SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The Mayor of Scranton gave her State of the City address Wednesday morning, highlighting accomplishments from her six years in office. 28/22 News Reporter Colby Hughes explained the address and how residents feel about her performance.

Over the past six years, Cognetti said she has worked to improve the quality of life for people living in the city.

“We’ve really built the playbook on a lot of different things so that we are able to partner, give resources where they would best be deployed, and make the city move faster,” Scranton Mayor (D) Paige Cognetti said.

Some key highlights included upgrades to the police and fire departments, a stronger financial standing for the city, and continued investments in infrastructure. Cognetti also described how a focus on resources for the youth can help them choose the right path forward.

She explained, “we’re working on our community balance initiative to do just that: give kids the outlets they need to learn how to get into the workforce, do well in school, and make sure that they become a great member of our community.”

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28/22 News spoke with some Scranton residents, many of whom wished to remain off camera, to see how they believe Mayor Cognetti is doing. Scranton resident Erick Jones said he believes the city has come a long way since he moved to Scranton 10 years ago.

“I like what the present Mayor is doing, she’s actually doing a wonderful job, and I wish she would do a little bit more with the buildings, you know, bring them up to par, make them look more like the downtown should look rather than old structures,” Jones said.

Jones said the work the Mayor is doing is obvious, especially the work he can see.

“I see a lot of roadwork being done, and I appreciate that, and the sidewalks. The city’s actually cleaning itself up a little bit better, I don’t see as many people hanging out in the downtown area like I used to,” Jones added.

Many others in the area Wednesday afternoon said they believe Cognetti is doing a solid job six years in. The State of the City address kicked off days of events leading up to Scranton’s 160th birthday celebration on Saturday.

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