Mayor's State of the City address: 'Shreveport is in the middle of an economic boom'

Shreveport is in the middle of an economic boom unlike any in the city's last 30 years, said Mayor Adrian Perkins during his televised and webcast "State of the City" program.

Perkins said the unemployment rate - 4.6% - is lower than it was before the pandemic.

He said the city had a $1.3 million deficit before he took office, but now has $34 million in reserves.

He also claimed the bond rating is now stable and the city has achieved record equity across gender and race for contracts and "city business."

"The City government's fiscal health is better than its been in decades," Perkins said.

Perkins said these marks of success were earned through fiscally responsible policies from his administration and the City Council.

“No one could have anticipated that I would be leading the city through the most tumultuous times in its history," Perkins said at the beginning of his address. "But our economy is stronger than it's been in 30 years."

More: 'We have to act now,' Shreveport mayor makes case for $236 million bond proposal

Perkins described the Amazon fulfillment center coming to Shreveport as "Shreveport's newest economic crown jewel." He said 2,800 jobs will be coming to Shreveport through the online retailer, and said thousands of jobs are expected to come through the City in the next 24 months.

The mayor applauded the development of Downtown Shreveport's residential spaces and said he hopes further growth in that area occurs. He said $200 million is being invested downtown and another $300 million is being invested near downtown.

"The growth of cities around the country has made it abundantly clear if we want to compete we must make downtown a dynamic place where people can live, work, and play," Perkins said.

In a more somber part of the address about gun violence, Perkins said he was disappointed in Shreveport "suffering from the same national crime trends that cities all around us are,” but also said statistics from recent months suggest violent crime is now on the decline.

Read: Where to safely hold custody exchanges in Shreveport and Bossier City

He said he's proposing a 10 percent salary increase for first responders in the 2022 budget, and mentioned several times that the 2021 bond proposal is an opportunity for citizens to help first responders and all of Shreveport.

Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Mayor Adrian Perkins addresses Shreveport in 'State of the City'