1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,160 Five o'clock having arrived on this Wednesday, September 9th 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:10,640 It's my honor to call to order this special council meeting for the city state of the city address for 2026 3 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:15,840 First item of business before we begin the presentation is the Pledge of Allegiance of the flag 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,320 If you could please join as you are able and join me in the pledge 5 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:27,120 I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation 6 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:31,200 Under our indivisible with liberty and justice for all 7 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,800 President Jorgensen members of the city council and my fellow residents of Racine 8 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:47,040 Thank you for joining me tonight for the 2026 state of the city 9 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,160 We have a great deal to be proud of this year. We have invested in our schools 10 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:58,240 We have invested in our neighborhoods. We have invested in the safety and well-being of the people who live here 11 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:04,080 And yet there are dark clouds on the horizon because we are still working to free ourselves from disinvestment 12 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,600 And from the constraints placed on us by the state and federal governments 13 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,960 So let me begin with the good news and it begins where it should always begin with our kids 14 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,160 This is the time of year when parents rejoice at sending their children back to school 15 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,680 With the school year underway, I would be remiss not to celebrate what our public schools mean to this community 16 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,160 The strength of this city is tied directly to the strength of its public schools 17 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,920 So to the teachers and staff who came back to work this fall 18 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:33,760 Thank you 19 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:39,600 Your dedication will shape this community's future because you are shaping our most precious resource our children 20 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:45,360 I am proud to say that all three of my children attend case high school in Racine unified schools 21 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,840 They are thriving and they will be ready for adulthood because of our USD 22 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:55,360 Because of its IB program and because of the teachers who inspire them each in every single day 23 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,560 This fall many of our students returned 24 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:04,160 To new or renovated classrooms because the voters of this community approved a school referendum 25 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:10,880 Just before the year began. I was glad to join ribbon cuttings at case high school goodland school and waterwood school 26 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,520 And this spring during one of our clean sweeps 27 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:19,200 We worked alongside students at the new red apple school to plant flowers for neighbors up and down the block 28 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:27,840 If you ever want proof that voting matters remember this a referendum that invests hundreds of millions of dollars in rebuilding and repairing our schools 29 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,480 Past by five votes 30 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:36,320 Not five percent but literally five votes out of tens of thousands of votes cast 31 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:39,680 Democracy matters and every vote counts 32 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,400 Good schools do more than prepare young people to be workers and citizens 33 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,560 They anchor neighborhoods and they are central to the revival of this city 34 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:54,800 Neighborhood reinvestment and repair remain a top priority for us alongside the school construction 35 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,840 The city has taken on project after project to strengthen the places our residents call home 36 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:05,760 We launched our clean sweep program bringing city crews and city resources into one neighborhood at a time 37 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:12,320 To trim trees repair sidewalks fill potholes all the way bulky waste and handout smoke detectors 38 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:18,960 The repairs matter but what matters more is that the residents of those neighborhoods feel seen and appreciated 39 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:24,160 Through our home repair and enhancement grants. We have delivered more than 1,100 grants of $10,000 40 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,080 To each homeowner across each to homeowners across the city 41 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:33,280 We're using federal funds to build houses with habitat for humanity in three neighborhoods 42 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:42,160 And we launched we're seeing rehabbed and ready putting a $25,000 grant in place to bring a vacant house up to code and sold to a homeowner 43 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:49,600 All of it is working home ownership and we're seeing has climbed from approximately 51 percent to 62 percent 44 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:55,280 Prichard park apartments will add 266 new market rate units to the city 45 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:01,360 We have taken an all of the above approach to housing our goal is more home ownership 46 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:03,680 But our commitment is to every resident 47 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,120 At every income level rich or poor owner and renter alike 48 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,480 We are especially excited about the lincoln king neighborhood 49 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,240 A grant from governor evers allowed us to build 33 town homes 50 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:21,200 Which will set self for half of what they cost us to build putting home ownership within reach 51 00:04:21,840 --> 00:04:28,080 In that neighborhood. We rehabilitated eight more homes in that neighborhood and we're building two other new homes with habitat 52 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:29,200 Humanity 53 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:34,800 As proud as we are of the housing we may be proud or still of the new king center now under construction 54 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:43,280 It opens early next year and it will offer not only new recreation space, but medical dental and behavioral health care services 55 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:48,000 Our public health department will be housed there as well so that we can improve community health 56 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,960 From inside the community it will be the first net zero building in the city 57 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:57,280 And more than 20 percent of the hours worked on that site went to receive residents 58 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,080 This project will be transformative 59 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:05,120 For the neighborhood for the kids and families at julie and tama school right next door 60 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:07,680 And frankly for the entire city 61 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:11,840 My thanks to the staff and community members who gave so much to make it real 62 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:16,960 And to president biden