Lockport Mayor Anne McCaffrey addresses the Lockport Rotary Club and city officials in the State of the City address this afternoon at the Lockport Town & Country Club. (PHOTOS BY SCOTT LEFFLER / ENP STAFF)

BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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Rotary Club President Jackie Davis introduced Mayor McCaffrey's speech.

Lockport Mayor Anne McCaffrey, in her first State of the City address this afternoon, at the Lockport Town & County Club, said that the city has turned the corner on the financial calamity that was 2014.

"I am happy to be here today to share with you the optimism and confidence that I have that the City of Lockport is getting stronger every day," the mayor told a room full of city officials and members of the Lockport Rotary Club.

The mayor referred to 2014 as a "rebuilding year" that required a great deal of troubleshooting and correcting "systemic problems." The city has developed strategies to do that, she said.

McCaffrey said the corrective actions included state and private financing, reductions in personnel, elimination of the city's paid ambulance service and an application to the State Financial Restructuring Board, as well as a tax increase. Since those actions have been taken, though, she says that the situation is beginning to improve.

"For the first time in almost one year, the (state) Comptroller's Office is no longer a daily presence at city hall and they have no immediate plans to return," McCaffrey said.

The mayor highlighted some economic development positives, including Cornerstone CFCU Arena, which created jobs, removed blight, and will bring 150,000 people per year to Lockport, making the city a year-round destination.

She also discussed the Flight of Five, which completed Phase I in 2014 and will continue restoration this year. The project has been responsible for over $1 million in private investment in the Locks District, she said.

Lockportians take for granted the beauty of the Erie Canal, McCaffrey said. But visitors and tourists do not.

"We are fortunate to have caught the attention of the film and advertising industries," she continued. "Some of you may recall that scenes from Sharknado 2 were filmed in the Lockport Caves and a Red Bull video on YouTube. The Red Bull video continues to gain popularity as it features professional wake skaters riding through the Erie Canal Flight of Five right here in Lockport. Quite a feat."

Other positives include new businesses in Harrison Place, the Lockport Community Market, Locktoberfest, and numerous awards received by the city.

"Positive things are happening in Lockport and people are taking notice," she said.

"The city's financial problems of 2014 are becoming history. We are seeing a renewed energy, optimism and excitement that we haven't seen in a long time," McCaffrey said in closing. "The City of Lockport has momentum right now and my goal continues to be to keep the momentum going and to make Lockport a place to live, work, play and visit. I believe that we have positioned Lockport to be a better and stronger city for years to come."

Rotarians and guests enjoyed a lunch put on by the Lockport Town & Country Club before McCaffrey's speech. The organization meets at the LT&CC every Tuesday at noon. RELATED: Text of Mayor Anne McCaffrey's State of the City address.

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