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Worcester City Manager Eric D. Batista's 2025 State of the City Address

May 21, 2025

State of the City Address Video 2025

City Manager Eric D. Batista's introduction video for the 2025 State of the City Address on May 21, 2025.

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  • Good evening. Buenas noches.
  • I want to thank everyone here in person and tuning in virtually for joining us tonight.
  • I am honored to once again have the opportunity to address the State of the City.
  • We have a lot to celebrate.
  • But before I talk about the achievements of the past year and look ahead to what we have planned, I want to take a moment to reflect on one of most pressing challenges our city - our country – is facing.
  • I know that many of you listening tonight, and residents across Worcester, are in pain after the events on Eureka Street on May 8th.
  • You are not alone in that pain.
  • That day we saw national issues play out on our own doorsteps - families and communities being terrorized and ripped apart.
  • When I heard the anguished shrieks as a mother and daughter were separated less than two weeks ago, I thought of my own family.
  • I thought about what I would do if my sons or wife were taken from me.
  • The thought brings tears to my eyes even now.
  • A family experienced irreparable trauma
  • And today, our city stands on the brink of division.
  • We cannot go back and change what happened, but we can learn from it and come together as a municipality and community to determine how we respond moving forward.
  • On Friday, my office issued an Executive Order putting the city's policy regarding ICE on paper, so there can be no question of how we respond when agents come into our city.
  • I also began the process of releasing the body camera footage for the incident, so as a city we can fully process what happened.
  • My charge as City Manager is to lead the City of Worcester: that includes the Worcester Police Department, 16 other municipal departments and their nearly 2,000 employees, and all residents of the city.
  • Tonight, I want to reaffirm to all of you that my administration is prepared to manage the city through this, while staying true to the vision that we, as a community, have set for ourselves.
  • Before I began speaking, we played a video that set up the themes of the night, and I want to revisit one of those lines now.
  • In the words of our very own Youth Poet Laureate, Serenity Jackson:
    • "While the world shakes, we stay rooted.
    • "Worcester's heart will never be muted."
  • We will remain resilient, even as the world around us seems chaotic.
  • And in fact, Worcester's heart is still beating as strong as ever.
  • The state of Worcester has not shifted since my last address – we continue to be strong.
  • Last year, I told you we were in an era of opportunity, and if we took advantage of that, we could enter an era of accomplishment.
  • We did take advantage, and a lot of what I'm going to speak about tonight are accomplishments.
  • But we are also facing a time of uncertainty and, whether we like it or not, Worcester does not exist in its own bubble.
  • The events of May 8th made that clear.
  • Decisions on a national level can affect our overall quality of life and our budget.
  • However, no matter what is happening outside of the city limits, Worcester's priorities have not, and will not change.
  • We will continue to use the values set out in the Strategic Plan as a compass to guide us:
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion;
    • Innovation;
    • Professionalism;
    • Resident Focus;
    • Evidence-Based Decision Making;
    • Excellence;
    • And Collaboration.
  • That last value is particularly important – because I know that even though we always strive to, we do not always get it right.
  • But, by collaborating with stakeholders and members of our community, we can learn how to do better.
  • In fact, one great example of successful collaboration is our ability to host this event today, and I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who made it possible.
  • Thank you to the JMAC for hosting for the second year in a row.
  • Thank you to the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, Executive Director Paul Matthews, and the entire board and staff, for partnering with us again.
  • Your non-partisan research and data analysis has proven critical in breaking down the issues affecting greater Worcester - including your highly anticipated report on Civilian Review Boards.
  • We are looking forward to your 37th annual Thomas Green Awards next week and recognizing the "unsung heroes" of public service.
  • Thank you to our incredible performers this evening.
  • Doherty High School Senior Nayeli Roman -- thank you for that beautiful rendition of the national anthem.
  • I referenced her earlier, Youth Poet Laureate Serenity Jackson, thank you for providing the powerful words in that opening video.
  • And thank you to Poet Laureate Oliver De La Paz for your poem describing our city and its spirit.
  • To Father Hugo Cano, thank you for leading us in prayer. I draw inspiration from your words.
