At this time, I have the esteemed honor of welcoming today's keynote speaker, Mayor Robert Blythe.

Mayor Robert Blythe is a native of Richmond, Kentucky, where he's distinguished himself and our community in many ways.

His service as a minister, educator, and civic servant are what drives his passion.

A proud graduate of Eastern Kentucky University in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2002, Blythe won the first of eight consecutive two-year terms in the Richmond City Commission.

Then in 2018, he became the first African American to be elected mayor of Richmond.

He was re-elected in 2022, and is a member of the Kentucky Black Caucus of local elected officials.

Mayor Blythe has held offices of vice president, president, and second vice president, and he continues to serve as a member on the executive board of the conference.

Mayor Blyth served as president of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Double ACP in Richmond Madison County from 1999 to 2019.

He continues to be actively involved with numerous civic clubs, boards, force, and task groups.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Robert Blythe.

Good morning, and what a pleasure it is to be here with you this morning and to see all of you who've come.

Let me get this out of the way first.

I was told no funnies.

Good morning again, and thank you for your support of this State of the City address.

And I will ask you yes, that you would uh bear with me.

I got a little raspy, of course, yesterday evening and with the change of weather, so we'll make it through.

I think it was the same last year.

Thank you for your support of this State of the City Add.

Thank you to the Chamber of Commerce and DKU for hosting the event, giving me the opportunity to speak with you today.

I'm honored and blessed to serve as your Richmond Mayor.

I take very seriously the opportunity entrusted to me for more than 20 years to serve the citizens of Richmond as an elected official and for the eighth year as your mayor.

It is my pleasure to recognize a few people for their continued working relationship with the City of Richmond.

First, I want to thank the Board of Commissioners.

Tammy Cole, Mendy Gobel, Jim Newby for their service to our city.

I'd also like to thank the Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor and Maria Mayor Bruce Fraley for their continued friendship and partnership to work for the good of our county and two cities.

I also extend thanks to EKU President David McFadden, who is committed to EKU's success and growth, and we're happy to continue our town and gown relationship with the university.

I'll provide an update in the areas of a fiscal report, economic growth, public safety department highlights, and partnerships.

Our first responsibility as a local government is to be good stewards of the public's money.

I want to commend our city manager, uh Rob Beinrich and our finance directors is Sharon, I call her sister Sharon, for ensuring financial stability and the continued ability to serve our citizens.

I can confidently report today that the finances of the city are in fact secure.

The figures I provide today are as of June 30, 2025.

The current general fund cash balance is 25.4 million dollars.

Fiscal year 2025 was operated at more than 10 and a half million dollow budget.

The city's actual revenue came in nearly 11 percent above budgeted revenue, and operating expenses finished at nearly 14 percent below budgeted costs.

The contingency fund, commonly known as the Rainy Day Fund, ended the year with 27.4 million dollars.

Knowing we have a stable reserve means we can reasonably navigate any unforeseen costs in the future.

The contingency reserve fund is currently funded at over 60% of budgeted annual expenditures.

This is reflected in their earning once again and unqualified opinion in their audit, which is the top level of an audit opinion.

Small business and economic development coordinator Kerry Hensley reports that Richmond has experienced significant growth in the business sector.

Today, Richmond stands as the second fastest growing city in Kentucky.

With a 2.8% population growth rate, our community has grown to more than 36,000 residents.

This sustained momentum is driven by our strategic location along Interstate 75 and our continued industrial development and the presence of Eastern Kentucky University, key assets that continue to attract families, entrepreneurs, and investment to our city.

Increased economic activity is occurring in North Richmond along the Bypass Corridor and in downtown Richmond.

The city has taken deliberate action to promote sustainable growth, expansion of the entertainment destination center, encourages increased downtown engagement, and the adoption of the abandoned and vacant property registration ordinance incentivizes property owners to return unused and underutilized buildings to productive economic use for the benefit of the entire community.

Our city's progress is not incidental.

It is the result of strategic planning, strong partnerships, and a shared commitment to build an even more prosperous future for Richmond, Kentucky.

With 712 business licenses issued over the past year, new and expanding job opportunities are being created in the industrial and retail sectors.

An estimated 1,000 jobs have been created in these sectors over the past five years.

Excuse me.

