‘WE ARE THE UNICORN’
Mayor cheers Santa Fe’s ‘magic,’ opportunities in toned-down affair at south-side library
In the days leading up to his first State of the City address, Mayor Alan Webber promised it would be unlike those in the past.
Webber stayed true to his word Wednesday.
Though he delivered a speech with plenty of platitudes and brags, as previous mayors have done, Webber did not announce any major new initiatives or projects during a less ceremonious presentation than previous such speeches. He spent much of his address positioning himself more as a civic cheerleader.
“Show me a city in this country with our history and our culture, our magic and our genius, with a site sitting at its center inviting partners to compete for the chance to work there — it doesn’t exist,” Webber said, referring to a 66.5-acre city-owned property in the middle of Santa Fe that is poised for redevelopment.
“When it comes to urban development, we are the unicorn,” he said. “No one else comes close.”
Webber said his administration’s aspirations are articulated in its recently adopted budget. He highlighted a short list of things he wants to achieve, including “standing strong with our immi
When it comes to urban development, we are the unicorn. No one else comes close.” Mayor Alan Webber in his State of the City address
grant community.”
“In this time of rampant racism, bigotry and intolerance spewing out of the White House, we stand by our principles, and we stand with all the people of our community,” he told the audience, which included several members of the immigrant advocacy organization Somos Un Pueblo Unido. “Santa Fe is and always will be … a city that values, respects and protects all of our people.”
The annual State of the City address, typically a highly choreographed event that draws hundreds of people, was held in a small room at the Southside Branch Library instead of a bigger venue like the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. The room, which has a seating capacity of 90, had a few empty chairs, and an adjoining overflow room had plenty of space left.
“This year, as you can see here in the south-side library, we’re trying something different with the State of the City,” Webber told an audience of about 100, including seven of the eight city councilors and more than a dozen department heads flanking the mayor.
“We’ve scheduled it for July, after the [fiscal year] 2020 budget has kicked in, and we’ve decided to do away with the pomp and circumstance and formality of past speeches and instead substitute a friendlier community tone,” he said. “This year, think of it less as a State of the City address and more as a report to you as the shareholders of a publicly held company, the city of Santa Fe.”
Webber, a successful entrepreneur elected last year, wore suit pants and a tie but no jacket, and his sleeves were rolled up.
“Please accept my Pete Buttigieg imitation,” he said, generating laughs. “Not running for president, but as you all know, it’s kind of warm in here.”
Unlike previous State of the City events, which often included a color guard, big spreads of food and live music, Webber got his address started with a clap of the hands to quiet the crowd.
Webber’s toned-down State of the City drew praise from people who attended.
“I thought it was great,” City Councilor Carol Romero-Wirth said. “I think it reflected the hard work that’s been going on since he was elected and the challenges that we have to still work on. I mean, we’re just beginning. This administration, the team is in place. The budget is now in place. And a lot has happened, but there’s still a lot more work to be done.”
A local woman in the crowd, Sally Cheney Liebert, also called the mayor’s remarks “great.” She said she didn’t feel as though the event was missing a big announcement.
“I felt like this was probably more real because he talked about what’s actually going on and how it takes effort and stepwise work to make things happen,” said Cheney Liebert, who called Santa Fe City Hall the most responsive of any city where she’s ever lived. “It really takes building blocks and having people come together and work together.”
The city described Webber’s inaugural State of the City as a town hall-style event where he would take questions, which he did both from audience members and people who submitted questions in advance via social media. The questions, which were screened by city staff, ranged from police response times and downtown parking issues to panhandlers and homelessness.
In an interview after his nearly 30-minute speech, Webber said the “whole point” of doing a different kind of State of the City event was “to set a different tone.”
“That’s what we’ve done with pretty much everything in the last year,” he said. “Look at the Mayor’s Ball. Rather than having it be a very successful event around two nonprofits, we opened it up to the community and recognized not the nonprofits but the volunteers. Here again, we’re looking not so much about the mayor. We’re looking at the community and what makes Santa Fe a very special place.”
Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.
This year, think of it less as a State of the City address and more as a report to you as the shareholders of a publicly held company, the city of Santa Fe.” Mayor Alan Webber in his State of the City address