  • To our legislative body, Mayor Petty and the entire City Council.
  • Thank you for your continued partnership, support, and leadership, and for your commitment to the needs of our residents.
  • Thank you to our State and Federal delegations, business leaders, institutional partners, academic allies, and all invited guests here tonight for their collaboration, again, let me emphasize, collaboration –as we address the challenges we face together.
  • In addition to the values I mentioned earlier, the municipality is guided by its mission to deliver exceptional public services and operations that are rooted in equity, innovation, and integrity.
  • We would not be able to deliver those services without the hard work and dedication of the entire municipal workforce.
  • I call on everyone in the audience tonight to think about how you got here, did you use city roads?
  • Did you stop at stoplights?
  • Did you park in a municipal garage?
  • The often-unseen work of our municipal workforce is part of your daily life. I would ask any staff in attendance tonight to stand.
  • Without you, our trash wouldn't get picked up, potholes would expand, and our Parks would become overgrown.
  • Please join me in thanking them.
  • In day-to-day life, those are the services that really impact our residents and their families.
  • I know because I am a resident of Worcester and the father of two young children, Lucas and Liam.
  • My sons serve as my inspiration to do what I do every day – work to help create a better Worcester for their future.
  • As many of our residents know, it takes effort to balance a full-time job alongside caring for a family and home.
  • When you don't see me at a public event, I'm probably out buying diapers or watching Mufasa for the one hundredth time with my sons.
  • All while fielding phone calls and text messages from residents, councilors, and employees.
  • I would not be able to balance it all without my incredibly strong and supportive wife Arianys.
  • I want to give her a special shout out tonight, because it's her birthday.
  • Happy Birthday, Ari. Thank you for everything you do for me and our family.
  • In many ways the city is its own family, with a cast of familiar characters.
  • We do not always get along, sometimes very vocally.
  • But at the end of the day, we all want Worcester to thrive.
  • And just like a family, we come together in times of hardship and in times of triumph.
  • We have weathered countless tragedies together, supported each other in emergencies, and celebrated victories with each other.
  • We have come together in good times and bad to be there for one another as a community.
  • And we will continue to do so.
  • I know right now we are hurting, and in ways the community feels fractured.
  • But I am calling on you now to come together and remember what Worcester stands for, and remember that we are at our strongest when we stand together.
  • As former President Barack Obama said at a Youth Town Hall in 2010:
    • "What is important is that we make sure to work together, that we understand our strength comes from unity and not division."
  • Let me repeat that, "unity and not division."
  • I invite you to take a minute to think about what we have been able to overcome when we come together and have each other's backs.
  • I am not insisting that we all agree with each other - families rarely do –– but I am asking that we listen to each other and treat each other with respect.
  • I am asking that we once again use our love of Worcester to find common ground.
  • It's from common ground that we've worked diligently to plan the future of the city.
  • And when I say we – I mean all of our city family.
  • I mean the residents who show up at council meetings, answer surveys, attend hearings, and comment on our plans.
  • I mean the non-profits, developers, and organizations that we work with who continue to believe in the strength of this city.
  • I mean the employees who are up early in the morning answering your 311 requests and who are up late at night engaging with the public at committee meetings.
  • We decided on the future of Worcester together, and it is enshrined in the municipal Strategic Plan and Worcester Now | Next Long-Range Plan, which will guide our growth and our work for years to come.
  • The plans are not just sitting on a shelf.
  • The objectives we laid out still stand true and we are steadfast in our commitment to fulfill them.
  • And we are going to actively measure our progress and hold ourselves accountable for achieving what we set out to do.
  • Tonight, I will remind you of the six goals of the Strategic Plan, our progress to date, and our goals for the future.
  • Our top priority is Public Health & Safety, ensuring our residents can lead safe and healthy lives.
  • I'll say what I've said before: This is non-negotiable.
  • It is imperative that we build and maintain a public health and safety infrastructure based on trust and the needs of our community.
  • I know recent events and the release of the DOJ report in December have tested that trust.
  • That is why it is more important than ever for our staff – from our police to our health experts to our engineers – to be out in the community, connecting with residents and building relationships.