The departments of planning and zoning, building inspection, and codes enforcement provide the following information about the construction growth we see in many areas.

Approximately 61 new commercial business projects, which include hotels, schools, sports complexes, multifamily complexes, churches, offices, and restaurants are active or have been completed.

Seven new multi-lot developments were approved, continuing the growth towards completion.

Some examples are before you on the screen, along with building inspection numbers.

Some of the larger new commercial constructions include Longhorn Steakhouse, New Vista Mental Health Facility, Stockyards Bank Branch, Central Bank Branch, and Auto Zone Retail Store.

Repurposing of existing buildings include the Dark Horse Cannabis remodel of an existing 80,000 square foot industrial building in the industrial park south, and UK Healthcare's remodel of a retail space in the Richmond Center, covering more than 13,000 square feet of space.

Next, the five-year city comprehensive plan is complete regarding projected boundaries, future street connections, and expansion of multi-use paths.

The plan includes coordinated input from the City of Berea and the Madison County Fiscal Court as stakeholders in its development.

The City of Richmond maintains three industrial parks on Duncan Lane.

We are fortunate to offer a wide range of available land, build-ready sites and pads, shovel ready sites, and an assortment of available buildings.

The city and the Richmond Industrial Development Corporation completed construction of approximately one half million square feet of build-ready pads in the Richmond Industrial Park South 3.

The RIDC and their many partners demonstrate effective teamwork in the highly competitive arena of business attraction and retention.

The city credits credits, excuse me, the foresight of Richmond utilities from making the investment of 75 million dollars in water and sewer infrastructure in the industrial park over the last 15 years.

This provides freedom to move quickly on projects when the opportunity arises.

Another key factor in development is the cultivated partnerships among the city, the Cabinet for Economic Development, Utilities, and other entities.

Our city manager and the former executive director of the RIDC guided these efforts, which are paying off well.

Our new executive director for the RIDC, Brad Soudon, has accepted the baton from Mr.

David Stipes and is linking past accomplishments to a very bright future.

Two recent examples.

First, the City of Richmond was awarded its third Kentucky Product Development Initiative, KPDI grant in two years for a total of $2,249,019.

And secondly, the recent announcement that the Richmond Berea area is ranked among the top micropolitan areas in Kentucky by the prestigious Site Selection magazine.

Guiding our established local industries and setting the table for future development is one task.

Making sure potential industrial prospects know about site availability is another vital task.

The City of Richmond expanded our economic development team to include a marketing and grants management component.

Stephanie Nelson joined Team Richmond in August to energize efforts to invite potential industrial prospects to have a seat at the table set so beautifully for them by the RIDC.

A new brand, Select Richmond, is complemented by a new website and social media platforms to increase awareness of opportunities.

Every future starts with a choice.

There's a bold decision.

Select Richmond.

Learn, work, play.

Select more than a place.

Build ready.

Future focused.

So as you can see, the City of Richmond is build ready for the future.

During my time as a city commissioner and as mayor, public safety has always been a top priority.

Even with the daily challenges and obstacles they face, the public safety departments remain active and visible in our community.

The Richmond Police Department looks forward to building a new public safety facility.

Pre-build construction plans are expected to be finalized later this spring for the new public safety campus on Northgate Drive, which will contain a purpose-built community room, community meeting room able to host up to 120 people.

The city will determine when these plans go out to bid and later announce a date to break ground at the facility.

Richmond police continue to excel in community engagement, demonstrated by their participation in over 50 community engagement events.

Additional outreach includes the Youth Summer Camp, and this is a free summer program for Madison County students ages 11 to 14 to participate in fun and educational activities with RPD officers during their summer break.

16 individuals were hired this year as police officers, safety officers, and records section staff.

RPD can boast of a fully staffed department with waiting list interviews and applications ongoing.

Positions to accommodate the city's growth are expected in each coming year.

The department's Code for Wellness Program held an extremely successful family day with the Lexington Legends for Battle of the Badges in collaboration with the Richmond Fire Department.

If you would like to see the picture of me throwing out the first pitch, it is, as a young fellow said one day, a sight to behold.

Therapy Canine Ellie is on duty officially serving RPD's community resource officer and can be expected to make appearances in the future.

She is an easy-going new fee poo, a Newfoundland poodle mix who loves all the treats along with morning, afternoon, and evening naps.

