FALL RIVER — Mayor Paul Coogan described a city growing rapidly during his State of the City address on Tuesday afternoon.
“Our recovery from decades of economic trouble is happening before our very eyes,” Coogan told a joint meeting of the City Council and School Committee.
The City Council Chambers, filled with members of his administration, department heads and well-wishers, applauded several times during the mayor’s speech, which informally kicks off his third term in office.
“As we go forward, I once again promise that I will continue to work hard, act out of my deep love for this city and commit my administration to integrity and transparency,” Coogan said.
Here are six highlights from Coogan’s speech:
Fall River’s bank account is looking good
Coogan said Fall River has become financially healthier under his leadership, citing an A3, or stable, credit rating from Moody’s. The city’s also socked away quite a bit of cash.
“We have seen our rainy-day funds grow from $10 million when I took office in 2020, to $26 million today,” Coogan said.
He acknowledged that good financial times aren’t being had by everyone.
“We know that the cost of living has been steadily climbing in Fall River, as it has across the country,” Coogan said, “and it is my promise to taxpayers that my administration will continue to do all we can to reduce the burden on them.”
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Fall River is building a lot more housing
Other things in Fall River have been increasing in recent years — including its population and the rents.
Coogan said there are more than 1,000 residential units in the pipeline, either under construction or being permitted. Some of those will breathe new life into long-vacant mills. He also noted that the Community Development agency helped develop 54 new affordable housing units. Another 200 housing units are expected once buildings in the Flint are rehabbed, he said.
This isn’t only increasing the city’s housing stock, Coogan said:
“Revenue from building permits to date is over $690,000, which puts us on target to surpass last year’s numbers.”
The Flint is getting ‘a major facelift’ with federal money
Coogan made redevelopment of the Flint neighborhood a key piece of his re-election campaign. He said a draft plan to revitalize the Flint with new retail space and housing, which has been in the works since 2022, will be up for consideration by the council and state agencies.
“The plans have begun with a major facelift for several storefronts on Pleasant Street through a storefront improvement program administered by Fall River’s Community Development Agency,” he said.
Streetscape boon:Feds infuse Fall River’s effort to revitalize Pleasant Street with over $1.6 million
Coogan also broke the news to the crowd that the city has landed a federal earmark of $1.6 million for the plans.
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More fun is coming to Fall River’s waterfront
Coogan said that apart from the East Taunton station, the South Coast Rail project will be substantially completed by the end of the month, with revenue service due in the summer.
Between the rail, the announcement of trolley and water taxi service, improvements to the city pier, and new restaurants opening soon, the waterfront is coming together “to boost tourism in Fall River by highlighting the different historical, cultural, and recreational attractions that make our city so unique.”
Fall River schools are growing — and improving
Coogan acknowledged the upcoming retirement of Superintendent Maria Pontes, noting the progress Fall River schools have made in recent years.
What to know:Fall River Superintendent Maria Pontes retiring after almost four decades in city schools
“While other districts are losing students, Fall River continues to grow,” he said.
Coogan cited improvements in the rates of chronic absenteeism and teacher retention, an increase in pre-kindergarten access, the addition of a bookmobile at the Fall River Public Library and — what he said he was especially proud of — the success of B.M.C. Durfee High School’s Early College program.
The program partners Durfee with Bristol Community College, Bridgewater State University and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to give students a head-start on higher education.
“Most of the students in the Early College program enter college one to two semesters ahead of typical students and are more likely to be pursuing higher education than the state average,” he said.
On the downslope: crime, police complaints, opioid overdoses
What isn’t growing in Fall River, Coogan said, is crime — he cited data from 2022 and 2023 showing that overall crime has fallen 23.6%. Also falling: citizen complaints against police officers, which he said have been cut in half since the department has been using body-worn cameras.
He spotlighted the city’s FAST program, which pairs people trained in mental health and addiction counseling with police on mental health or drug abuse calls, saying 448 people so far have been referred to services.
It’s had a significant effect, he said.
“With the commitment, compassion and dedication of these hardworking individuals involved in the battle against opioids, I am pleased to inform you that we have seen a decrease in overdoses,” Coogan said. “In 2018, there were over 1,000 overdoses. In 2023, we saw less than 500.”
Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.
