SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After almost a decade of service, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg gave his final State of the City Address Thursday. He reflected on his accomplishments and what still needs to be done.
One of the major announcements Thursday included a tease to the possibility of other major developments for the downtown area. He also gave statistics on the reduction in homelessness and crime.
"This is my last State of the City after eight years representing our city as your mayor and 30 years of public office. I will not let up until the 10th of December," Steinberg said.
He vowed to continue the work he's done in creating a better Sacramento during his last days in office.
"Over the next 82 days, we are working tirelessly on some major initiatives, some major downtown initiatives that — if they happen, don't want to jinx it — will come close to rivaling Aggie Square. I'm going to leave that little teaser out there dangling today," said Steinberg.
Steinberg chose to give his last speech at Sacramento's Aggie Square. He describes the project between UC Davis and Chancellor Gary May as a multi-billion dollar investment in the heart of three historic neighborhoods in Sacramento along the Stockton Boulevard Corridor. It's an area he says doesn't get enough resources or attention.
"This is not just another project. It will produce $5 billion once it's built out annually for the six-county region in new ongoing economic investment. This project and the broader vision for Stockton Boulevard is the city's most ambitious effort to uplift a part of our city that matters," Steinberg said.
The mayor also says he never promised to solve homelessness, but strides have been made and unsheltered homelessness has been reduced by 41% since 2022, according to the latest point-in-time count.
"The state of our Sacramento is strong and will continue to be strong, no matter the crisis. Crime is down city-wide by 13.6%. This is on top of last year's record reduction of 18%. Larceny is down by 6.4%, burglary has decreased by 22% and vehicle theft is down by an impressive 25%," Steinberg said.
He says he's done the best he could in leading the city during difficult times, while noting a lot more work needs to be done.
"These big changes require the forging of new relationships and stepping outside of our comfortable corners, like we all did at Aggie Square. Find those genuine intersections between the activists, between the neighborhoods and business, between the business and labor, and the city will thrive," said Steinberg.
Voters in Sacramento will have the opportunity to elect a new mayor on November 5. They will choose between Flojaune 'Flo' Cofer and Kevin McCarty.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Mayoral candidates clash in debate
