On Friday, May 2, Portland’s new Mayor, Keith Wilson, delivered his first “State of the City” address, under the auspices of the City Club of Portland. But where he chose to hold it was quite novel: In Inner Southeast Portland, from the stage of the auditorium at Franklin High School.

In his remarks he called Portland “the greatest city in the nation”, but he acknowledged some of its problems – including a very large city budget shortfall, and the similar shortfall for Portland Public Schools, which is ascribed to a ten percent drop in its overall enrollment in the past half decade.

Wilson prioritized restoring order and safety to the city: “If we restore public safety and livability, we’re going to welcome an influx of those families, jobs, and investment. That’s why the sense of urgency is so palpable at city hall right now.”

Although he considers Portland a great city, he indicated that he plans to help make it even better. He also cheered the efforts to repair and reopen the fire-damaged Portland Mercado on S.E. Foster Road, and he applauded the efforts to bring Major League Baseball to Portland, which at present center on a proposed major league ballpark constructed under the west end of the Ross Island Bridge.

Despite immigration crackdowns on the national level, some of which appear to be taking place without the benefit of adherence to legal requirements, Mayor Wilson pledged to keep Portland policies as they have been, and he underlined his efforts to resolve the homelessness issue in the Rose City.

He also pledged, “We’re also going to strengthen funding, clean our streets, fill our potholes, and remove graffiti.”