In his State of the City Address Tuesday night, Mayor Carl Brewer said despite being challenged by dwindling revenues and continuing obligations, Wichita is healthy, focused and moving forward.
Mayor Brewer addressed a full house downtown at City Hall. He said Wichita continues to stabilize through a new way of thinking - a thinking that demands the “right” solutions rather than the easy ones.
“We must find solutions in a proactive, not reactive manner, ” said Brewer. “It has required that we act, not with partisan agendas, but that we continue to be courageous in finding the right solutions for our community, a community still struggling to fully rebound from the difficulties that have been placed before us.”
The Mayor says he will continue the course on incentivizing job growth and industry diversification, especially in the wake of Boeing’s announcement that they will cease operations in the city.
In his 2011 address Mayor Brewer prioritized bringing Southwest Airlines to Mid-Continent Airport, with the airline’s recent commitment, he says there is more to do.
“We must ensure that the Kansas Legislature passes Affordable Airfares, a program that continues to keep average airfares low, saving passengers about $64 million a year,” he said. “We need that appropriation for the state of Kansas in order to allow Southwest to eventually expand its service.”
Mayor Brewer ended his speech with the announcement of a public engagement process that will include community meetings to discuss the city’s most pressing questions.
“We are Wichita,” he concluded. “Standing together, we will succeed.”