Much of the strength and growth of this department is the result of exceptional leadership of police chief Rodney Richardson.

Congratulations on the development and we look forward to completion of the department's new home, which I tell them I'm probably more excited about than they are.

The City of Richmond Fire Department continues leading the way in training and in community outreach under the strong leadership of Fire Chief Patrick Tutor.

Training is a priority for the Richmond Fire Department.

Training is conducted nearly every day and includes collaborative exercises with Madison County Fire Department and Madison County EMS.

The City of Richmond Fire Department continues to encourage EMT training for firefighters, bringing the total to 44 EMTs out of 69 firefighters, with six more in the process of certification.

Richmond firefighters train to stay prepared as they have noted a three-year trend of a nearly 18% increase in calls for service.

The Richmond Fire Department is grateful for the city's Board of Commissioners' approval for a new training center on Four Mile Road.

The old building was demolished to make way for the new purpose-built training facility.

Richmond can now proudly offer this new space to other governments and firefighting agencies to train with our personnel.

With that being said, the Richmond Fire Department will soon host two separate Kentucky Fire Commission training courses this spring.

Other training courses coming up for personnel are structure collapse, rope tech, and trench rescue.

In further demonstration of the city's commitment to public safety, Richmond's Fire Department will take delivery of a new rescue truck in June, while a new pumper truck has been ordered for a later delivery date.

I always say our city can only be as good as the employees we have, and I believe we have the best around.

We are grateful to IT Director Jonathan Pointer and his team for their efforts and for their service.

The Department of Public Works as a team keeps hundreds of miles of roadways and streets clean, repaired, and maintained.

Public works along with parks and recreations grounds team can be relied upon to work around the clock in response to snowstorms and other inclement weather.

Public Works Director Josh Farthing reports that 750 tons of salt were used in 2025, and an additional 1,000 tons of salt were used in response to the recent storm in January.

Recycling department director Aaron Vaughn reports his team successfully kept a total of 2,412,574 pounds.

I wanted you to feel each pound of recycling product out of the landfill.

Congratulations to the recycling department and to the recycling public.

The twice per year shred days continue to be extremely popular.

The date for spring shred day is April 24, 2026, so mark your calendars.

In July of 2025, Gibson Bay Golf Course hosted the Kentucky Open, Kentucky's premier professional golf tournament.

Being selected for this tournament was a great honor and a great recognition.

Replacement of the golf course's aging irrigation system will wrap up this season.

The new long-lasting and technology-driven system will greatly improve the use of water and other resources.

The $2 million project replaces the original system from the early 1990s.

Golf pro Jason Eberley and Green's Superintendent Jeremy Smither continue their fine leadership at Gibson Bay Golf Course.

The Parks and Recreation Department, led by Director of Recreation Administration, Aaron Sharp, continues to be a vital part of the Richmond community.

This award-winning department's five divisions offer diverse, comprehensive year-round programming for all ages at a multitude of events at numerous facilities throughout Richmond and Madison County.

Details for this department may be found in their annual report documents and community recreation guide.

A postcard containing a QR code to the guide may be found on your tables.

The Kentucky Recreation and Park Society Conference bestowed two awards upon Richmond Parks and Recreation in 2025.

The Outstanding Facility Award for the Lake Reba Park Outdoor Fitness Court, and the Young Professional of the Year Award to Lauren Kilburn.

Congratulations on this statewide recognition.

Three, yes, indeed.

Three major annual events for parks and recreation include July 4th at Gibson Bay Park and our annual Millstone Festival and Christmas Parade, both in downtown Richmond.

This year's July 4th celebration will mark America's 250th birthday with extra fireworks and special recognitions leading up to the big party.

The Millstone Festival continues to thrive with over 12,000 people attending each year.

This event has been embraced by the community, and it attracts more and more vendors and patrons each year.

The care and maintenance for the park system are under the leadership of Parks Grounds Maintenance Director Josh Cole.

This team is responsible for tending all open space with the Richmond Parks and Recreation System, which includes mowing nearly 150 acres of park land and more than 20 acres of non-park land.

Maintenance is required for multiple athletic fields, courts, shelters, playgrounds, a skate park, and several miles of recreational trails.

These responsibilities will expand with the opening of the regional sports complex.

Yay.