  • Since July, Worcester Police Officers have spent over 20,000 hours conducting Community Engagement Patrols.
  • They are getting out of their cars and walking and talking with residents, getting to know the community they are serving and letting the community get to know them.
  • Worcester is always changing and I recognize that to best serve the needs of the community, the municipality needs to change with it.
  • By constantly reviewing how we operate and listening to the experiences of our employees and the community, and external third parties, we can better serve both.
  • While Worcester consistently ranks among the safest mid-sized cities in the United States, we had 16 homicides in 2024, 12 of which involved firearms.
  • These statistics are not just numbers, they represent someone's daughter, someone's mother, someone's son, someone's friend – there is a whole circle of people impacted.
  • 13 of the 16 homicides are considered solved, but the Worcester Police Department is working hard to prevent these crimes from being committed in the first place.
  • The department has already met its goal of creating a dedicated local firearms unit, which recovered 11 guns and made 27 arrests from July to March.
  • Department-wide, a total of 90 guns were seized.
  • That's 90 guns taken off the streets that could otherwise cause further harm.
  • The municipality is also at its best when its departments are working together.
  • For example, in the past year, the Department of Health and Human Services has strengthened its coordination with the police department's Crisis Intervention Team to enhance non-emergency outreach and support for individuals in crisis.
  • With the events of the world as heavy as they are, it is no surprise that we've seen a rise in substance use disorder and poor mental health.
  • Fortunately, we have already made strides toward achieving our objective of reducing overdoses and minimizing the harms of substance use disorder.
  • Through the HHS outreach team, 276 individuals accessed detox services and nearly 1,400 doses of Narcan were administered.
  • We are also working to stop people before they start down the path of substance use.
  • HHS has partnered with 14 youth-serving organizations to connect youth and their families to mental health, substance use prevention, and support services through the Recreation Worcester program, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
  • As we saw in the last year, our youth are also at risk of being the victims of traffic violence.
  • They were sadly among several victims of car crashes that led us to declare a Road Safety and Traffic Violence Crisis in August.
  • It was more than just a statement -- We have taken several significant steps to make our streets safer since then.
  • We have adopted a 25 mile per hour statutory speed limit, developed a Vision Zero Safety Action Plan, and constructed more than 20 speed humps.
  • We are taking steps to redesign our streets following the Complete Streets model, which is aimed at allowing safe access to all people who need to use our streets.
  • That includes developing a state-of-the art Pavement Management Program.
  • The program is prioritizing routine and preventative maintenance instead of letting streets fall into disrepair before addressing them– giving the city better, more drivable streets.
  • We envision a Worcester where workers can bike to offices, students can walk to school, and visitors can easily navigate all the wonderful things our city has to offer, without having to worry about the harm inflicted by a speeding car or an unsafe sidewalk.
  • The vision we have for Worcester does not just revolve around the streets.
  • The future of Worcester we are building toward, as stated by the second priority goal of the Strategic Plan, has Affordable Neighborhoods & Reduced Homelessness.
  • That is not going to happen just because we want it to.
  • We need to guide development to ensure that the diverse makeup of classes and cultures that shape the city we love can stay here.
  • Worcester has not stopped growing and there is an anticipated demand for over 12,000 new housing units by 2033.
  • To keep up, the city will need to help bring in over 1,000 new units a year.
  • Now, that demand is exciting.
  • People are seeking out Worcester as a place to live, work, and play.
  • At the same time, nearly 40% of Worcester households are spending more than a third of their income on housing.
  • When housing is eating up that much of your monthly budget, how much can be left over for food, clothing, childcare, and other daily costs?
  • We want to make sure these residents can afford to not just stay in the city as our population grows and rents rise, but have a good quality of life.
  • That's why we voluntarily went through the process of drafting a Housing Production Plan, which we released in March, to guide housing policies to enhance stability, supply, and affordability.
  • It found Worcester's population is expected to grow to over 230,000 residents by 2050, with young professionals and families moving to the city.
  • That's at least another 20,000 on top of our current population, which is already at an all-time high.
  • That equates to adding Holden's entire population to our city.
  • Part of the reason for our growth is our employment base.
