On February 10th, I delivered the State of the City address to the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, an event held on the rooftop patio of the Costa Hollywood Beach Resort. If you have never been to the rooftop, I highly recommend it. The panoramic views are spectacular. We are really fortunate to be living in “Florida’s All-Year Resort City,” as our city’s earliest advertisements put it.
I began the State of our City address with remembering the challenges and personal loss that we faced in 2021, with the pandemic and with the sorrow that we felt for the Hollywood Police Officers that we lost that year. As an aside, you’ll be happy to know that the playground at Mara Berman Giulanti Park will soon be named “Officer Yandy Chirino Playground” in honor of Yandy’s memory and service. Also, acting on a proposal by our great State Representative, Marie Woodson, the City Commission endorsed the installation of a Covid-19 memorial in our city. When the dedications for the playground naming and the Covid memorial are ready, a public announcement will surely be made.
By working together over the past five years we’ve set into motion plans and funding for public and private investments that will touch and improve every area of our city, from the neighborhoods in west Hollywood that will see road, sidewalk and storm-water improvements, to new apartments and hotels on State Road 7 and all around downtown Hollywood, to our regional designation for a commuter train station downtown, millions of dollars in state and local dollars for investments to improve our city’s resiliency to the impacts of sea level rise and climate change, eliminating outfall wastewater to our ocean, new open space, new fire-rescue apparatus, a new police headquarters, and revitalized parks, playgrounds, sports fields and recreational facilities, we’ve got a lot that we’ve charged our staff to get done during the few years ahead.
Property values in Hollywood have continued to appreciate at a very strong rate. In the last five years, our city’s total taxable property value has grown from $13.2 billion to $18.9 billion – a historic and highest ever property value for Hollywood. Our overall city budget for Fiscal Year 2022 is over $750 Million It is balanced and it is the city’s highest, yet current budget projections still show the need to do much more in growing the city’s revenue side of the ledger in hopes of keeping up with the city’s ever increasing operating costs.
As a city government, we must stay committed to seizing economic growth opportunities, to ever improve civic communication and engagement, to usher in competitive economic vitality, well managed finances and administration, invest in our infrastructure and facilities, support our professional law enforcement and emergency services as an ever top priority, ensure quality of life and strong neighborhoods for our residents, and in everything we do, make sure we employ effective and sustainable practices to ensure we rise to any challenge that may come our city’s way.
We are a city on the go with a vision to be South Florida’s top city to live, learn, work, invest and play. Thank you for being an important part of our endeavor. Together we will continue to do great things.
Josh Levy, Mayor
