It’s the 275th birthday of the city, and public safety and economic development are the priorities for Mayor Bob Donchez this year.

“Bethlehem is at a critical junction in its history,” said Donchez during the annual State of the City address at ArtsQuest SteelStacks Feb. 17. “It is one of the best cities to live and work in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As your mayor, I believe we must continue to build on our economic success.

“I am determined to keep moving forward, and I ask all of you to help Bethlehem move forward into the future,” he added.

To that end, Donchez announced the police, at citizens’ request, will redouble their focus on incidents of child and sexual abuse, adding a second detective to those cases full-time while training community members in abuse and neglect prevention. Community support for the mounted unit helped add two young horses recently, casino and Lehigh University security bike units are overlapping and reinforcing city police patrols, and the school resource officer program continues to place police in direct, supportive contact with kids. Donchez stressed the importance of public safety to citizens, visitors and the city’s economic health, adding that the entirety of the casino host fee – $9.7 million last year – is being spent on such efforts.

Donchez said the addition of the Southside Ambassadors and his own walks with staff – used to speak with residents, note code enforcement issues and distribute smoke alarms – also help improve neighborhood literally from the ground up.

Donchez said the city’s financial situation has greatly improved in the two years since he’s taken office. In 2014 he was saddled with a $40 million five-year deficit, which, with assistance from his Financial Advisory Committee, has fallen to $25 million. This year’s budget reduces that to $17.7 million. Donchez added, however, that despite having the smallest workforce in many years – 610 full-time staff – salaries, wages, benefits and pensions continue to make up about 75 percent of expenses.

“We, as a city, must learn to do more with less,” he said.

Donchez cited aggressive development at the corporate parks, upcoming construction on the Southside and almost 200 new business openings as examples of the city’s economic reversal and continued prosperity. He said new work includes the Third and New streets Benner project, renovation of the Fahy Bridge, Greenway Commons at Third and Polk – due to break ground in the spring – and the addition of a 626-space car park on New Street.

He said new large employers such as the Wal-Mart distribution warehouse, Zulily, CSTK, Curtis Wright and Reeb Millwork total over $56 million in private investment in the city and will, when fully staffed, employ over 1,250 people. Small business incubators, the Keystone Innovation Zone and CRIZ have all helped add to the city’s health. He also said he is looking forward to a revitalized East Broad Street now that the classic Boyd Theater has finally been purchased.