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.