Spano delivers State of the City Address

In his 2024 State of the City message, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said that Yonkers is a city with new businesses, new jobs, new services, new energy and a new vision. Spano gave his address last night in the auditorium of the city’s Riverfront Library.

“There’s a lot that’s the same like being one of safety cities in the nation, like being a city where people move to rather than move from, by being a city with the best high school graduation rate of any big city in New York state,” Spano said.

Spano said that this is the time for Yonkers to hit its stride and achieve its fullest potential. He said crime in Yonkers is down 24% since 2011 and “we intend to keep it down.” Spano praised what he called the extraordinary dedication of the city’s police force to the residents.

“We see the headlines; we see the criticisms of our police nationwide,” Spano said. “We see legislators passing laws in many places that make it harder for them to fight crime, to do their job. We see social media influencers who make it their business to criticize them rather than support them. I can’t say enough about the people of Yonkers who support the police and their mission at a level that you don’t see anywhere else.”

Spano revealed that as part of its efforts to add new technology to the police department the city is looking at adopting new techniques for pursuit of fleeing criminals that would include use of GPS trackers that can be fired at pursuing vehicles and allow officers to safely follow a car wherever it goes. He said that the Yonkers Police Department would be launching its first all-purpose drone this spring.

“The drone will provide a bird’s-eye view of incidents in real time, providing officers on the ground a vision of the situation before they even arrive, ” Spano said. “The advantage here is unmatched compared to traditional emergency response.”

Spano said that Yonkers is becoming a medical center, with expansion of medical offices and services along North Broadway in what he termed the “Medical Mile.” Spano said that the city is getting ready for the 2,500 apartment development at Chicken Island and a new 500 space garage along Nepperhan Avenue next to the Cacace Justice Center.

“There’s no doubt that our time in the Hollywood limelight is now,” Spano said in reference to the development of TV and movie studios in the city. He said that the expected opening this fall of the Mediapro studios on North Broadway should bring 650 new jobs to the city.

Spano said that there’s more arts activity in the city than ever and he pointed to progress made in renovating city parks as evidence that the city offers numerous public spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Spano said that while the city has been in the forefront of adopting energy-saving techniques, it soon will begin installation of solar-powered LED crosswalks at six intersections that will be illuminated at night for pedestrian safety.

Spano said that the city and school district are facing budget challenges but he expressed confidence that funding sources will be developed and he plans to continue urging Albany to provide more state funding.

“Now is the time to fight for the future of our students in public schools, to support public safety and community policing,” Spano said. “Now is the time for our investments in our economy to flourish and for us to even get more prosperity. Now is the time to embrace the diverse tapestry that makes this city beautiful and now is the time to be proud of the path that we have chosen, the path that we have traveled together.”