senator ballwin and governor evers for directing the funding our way 63 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,160 We're continuing to pull unsafe led service lines out of our drinking water system 64 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:28,240 More than 1200 residents have signed off on replacing lines this year and close to 400 are already complete 65 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:34,160 My administration made a promise to remove those lines and with resources from the infrastructure law 66 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,440 We secured a 40 million dollar grant to get there faster 67 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:44,320 Ride our bus system now has a solar ray helping to power our bus fleet thanks to a grant from senator ballwin 68 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:47,920 And then there's passenger rail 69 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,920 Passenger rail has been talked about in southeast wisconsin for decades 70 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,520 Sometimes they say it's an idea that's so good. It cannot go away 71 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:02,480 When the bipartisan infrastructure law passed a few years ago, it set aside billions of dollars for new rail corridors 72 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:08,960 To be ready for it racene joint konosha cut a hay and milwaukee informing an intergovernmental body 73 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,440 the mark rail commission 74 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,560 To be able to apply for those funds when they become available 75 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:21,120 It will connect downtown racene to the airport to racene and konosha and to the metro line on to chicago 76 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:29,440 If it comes to fruition, it could spark more than a billion dollars in investment and put tens of thousands of residents within reach of a job 77 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:32,000 At lakeview park 78 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:37,200 We installed new playground equipment. I have not driven past it without seeing children playing 79 00:06:37,840 --> 00:06:42,480 I am glad we could give this community something that has brought so much joy to so many families 80 00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:50,960 And gun violence and homicides are declining as our police self-crime and our department of community safety works upstream to interrupt its causes 81 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:57,360 Alongside our investment in schools housing and community centers. We are investing in people 82 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:01,360 Helping our residents into jobs that can support a family 83 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:10,080 Our youth employment program our police and fire cadet program and our commercial drivers license training have opened city jobs to more city residents 84 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:15,200 More than half the people we hired this year live in racene or moved here to take the job 85 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:20,880 Compare that with the roughly one third of our current workforce who live in the city and you can measure that progress 86 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:27,760 I want to single out the police department and the library in particular who made big strides in this regard in the last two years 87 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:35,600 We also celebrated america's 250th birthday with a wonderful event on july 5th and a time capsule to mark the occasion 88 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:43,280 We added a new sister city of branford, ontario and we welcome visits from our sister city mayors in mexico and france 89 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:48,080 All in all there is much to be proud of in the progress that this city is making 90 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:55,200 Most serious threats we face come from outside these walls, but before I turn to them there are two manners here at home 91 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:57,760 That I hope this council will address 92 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:02,640 The first very recently we discussed which is flocked cameras and their security around it 93 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:04,640 Let me be clear 94 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:10,080 As I said yesterday, I will not include funding for flocked cameras in the budget that I produce on october 5th 95 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,840 Serious concerns have been raised by residents of this city 96 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:22,720 By more than two two dozen wisconsin law enforcement agencies that have already terminated their flocked contracts and by a growing number of jurisdictions across the country 97 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,280 We should end this relationship now 98 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:27,280 Give our police time 99 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,360 They need to close pending investigations, but do not wait until the end of the year 100 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:36,480 Every week we wait diminishes the community's trust and confidence in its own city 101 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,360 On tuesday the council faces a choice 102 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,840 Stand with the residents and their legitimate privacy concerns or flock 103 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,480 I hope this council stands with the community 104 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,880 The second is the pace at which the council hands out liquor licenses 105 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:56,160 Our community survey told us plainly what residents want in our comprehensive plans 106 00:08:56,560 --> 00:09:01,200 They want fewer bars fewer liquor stores fewer pawn shops and fewer payday lenders 107 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,640 And yet we go on handing out liquor licenses like their jelly beans 108 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:11,200 You can buy alcohol in every city in the neighborhood in this city. This is not about prohibition 109 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:13,760 It's about concentration 110 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:19,200 License is clustered in low-income neighborhoods next door to homeless services down the street from schools 111 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:27,440 No community in america has ever revitalized itself with an abundance of liquor stores in neighborhood neighborhoods that were once redlined 112 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:31,760 Not a single one what those neighborhoods need is decent housing 113 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:34,400 good jobs human services 114 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:36,800 Strong schools and public safety 115 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:42,800 And it is not only how many licenses we grant it is how slowly we hold bad ones accountable 116 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:49,360 Some establishments drain substantial police resources month after month and degrade the quality of life 117 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:51,680 For everyone living around them 118 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:52,800 For the good of this city 119 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,240 I am asking the council to take a harder look at the license holders 120 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:00,960 We already have and a more skeptical look at every new application that comes before you 121 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:05,680 Now to the threats from beyond our borders 122 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,840 So i'm going to start by saying I am proud of what this administration our staff 123 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:12,880 Our partners and our community members have accomplished this year 124 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:17,920 But make no mistake