Public safety
#1 priority
Public safety continues to be my number one priority. I have prioritized strengthening public safety since my first day in office, both as a city councilor and now as mayor. I have delivered on this issue by using the tools I have – most notably our City budget – to ensure our community is a safe one.
Since being sworn into office in 2019, my administration has invested heavily in police and fire services in every City budget. We have increased the total number of Lincoln Police Department (LPD) professionals by 31 and the total number of Lincoln Fire and Rescue (LFR) personnel by 28. As part of our commitment to public safety and to enhance LPD’s ability to retain and recruit top talent, in 2022 we made Lincoln’s police officers the highest-paid law enforcement officers in the state of Nebraska. In 2022, violent crime, felonies, misdemeanors, traffic accidents, and traffic injuries all have decreased relative to the previous five-year period, and Lincoln’s violent crime rate is at a 30-year low despite the city having grown by more than 100,000 people since the 1990s.
Infrastructure
Sidewalks, streets, and second source
We will continue to prioritize strengthening Lincoln’s infrastructure, with a keen focus on streets. Whether transporting workers to jobs, children to schools or first responders to emergencies, well-maintained streets are critical to all Lincoln residents. That’s why we put our money where it matters and have invested $61.4 million in streets from September 2021 to September 2022 alone, increasing our total street investment since 2019 to an historic $167 million.
EconomY
Ensuring everyone can experience lincoln's success
Economic recovery and renewal has been a focus of my administration, and creating economic opportunities for all will continue to be at the forefront of my work when I am re-elected. Lincoln has had an exceptional economic recovery in the wake of the global pandemic. Lincoln ranked first in unemployment recovery when compared with 180 cities by WalletHub. The Milken Institute Best Performing City index cited Lincoln as one of four cities already ranked highly and continuing to rise, noting that from 2021 to 2022, Lincoln made big gains in one year job growth, one year wage growth, and five year job growth. Along the way, our city team supported those financially impacted by the pandemic and collaborated with non-profit service providers and the Tenant Assistance Project to help over 5,000 households pay a combined $40 million in rent and utilities. This helped provide financial stability to renters and landlords during an extraordinary moment in our history.
Quality of life
parks, playgrounds, libraries, pools and trails
As our city grows, we are attracting new people and new businesses because of the rich quality of life we enjoy in Lincoln. That quality of life is essential to expanding our workforce and competing in a 21st century economy. It’s also critical to ensuring that all residents experience and enjoy our city’s progress. I’ve gone to bat for working families by supporting libraries that educate and engage, investing in expanded public transit, and innovating to create new resources to improve neighborhood parks, trails, playgrounds, pools, senior centers, and places like the F Street Rec Center that keep kids involved in positive, safe activities. I will continue to emphasize these quality of life measures that are vital to all of us who want to see Lincoln become an even better place to call home.