Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade reviews first 100 days in office

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Thursday marked 100 days since Mayor Yemi Mobolade took office in Colorado Springs. He is the first elected black and immigrant Mayor to be sworn in our city. Mayor Mobolade delivered his first State of the City address, used to provide updates with his three biggest priorities he took on as Mayor.

The Mayor focused on three priorities:

1. Build support with government officials

1. Establish a city leadership culture that prioritizes service to our city’s residents. This includes a culture of transparency, accessibility and proactivity.
2. Pursue a strong working relationship with city council members.
3. Build support with federal, state, and county government officials.

2. Engage community and build public confidence

1. Pursue relationships with community stakeholders by engaging neighborhoods, community leaders, partners, interest groups, and community organizations. This includes groups that did not support the Mayor’s candidacy.
2. Launch programming to improve direct-to-resident communication from the mayor’s office to improve transparency and two-way conversation with the public.
3. Establish a good working relationship with local media. This includes print, broadcast, and social media.

3. Address our city’s emerging and most pressing issues in the areas of:

1. Public Safety - Identify and pursue solutions to police recruitment and retention challenges and efforts to solve the homeless crisis.
2. Housing and Infrastructure- Address housing affordability and continue infrastructure improvements with an emphasis on water and roads.
3. Economic Vitality - Focus on both job creation & talent development.

Mayor Mobolade tells 11 News the City continues to build relationships with federal, state and county government officials. The Mayor says Space Command staying in Colorado Springs was the biggest accomplishment the State has achieved. This announcement was made back in August.

The Mayor also met with other Mayors across the state to discuss their 10, 20 and 30 year plans to better promote Colorado cities. The Mayor tells 11 News meeting with community members has helped better our city.

“Every other week, I’m delivering a bi-weekly report on our progress and what we’re working on,” said Mayor Mobolade. “These efforts follow my promise to lead a government that is transparent, proactive and approachable.”

Mayor Mobolade tells 11 News city leaders have made plans to improve homelessness numbers, public safety and bringing in more housing. The Mayor says the City needs to continue finding solutions for police recruitment and retention. In November, locals will have the chance to vote on Mayor Mobolade’s proposal of retaining part of the TABOR refund to improve or build a new police training facility.

The City is also trying to fix the homelessness issue. Right now, the City is partnering with homeless advocacy groups and mental health providers. Mayor Mobolade also says housing needs to be affordable for every budget while continuing to fix our water and roads.

“It’s top of mind for many,” said Mobolade. “It’s top of mind for me. Our housing supply impacts everyone, including the pillars of our community. Think of our teachers, firefighters, nurses and law enforcement officers.”

Another point in his speech was our local roads. So far, the City has fixed more than 66,000 potholes since June 6th, 2023.

Copyright 2023 KKTV. All rights reserved.