if our relationship with the state and federal government does not change 125 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:20,400 The city is in for a dire future 126 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:27,680 For more than two decades the state legislature has squeezed cities financially while forbidding us from acting on our own behalf 127 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:32,560 That is not an accident is the product of 20 years of republican dominance in madison 128 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:39,680 As state funding fell the cost of cities city services shifted onto property taxpayers 129 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:45,200 Our state aid was cut or held flat for nearly all of that time until the last two years 130 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:50,880 Consider this had funding to receive simply kept pace with inflation over those two decades 131 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:56,240 This city would have received more than 300 million dollars more than it did 132 00:10:57,360 --> 00:10:59,360 Imagine what that would mean for the city 133 00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:06,000 For the services we could provide for the buildings that need to be rebuilt and for the property tax bill of every family in this room 134 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:15,920 President bine's american rescue plan brought this city benefit many benefits and chief amongst them was helping closing our structural deficit with the american rescue plan 135 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,560 This is the last year we can use those dollars going forward 136 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:26,640 We will need partners in the legislature who understand what is at stake when local government is starved 137 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:30,800 And alongside the defunding has come the assault on local control 138 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:36,720 More than 100 bills have been signed into the law to strip authority from communities like ours housing 139 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:43,680 Raising the minimum wage rules for landlords inspections of our rental units labor standards public health standards 140 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:50,800 Infrastructure environmental protection on subject after subject. We are preempted prohibited or banned 141 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:58,080 Local control was once a wisconsin virtue it gave communities the freedom to govern themselves 142 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:02,640 And let municipalities be laboratories of democracy testing ideas 143 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,560 Learning what works and sharing what we learned with one another 144 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:13,440 Again, here are just a few things that we can't even consider we are not allowed to consider raising the weight rate minimum wage 145 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:17,520 We can't further regulating rental housing any further than we already do 146 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:24,560 We're not allowed to inspect group homes. We can't set building code standards that exceed the state standard regardless of our safety concerns 147 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:29,680 We can't set labor standards for any of the projects that we have here beyond a certain point 148 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:35,520 In this semi quincentennial year, there are many ways the state could honor the american experiment 149 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:40,480 The best of them would be to give cities back the freedom to govern themselves 150 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:46,560 Of all the concerns I have raised tonight, it is the federal government that worries me the most 151 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:52,080 And that is because what is under assault there is not simply our budget. It's our values 152 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:58,080 Racine is a diverse community home to many immigrant groups races and ethnicities 153 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,800 That is one of our greatest strengths, but we now find ourselves in distress 154 00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:07,600 Watching an assault on our democratic values that comes not from some foreign adversary 155 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,000 But from our own federal government 156 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:14,960 The climate of fear that ice has created in our immigrant community has done a reparable harm 157 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:22,000 Unfair trade tariffs are raising prices here at home and alienating allies. We have stood beside for generations 158 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,960 Food assistance and health care benefits have been cut for our most vulnerable neighbors 159 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:36,320 Efforts to open city jobs and programs to underrepresented people are being dismantled along with diversity equity and inclusion work of every kind 160 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:42,320 Currently interference with male imbalance puts free and fair elections themselves in jeopardy 161 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:48,800 That's a short list drawn from a long one. These actions do not merely wound us as a matter of policy 162 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:51,280 The offend our most basic values 163 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:56,400 President trump has been one of the most negative and disruptive forces of my lifetime 164 00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:01,360 But he is one man and in a little more than two years. He will be out of office 165 00:14:02,560 --> 00:14:04,640 What must not lead with him is our principles 166 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:11,200 We must summon the strength the whole fast to opportunity to fairness and justice for all americans 167 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,280 Whatever their background because if the state of the city is to be strong 168 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,120 We have to come through the next two years with our principles intact 169 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:26,800 Sometimes showing up for america means having the resolve to stand up to america when it is acting unjustly 170 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,320 That is why in this 250th year. I still hold 171 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:35,840 Enormous hope for our future as a city and as a country and it is why I will end with this 172 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,160 The way to fix what is wrong with us is to embrace what is right about us 173 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:46,480 And I can think of no clear act of fidelity to what is right about this country than to exercise your right to vote 174 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,560 Whether you agree with everything I said here tonight or none of it 175 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:57,680 I hope every person listening will show fidelity to the country. I believe we all love by voting in a free and fair election 176 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:03,200 In two days, we will mark the 25th anniversary of the tax of september 11th 2001 177 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:08,960 Let us remember the sacrifice of those we lost and let us recommit ourselves to this project of ours 178 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,200 The longest-serving democracy of the world 179 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:18,000 Thank you. God bless each and every one of you. God bless for seeing and god bless the united states of america 180 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:20,560 Good night 181 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,000 At this time I would entertain a motion to adjourn 182 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,920 Some motion to adjourn in multiple seconds. All those in favor, please say aye 183 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:44,560 Opposed we are