Mayor cites improvements in economy, infrastructure in State of the City

SALISBURY, Md. – Mayor Jake Day took to the podium at the new Truitt Center Wednesday evening to highlight the achievements of the past year, and a look ahead to what’s to come.

One of the most important initiatives for the city has been the continued expansion of sidewalks, and improvements on flood containment.

With storm water utilities in place, the city is beginning to implement storm water management projects and will adopt a first nuisance flooding plan to help those in the city’s lowest lying areas.

“This is what we’ll utilize to go get federal dollars and state dollars to help us address issues that aren’t the city’s responsibility or the county’s responsibility, but are effecting homeowners.”

And the city’s landscape will continue to evolve, with parking lots 1 and 11 sold which will lead to construction of a town square and dozens of apartments.

This coming on the heals of a completed and refurbished riverwalk, with a brand new amphitheater, this work completing the city’s 1965 riverwalk plans.

“One of the things we wont do is let plans sit on shelves.  Every single year we are ticking off projects, just getting them done, getting them done,” said Day.

But the highlights of the year for the city were the two transcendent first year events, the SBY Marathon and National Folk Festival.

The folk festival alone brought in $20 million for the weekend long event.

But Day says these events will only get bigger.

“We don’t rest on our laurels, we expand.  Next year there’s going to be new fun, exciting things.  I think it’s all a matter of focusing on the details, get it right and make everything we do a little bit better each year as we move forward.”

And Day says it’s fitting that the address be held at the Truitt Center, as it is just one part of the city’s efforts to help the local youth.

“Now we’re a city that is providing community centers.  We have Truitt Street open, we have Newton Street under construction…  What’s next is adding to our services for kids, adding to after school programming, summer programming, weekend programming.”