

“That is my top priority for 2010,” Jordan said.

The mayor also extended his full support for the ballot measure that would change the Hotel-Motel and Restaurant (HMR) tax to be used for park maintenance.

The city will also facilitate a series of public hearings for long-term solutions to the parking problem in the entertainment district, Jordan said.

On the “worst of times” side, the mayor noted the worst financial climate since the Great Depression.

Fayetteville has had to deal with a drop in revenue, but the city has worked to improve efficiency to help offset the financial shortfall, the mayor said.

Click below to hear “2010 State of the City Address” by Mayor Lioneld Jordan
[audio:http://s99750.gridserver.com/mp3/2010-state_of_city.mp3]

Download the 2010 State of the City Address (PDF)

More from the Web

Make sure to check out Christopher Spencer’s coverage of last night’s meeting at Ozarks Unbound.

Chris has a video of Mayor Jordan’s entire speech as well as a point-by-point overview that includes plenty of links to keep you occupied.

> Visit Ozarks Unbound

Mary Robbins is a contributor for the Fayetteville Flyer. She declared Fayetteville as her hometown upon moving here for college. She is a Journalism graduate who enjoys live music, the outdoors and attending city council meetings. For more of Mary’s contributions, visit her author page.