Here is Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan’s 2026 State of the City address

Here is the full transcript of Mayor Paul Coogan’s 2026 State of the City address:

Good evening. To all those who have joined us here tonight, as well as those watching from home, thank you. As the Mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts, it is my pleasure to be here tonight with you as I deliver the 2026 State of the City address.

Coming on the heels of an historic blizzard, I want to extend a special thanks to Governor Maura Healy, and our Lieutenant Governor, Kim Driscoll, and our local legislative delegation for providing us the resources and equipment needed to battle that storm. Governor Healy and her team have always been incredibly helpful during my time as Mayor, but were especially helpful when called on to aid our snow removal efforts after last month’s blizzard. Thank you both for your leadership and support.

I extend these thanks to all of our partners in government, including U.S. Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Congressman Jake Auchincloss, State Senator Michael Rodrigues, and State Representatives, Carole Fiola, Alan Silvia and Steven Ouellette. Your partnerships have been invaluable during my time as Mayor, and I welcome all of your help as we continue to work together to improve Fall River.

Thank you to the City Council, the School Committee, our educators, residents, caregivers, business owners, and all of our Public Safety first responders. Your dedication to our community is what makes Fall River such a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

Last but not least, I would like to thank my wife, Judi, for her unwavering support and understanding over these last 6 years.

I am proud to report to you all tonight that despite facing its fair share of challenges, Fall River as a whole stands just as strong today, if not stronger, than it did last year.

That resilience is reflected in the strong financial position of our city government. The City’s finances remain healthy, with over $24 million in our stabilization fund, over $40 million in total reserves, and a stable A3 credit rating. Under our finance team and newly appointed Chief Financial Officer Emily Arpke, we saw over $2.6 million in new growth for Fiscal Year 2026. We also finalized a new capital improvement plan for Fiscal Years 2027 through 2031. This plan will help us to better invest in our capital needs. It will also help us improve our financial reporting documents, like our budget book and quarterly reports, in order to offer more transparency to our City Council and residents.

We’ve continued to spend down our American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA allocation and are on track to complete projects by the December 2026 deadline. These funds have helped us restore our parks and playgrounds, rehabilitate public facilities like the historic Fall River Public Library, and purchase new vehicles and equipment for our Police, Fire, and Community Maintenance departments, to name a few.

Our public schools, which serve over 11,000 students in grades Pre-K through 12, are improving tremendously under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Tracy Curley. In December it was announced that Fonseca Elementary School had improved by over 10 percentile points and would no longer be classified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as underperforming. Fonseca was the last school with that designation. Watson Elementary School also improved significantly over the past year, as did Durfee High School, which is no longer in the bottom 10% of high schools in the state.

Chronic absenteeism has also decreased significantly. Our graduation rate has also improved and is now even higher than pre-pandemic levels. This improvement was most pronounced among students with disabilities and our English language learners, a direct result of the hard work our staff does on a daily basis to remove barriers to learning and ensure that every student has the support they need to succeed.

Our international teacher program, which places a heavy focus on science and mathematics, continues to expand. We currently have 17 of these teachers in the Fall River Public Schools and are considering 9 more candidates for next school year. I am proud to report that we have 13 teachers currently taking advantage of our new higher education partnership with Bridgewater State University to pursue graduate degrees and certificates in Special Education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and Autism Endorsement.

Our Early College enrollment increased by 34% over the past two years, with over 97% of these students earning credits last semester – our highest rate ever. This program has been extremely successful in preparing our high schoolers for college. Over 88% of Early College students from the Durfee High School class of 2025 are now enrolled in higher education.

As more students graduate prepared for college and careers, Fall River is also seeing growing momentum in its business community. We continue to see existing businesses expand and new businesses open. New jobs are being created at all skill levels, which will help lower the unemployment rate.

The healthcare sector remains our largest economic engine, accounting for over a third of all jobs in Fall River. Southcoast Ventures recently purchased $6 million of land along the waterfront for a proposed expansion of Southcoast Health, expected to create hundreds of new jobs in the coming years.

Last June, Gold Medal Bakery opened a new 90,000-square-foot facility on Commerce Drive, planning to add 30 to 50 new jobs over the next 5 years. Taco Comfort Solutions also completed a 52,000-square-foot expansion of its Fall River facility. This $20 million investment nearly doubled the size of its facility and created 75 new jobs expected to be created over the next 5 years.

Ice Cube Cold Storage completed an 84,000-square-foot expansion of its existing facility at Southcoast Technology Park this past year that helped them create 20 new jobs. They also purchased land at Innovation Way to build a new facility that is expected to create another 20 jobs. Construction on this second facility will begin later this month.

Freezpak Logistics plans to open its brand-new, 200,000-square-foot cold storage facility this month, bringing another 100 jobs to our Southcoast Technology Park. InvaGen Pharmaceuticals is planning to create 70 new jobs via the all-in-one research, development, manufacturing, and warehouse facility, the financing of which was made possible by business tax incentives from the Healy-Driscoll administration and the Fall River Tax Increment Financing Board.

Funding has been secured to add 15 new moorings and a dinghy dock off of the Norton City Pier to attract more traveling boaters to Fall River. Northfield Point, a spit of land adjacent to the Pier that has been overgrown and fenced off for decades, will open to the public later this year. It will feature a new solar-lighted walking path complete with granite benches and native landscaping.

