CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval used his annual State of the City address Tuesday to reflect on progress made since entering office in 2021 and look ahead to the potential still yet to be reached by the Queen City.
He began by thanking staff, council, and others in attendance and then turned to what he and his team did upon inauguration into his second term in office.
"We took stock of four years defined by a shared mission: To recover, to chart the future course, and to lay the groundwork for making that future a reality," Pureval said.
WATCH: We ask Pureval about his priorities and how to reach them
Public safety took high billing in the speech, with the mayor touting statistical successes on crime in the city. Pureval said shooting victims were on track in 2026 to be the lowest since the metric was first tracked in 2010, homicides were down 25% year over year, and property crimes were down 13% from the three-year average.
"That doesn't mean we're complacent. That doesn't mean we're satisfied," Pureval said.
With the speech coming nearly two weeks after two police officers were assaulted in a mass gathering and multiple shootings spread violence across parts of the city, we asked Pureval how he could convey those numbers into a sense of calm for those living and working in the city.
"I think we've got to call out unacceptable, violent, criminal behavior when we see it," he said.
He went on to say, "These incidents, of course, do not paint a broader picture of where the city is at."
Also top of mind for Pureval was the continued development of downtown Cincinnati, including finishing The Banks and capping off Fort Washington Way with the help of federal funds.
"The challenge we're confronted with now is, given the macroeconomics of interest rates and construction costs, it's very difficult to get anything off the ground," Pureval said.
Pureval acknowledged the midterm "blue wave" that swept Democrats into office across the political spectrum, and we asked whether he thought that would make collaboration easier at the state level. Instead of immediately addressing the incoming administration of Amy Acton in the governor's office, he addressed the outgoing Republican administration.
"Before I get to the future, I do want to acknowledge and thank Gov. DeWine for his decades of public service," he said. "When I came into office as mayor, he was really quick to support me, to support our city."
Pureval said he does look forward to working with newly elected officials across the board.
For information about the latest State of the City, you can visit the city's website.
