Mayor Jake Day reflects on 100 days; looks towards the future

Over three months ago Salisbury Mayor Jake Day hit the ground running as the man in-charge of one of the Eastern Shore’s biggest cities. “I’ve got the opportunity to serve my community in a way that in one point in my life I only dreamed of and it’s been an honor, it really has,” said Day.

He says since he was sworn in back in mid-November, he’s been a busy guy. As of Monday he’s 105 days in. He’s spent a lot of time working on some big projects such as the city’s 20-year master plan, new branding project, budget, and his 2017 Capital Improvement Plan.

After those projects, Day says the possible development of community centers would provide children with an alternative to crime.
Day told 47 ABC, “there’s a vacuum of affordable programmed activity, positive activity, that is both recreational and academic for young people in the poorest areas of Salisbury. We’ve got a responsibility to do something about it,”

While he’s filled with optimism about what’s on the horizon for the city, Day says he’s also learned a thing or two about what he feels are some of the problems the city is facing. Unemployment and the housing market. December 2015 data shows that Wicomico County’s unemployment rate was higher than 19 of Maryland’s 24 counties.

“the number of dollars that come in to Wicomico County for unemployment is still too high,” Day added, “average days on market is declining and average home value is increasing, but at a slower rate than I’d like it to, so we still need to work on the housing market,”

Day told us he doesn’t want to spoil too many of the surprises regarding the city’s future. However, he reassured us that a positive outlook will be key in what he says should be a bright one.

“This will be one of America’s great small cities, I have no doubt about that,”