State of the City Address: Allentown mayor bemoans COVID-19, praises city workforce

State of the City Address: Allentown mayor bemoans COVID-19, praises city workforce

By Hayden Mitman

January 26, 2021

In his recent State of the City Address, Allentown Mayor Ray O’Connell talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the community. He also outlined plans to help Allentown’s economic recovery. 

“When I look back on 2020, the first thing I want to say is ‘Thank God we made it.’ Our way of living has been totally turned upside down to try to put the brakes on a global pandemic.

“There’s not been hockey or concerts at  PPL Center, stages went dark, hotels became empty. Traditions, like the Great Allentown Fair, Lehigh Valley Pride, so many ethnic and cultural festivals and celebrations had to be canceled,” O’Connell says.

CARES Act funding was used to help tenants avoid eviction and to help stabilize local businesses.

“I am incredibly proud of all the hardworking men and women of the city of Allentown. The city’s workforce remained focused and determined to provide our citizens and taxpayers with the best possible services,” he says. 

The city remains committed to the Vision 2030 Comprehensive and Economic Development Plan, he says, the 10-year plan that charts the city’s course. 

A recording of the State of the City Address can be found online. 

Sign up for our WLVR weekly newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news from the Lehigh Valley and across Pennsylvania