Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley delivered her State of the City Address on Wednesday morning - her sixth since taking office. The mayor’s speech tackled some of the difficult issues facing the city in the coming year.

Whaley’s more than 20-minute address began with some positives for the city. She outlined milestones reached by the city in education,business, downtown revitalization, and neighborhood investment. The mayor also talked about some of the challenges. These included the opioid crisis and the recent loss of Good Samaritan Hospital.

A major component of Whaley‘s speech was what she says are disparities in opportunity and investment in the city’s west side.“But when we look more deeply at our history," she said. "We see that opportunity was never equally distributed in Dayton. Some of our neighbors were never invited to join fully in our city’s prosperity. As we determine where to go from here, it’s important to acknowledge that history and examine how it continues to impact us today.”

The mayor told the crowd she’s committing her administration to removing that disparity and fostering more inclusive development in poorer neighborhoods.“Through the remainder of my term, I will focus on working to identify and dismantle systems that keep people trapped in poverty. The first initiative in line with this new focus is aimed at reducing evictions within the city….To understand the root of this issue here in Dayton, I have convened a task force of key stakeholders that will research this issue and make recommendations for how to address it."

The mayor also says the city will reevaluate its policy on towing cars for parking violations. Under the new policy, people would be able to pay their fines and pick up their vehicles at one location rather than making several trips downtown.Mayor Whaley says more needs to be done to help the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. She ended her speech with a commitment to ensure all citizens have the opportunity to take part in Dayton’s economic resurgence.