  • In the past 10 years, Worcester has added over 8,000 jobs and we have the potential to add an additional 14,000 jobs by 2034.
  • That is something we can all be proud of.
  • However, most workers in Worcester's top ten largest occupations cannot afford the median sales price of homes at $460,000 and median rent of more than $1,700.
  • That is unacceptable.
  • To increase the number of affordable units available for homebuyers and renters we have been deliberate as we increase the supply of units in the city.
  • But, the municipality cannot do the work alone.
  • It requires cross-sector collaboration with small businesses, developers, community development corporation, and other stakeholders.
  • We supported a coalition of partners in the completion of District 120, which brought 83 units of affordable housing online at 60% Area Median Income and below.
  • The application process painted a clear picture of the demand for affordable housing in the city.
  • 750 applications were submitted to fill just 83 apartments.
  • That means for every one apartment filled, there were at least eight people or families still looking to find their home at a price they can afford.
  • We want to help those families and have been building out our existing programs to help generate more units.
  • In 2021, we established the Affordable Housing Trust Fund with $15 million in ARPA funding.
  • In the last year, we committed the remainder of that funding, and are now seeing those projects come to life.
  • In total, trust fund projects have brought 571 new units to the city, 324 of which are affordable and 72 of which are ADA accessible.
  • I'm happy to report that the Trust Fund isn't going away now that ARPA funding is finished.
  • It will be continuously funded through our Inclusionary Zoning policy and Community Preservation Program.
  • So far, $18 million invested through the fund has leveraged $376 million in new residential construction.
  • We are also creating pathways to homeownership for lower income, BIPOC, and immigrant households.
  • The Downpayment Assistance Program, developed with federal funding and local partners, has allowed more than 40 families to turn the keys on their first property.
  • Just this month, a woman and her two children who had previously been in and out of shelters moved into their new home.
  • Now she and the other families will start building generational wealth, which will benefit both them and the city, as it will help improve our overall economic health.
  • We know these efforts are still leaving some behind and that the number of unhoused individuals in the city is growing.
  • These individuals need services now, and we are taking another step to meet them where they are by working with local stakeholders to open a Day Resource Center.
  • Our homes are where most people go to rest, take care of ourselves, and reset, but when you're unhoused, you have to worry about where you can wash your clothes, go to the bathroom, and charge your phone.
  • This center will give unhoused individuals a place to do all that.
  • It will also help facilitate access to housing, employment, and other resources.
  • Our work with partners also resulted in the second year of the Restore, Motivate, Validate emergency winter shelter.
  • Listening to the demands of the community, this winter we were also able to add a dedicated emergency shelter for women.
  • We are working with community partners to explore having the shelter available on a permanent basis.
  • Worcester is a community that strives to take care of our neighbors, and also our neighborhoods.
  • Which brings me to our third priority goal: Clean City Initiatives.
  • Neighborhoods, streets, and waterways that are clear of litter and contamination will provide our residents with a higher quality of life.
  • Unsurprisingly, we have developed plans to achieve this from the Zero Waste Master Plan to the Green Worcester Plan…as you may have noticed we love plans.
  • The Zero Waste Master Plan aims to chart a clear, actionable path toward a more sustainable, zero waste future.
  • We have made significant progress down that path in the past year.
  • We launched the Clean Street Collective, are actively working to increase our urban tree canopy, and finalized a plan to install over 150 new public recycling and trash bins on city streets, something we know you've all been calling for.
  • And as you may have guessed, once again, we did not do that work alone.
  • Members of the community gave their time on Saturday mornings and weeknights to join us planting trees in our two new Miyawaki Forests, and they continue to show up and volunteer to lead neighborhood clean ups.
  • In addition to increasing our resident's quality of life these efforts also help with our fourth priority goal – Economic Growth.
  • The municipality is guiding Transformative Development Initiatives that focus intensive resources on a specific district to accelerate economic development.
  • We are working with business owners to beautify their corridors through the use of banners, planters, and façade improvements.
  • We are driving foot traffic through hosting events like food truck and vendor pop-ups.
  • We want to do everything we can to support our small business owners because we know how critical a role they play in our economy and our community.