Phase two of the regional sports complex is wrapping up.

This is the final stage of development, which covers 280 acres.

The park is expected to begin partial operation in June, with full operation expected to occur in the fall.

The park will offer 10 full-size soccer fields, five of which will be artificial turf, one youth football field and practice field, twelve pickleball courts, eight tennis courts, six basketball courts, four volleyball courts, a massive all-inclusive interactive playground, four-acre dog park, walking trails over six miles of mountain bike trails, disc golf, and the Kit Carson Birthplace Interpretive site.

On the screen now is the most current aerial footage of the park.

Led by Director Laurie Murphy Murphy Tatum, the Richmond Tourism Team shares the following information for 2025.

As touted in their annual report, figures released by the Kentucky Department of Tourism show that in 2024, total tourism spending here topped 243.7 million dollars, which is a $23 million increase from 2023.

This is evidence that the efforts of the tourism department are literally paying off.

Tourism supports 1,925 jobs in Madison County and produces 20.1 million dollars in state and local taxes and 53.7 million dollars in labor income, which is a significant boost to the local economy, to say the least.

Excuse me, Richmond's hosting of the Kentucky Special Olympics, and EKU's homecoming parade and alumni events.

I am pleased to mention that our tourism director was recognized to receive the prestigious statewide Manjet Oaken Distinguished Service Award for 2025.

Congratulations, Laurie.

Moving now to partnerships, the city seeks to continue a healthy town and gown partnership with EKU.

The city appreciates all of the activities and collaborations with EKU, from participating in 859 Night, the freshman welcome walk, late night with the Colonels at Dillingham Park, to supporting the EKU homecoming activities.

Serving as the host city for the annual Special Olympics State Summer Games, excuse me, is always a highlight in our year.

And this year's 30th anniversary was extremely special.

We wish EKU continued success for the future.

Another healthy ongoing partnership is with Baptist Health Richmond.

While all three local governments support Baptist Health Richmond's breast cancer awareness and prevention efforts, the City of Richmond enjoys the addition of the Neon Night Run for Paint the Town Pink.

Since 2024, this exciting nighttime 5K run continues to be a big hit with the community.

While this year's event will be part of the kickoff events in September, we look forward to its return in October on the night before the Millstone Festival.

Kudos to everyone involved.

In further collaboration with the hospital, the Walk for Heart Health is held each February at the Richmond Mall, where Baptist Health Richmond shares important heart health information.

It offers also free blood pressure screenings and provides hands-only CPR training.

Special thanks go to the EKU Athletics, football head coach Walt Wells, and the Richmond Mall.

Baptist Health Richmond continues to be a tremendous partner to the Richmond community and to those beyond our borders.

Congratulations on your continued awards and accreditations.

Additional valuable partnerships include those whose logos appear on the screen.

These organizations exemplify the heart of our community by adding both tangible and intangible value to the people they serve.

As I move toward conclusion, I draw your attention to the list of boards, agencies, and various organizations who also do the work of the city.

Some are internal boards, others are considered adjacent to the city, and even others span across multi-government representation.

The city's functions would be diminished without their service.

Let me close with a couple of personal notes.

I appreciate working with some folks who are those behind the scenes, but who make things happen.

Wanda Bailey, who is the administrative assistant to the city manager, and who along with Lisa has to put up with me.

Trust me, it's not easy.

Our, as Rob calls this, the team, our team leader, we greatly appreciate, and it is a real blessing and honor to be able to work with you, Rob.

And then one other person who probably has to suffer more than anyone else.

You probably see her a lot with me out in the field, as I say, who travels with me, and today I relieved her of one of her most important duties.

Kelly McBride is our public information officer, and her chief function is to say when we're getting ready to take pictures, Chief, she says what?

Give me that badge.

Well, today I got her because I didn't wear it.

But behind all this, this wonderful report, the content of that report is the result of the labor of a lot of people.

You heard about some of them by name.

But even deeper behind all this, I want to close with the words of Solomon, as recorded in Psalm 127 verse 1.

Before I give you those words, which are brief.

And except the Lord keep the city.

For the grace of God, we're grateful.

This report is evidence of the grace of God in our community.

So my prayer is that God will bless and keep you and your families, will keep our city, that he will bless and keep our commonwealth, and that God will bless and keep America.

Thank you.