  • These businesses act as gathering spaces to bring community together and draw in visitors to experience all Worcester has to offer.
  • Good experiences at our restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues keep people coming back and encourage them to move here.
  • We also streamlined our Special Event Permitting process, taking away unnecessary hurdles for event planners, including waiving 18 permits and their associated fees.
  • These events are part of what makes Worcester special.
  • Residents get to share their culture and talents while attracting customers to both participating vendors and nearby businesses.
  • In addition to small businesses, key employment sectors in Worcester include the life sciences, Administrative Services, Health Care, and Government.
  • You've already heard that Worcester could gain as many as 14,000 new jobs by 2034.
  • Let me say that again so it really resonates - 14,000 jobs.
  • Nothing happens on its own and we are going to do everything we can to support job creation and reach that number.
  • Getting people stable, well-paying jobs can be life-changing.
  • And, as a college city, we want the students that come to Worcester and boost our economy to stay here.
  • They already have their favorite bar, running route, and coffee shop.
  • We just need to give them the same job opportunities here as they would get in other metropolitan areas.
  • Our efforts are working, and you don't have to look far to see that.
  • Six of my direct office staff graduated from Worcester colleges and universities.
  • We are expanding our life science and climate tech industries, that can both take advantage of the pool of talent our colleges are generating.
  • As part of our overall push to expand our employment base, the Worcester Jobs Fund has exceeded enrollment goals, supporting 118 residents in preparation for living wage career opportunities.
  • MassHire has offered over 35 job fairs and recruitment events, hosting over 350 employers and 7,000 job seekers.
  • One of our biggest steps toward our jobs goal is also thanks to collaboration with multiple organizations.
  • The Greendale Revitalization Initiative is transforming some of the Norton Company campus into the 50-acre GreenTech Park.
  • That park could facilitate up to one million square feet of new manufacturing space and is expected to create over 1,000 new jobs.
  • The project is only possible because of several funding sources from the public and private sectors.
  • To be able to operate effectively and efficiently with collaborators we need to be strong as an organization – if we are not operating from a place of strength, anything we try to achieve will be negatively impacted.
  • That is why our fifth priority goal is High Performing Government & Strong Financial Health.
  • One of the ways we can guarantee high performance is improving residents' ability to connect with us.
  • The municipality is working to improve communication by giving residents places outside of City Hall to connect with their local government.
  • This year we piloted a 311 Customer Service Center where the residents of Main South can go for anything from getting their birth certificate to notifying us of a downed tree or pothole to renewing their passport.
  • The center has been such a success we are working to open one in each district.
  • In fact, our proposed FY26 budget has funds to open an additional center next year.
  • Speaking of our budget – we have worked hard to keep Worcester on solid financial footing.
  • A stable bond rating over the last 10 years shows we have done just that.
  • To maintain that in this period of uncertainty, my administration is proposing a reserved budget, with minimal new expenditures to guard against risk.
  • The focus is strengthening core municipal services and providing them no matter what the circumstances.
  • To prepare for that, we've proposed a $5 million Contingency budget as a buffer for unanticipated Federal, state, and grant reductions throughout the year.
  • My administration has been committed to equity since I became City Manager and this proposed budget reflects that.
  • We are undergoing pay equity analyses to ensure our municipal workers are getting paid fairly based on their job responsibilities, experience, and position.
  • And while it doesn't involve any new positions being added since the last fiscal year, this is the first year we'll see all the positions filled in the Executive Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.
  • The infrastructure exists so our recently appointed Chief Equity Officer has the tools and support necessary to meet the needs of the municipality.
  • It's Worcester's vision to be a thriving community, where opportunities are available to everyone, regardless of their background or situation in life.
  • Worcester has a history of welcoming people from all walks of life, and that is still true.
  • In February, the City Council voted to adopt a resolution declaring Worcester a Sanctuary City for Transgender and Gender Diverse People.
  • The Office of New Americans, which the city helps fund, connects immigrants and refugees to all the services they need to get settled.
  • Our status as a welcoming city is important to us and we have been working for the past several months to receive a designation from Welcoming America.
  • Why pursue that designation?
  • Because we are not complacent.
  • Welcoming America provides a Welcoming Standard, which sets benchmarks that will hold us accountable as a welcoming city, and spur innovation.
  • Being an inclusive community is a badge we want to wear proudly and we are not going to let current national politics impact that.
  • It is easy to uphold your values when no one is questioning them, it shows your true character if you can still uphold them in the face of potential backlash.
  • As Martin Luther King Jr. said:
    • "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
  • I want to make decisions that will make my sons proud.
  • Because those decisions will not just impact my sons' future, they will impact the future of all the children growing up here.
  • That's why our sixth and final priority goal is Investment in Quality Education.
  • The children walking the halls of our 46 public schools could one day walk the halls of our executive offices, City Hall, our hospitals, or the State House.
  • They will inherit whatever we leave for them, and they will be the ones in the position to make decisions.
  • To secure a better future for Worcester it is essential to secure a better future for our students.
  • To do that we need to give them a solid foundation, starting with their school buildings.
  • I want to thank departing Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Rachel Monárrez for her partnership and friendship in that work.
  • And I look forward to continuing that partnership with incoming Superintendent Brian Allen.
  • In the past fiscal year, the municipality contributed more than $10 million on behalf of school operations and debt reserves for future school projects.
  • In August, thanks to local and state partners, the new Doherty High School opened, with state-of-the art facilities for physical education, the arts, and career technical education.
  • Every aspect of the school construction was forward-looking.
  • That means we took the realities of climate change seriously in its construction.
  • The school has electric vehicle charging stations, bicycle storage, and a solar energy system that provides 50% of the school's electricity.
  • As we plan the city's future it is with sustainability and resilience in mind.
  • We are making progress; the city reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 8.2% from 2009 to 2023 and our Energy Savings Performance Contract has resulted in an 18% reduction in municipal energy use over the past decade.
  • These efforts will not be enough on their own.
  • We've woven sustainability and resilience goals into the municipality's broader vision for growth and well-being -- to create a city that can thrive amid changing climate conditions.
  • The future of Worcester is something we are building together.
  • Municipal departments, residents, non-profits, developers, and more will all have their hand in the Worcester we see five, ten, and twenty years from now.
  • Our greatest chance to create the Worcester we want to see is if we all work communally toward a shared vision.
  • Right now, the idea that people with such varying backgrounds and experiences would have the same vision may seem impossible.
  • It might seem even more impossible when we're met with daunting news on what seems like a daily basis.
  • But, we are still making progress toward our vision – a thriving community where opportunity is available to everyone – everyday.
  • People are choosing to move to Worcester because of the welcoming community we have built together.
  • They are staying here because we are making sure they have the resources they need to succeed.
  • Worcester residents are putting the city on an international stage:
    • Worcester native Stephen Nedoroscik had an epic run at the Paris Olympics, earning two bronze medals and winning the hearts of the world as "Pommel Horse Guy."
    • UMass Chan Medical School Professor Victor Ambros won a 2024 Nobel Prize for his co-discovery of micro-RNA, the second professor there to claim that achievement.
    • And the Beyond Wrestling community has created such a pull to the city, that Grammy-nominated artist Clairo filmed a music video here – one of many exciting things filmed in the city over the last year.
  • We have done all of this while upholding the values we've set for ourselves.
  • So even though times are uncertain now, there is still something we can count on – each other.
  • Look at the people around you, think about how they have stepped up and supported the community when it needed it most.
  • Think about what you have done yourself to support the community.
  • It is because of all of you and the work we've done together that we were able to enter an era of opportunity in the first place.
  • You – our residents, business owners, students, and workers – are why the state of Worcester is strong.
  • You are the consistent heartbeat that keeps this city running.
  • When you walk out of this theatre or end this stream, focus on that.
  • Instead of giving into anger and division, think about the friends, family, and neighbors that make up your community here.
  • Commit to standing up and standing together with them to achieve the vision we have set for ourselves.
  • Because if we do, I know we will not break. We will elevate the state of Worcester for generations to come.
  • Thank you, and God bless.

Contact Information

Address

City Manager
City Hall Room 306
455 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608

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Phone: 508-799-1175
Fax: 508-799-1208
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