The Route 79-Davol Street Corridor Improvements Project has reached full beneficial use, leaving us with beautiful and functional new roads and over 19 acres of land to be developed. The Fall River Redevelopment Authority worked with Stantec this past year to complete a master plan for these parcels. Large-scale developers continue to express interest in being part of this transformative waterfront development, which represents over a billion dollars in investment, primarily from the private sector.

Our downtown business partnership, first brought together by MassDevelopment’s Transformative Initiative, narrowed its focus to North Main and Purchase Streets. Now calling itself NoMa, short for North Main, this partnership consists of several restaurants, arts, venues, shops, and a public outdoor event space. Increased collaboration among these partners is making our historic downtown district a hub for dining and entertainment once again. Weekly farmers’ markets were held in the NoMa district the past summer. In 2026, monthly events will be held on Purchase Street from March through December. In addition, both an Urban Renewal Plan and a Roadmap for Neighborhood Revitalization have been completed for our Flint Village neighborhood, both of which are currently undergoing a formal review and approval process. These plans have informed our efforts to revitalize the Flint, including an upcoming arts festival, the installation of a community garden, and several community improvement projects.

The rehabilitation and redevelopment of Urban Renewal Plan-identified properties along Pleasant Street alone is expected to yield over 200 new housing units, a critical means of alleviating Fall River’s growing demand for housing.

In 2025, the City issued 96 new residential building permits. We also issued 229 commercial building permits, which includes large-scale mill-to-apartment complex conversions like the upcoming Yarn Mill project at 460 Globe Street.

I see a renewed pride in homeownership across our city reflected in the tremendous amount of properties being renovated.

The Fall River Community Development Agency has several housing projects already underway, including on Pleasant Street, Bedford Street, Rock Street, and Second Street. Once completed, these projects will result in a total of 99 new housing units, 39 of which will be designated either as affordable or as single-room occupancies for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Fall River continues to address homelessness head-on, a growing issue in not just our community, but throughout the state. Our primary homeless shelter at First Step Inn can now serve up to 50 people, with our overflow shelter at the Timao Center able to take up to 30 more. We also have an emergency warming center at Christ the Rock Church during extreme cold weather to ensure no Fall River resident is left out in the cold. Our Fall River Addiction Support and Treatment Team, or FAST Team for short, operates a 24-hour hotline to connect people experiencing homelessness or struggling with substance abuse with shelter and social services as appropriate. The FAST Team has been instrumental in clearing several homeless encampments to restore the safety and access to our public parks and green spaces while connecting struggling residents with the resources they desperately need.

Our Veterans Services Department continues to meet the needs of Fall River veterans and their families through financial assistance, advocacy, and coordinated care. This past year, we were recognized as a Purple Heart City – a designation that formally honors residents who were wounded or killed in combat and confirms the City’s enduring commitment to recognizing the sacrifice of our many service members.

In response to the growing need for proactive mental health support, we also launched our first Veterans Suicide Prevention Initiative. A team of veterans representing organizations across our community completed a specialized suicide prevention training at Columbia University, training them to recognize warning signs, respond effectively to veterans in crisis, and utilize evidence-based tools to guide intervention and support. Later this month, we will be partnering with 22Mohawks, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing veteran suicide, to host a Veterans’ Resiliency Summit. This summit will bring together motivational speakers, mental health professionals, and life coaches to present practical strategies for long-term wellness and empower our veterans with the tools necessary to foster personal stability and growth.

The Fall River Police Department continues to evolve under the leadership of Police Chief Kelly Furtado. This past year, the Department undertook a comprehensive review of its organizational structure to enhance operational efficiency, reinforce accountability, and improve overall performance. As a result, several key divisions were strategically reorganized or expanded.

We also launched the Community Action and Suppression Team and the Neighborhood Engagement & Enforcement Team, dedicating additional personnel and targeted resources to support a proactive crime reduction strategy. Last year, proactive policing efforts reached an all-time high, resulting in an unprecedented volume of narcotics seizures and the removal of more than 56 illegal firearms. These initiatives enhanced focused enforcement while emphasizing community engagement, collaboration, and long-term problem solving. By pairing visible enforcement with meaningful neighborhood partnerships, we strengthened trust and reinforced our presence throughout the city.

Building on our commitment to community outreach, the Department continued its longstanding youth and community initiatives, including the Teen Police Academy, now in its twenty-second year, and Cops and Bobbers fishing clinic, which is approaching its fourth season, and our second annual Haunted Hallways Open House. These programs reflect our belief that early engagement, mentorship, and positive interaction with law enforcement play a critical role in building lasting trust and mutual respect.

We also implemented an alternative hiring pathway that established a local eligibility list and broadened our recruitment efforts. This innovative approach enabled us to hire more than 40 new officers in 2025 and position the Department to achieve full staffing levels by the end of 2026. This progress ensures enhanced service delivery, improved response times, and increased neighborhood coverage.

In June 2025, the department was re-accredited by the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission, maintaining a distinction we have held since 2007. We also continue to hold accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, or CALEA, making us one of only two law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts to achieve dual accreditation. This accomplishment reflects our commitment to professional standards, policy excellence, and best practices at both the state and national levels.

The Fall River Fire Department continues to protect and serve our community under Chief Jeffrey Bacon, having responded to over 7,000 calls for service and over 300 structure fires in the last year.

In the wake of the tragic Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility fire last year that took the lives of 10 people and necessitated the rescue of 53 others, we were reminded both of life’s fragility and of the extraordinary bravery of those who serve on the Fall River Fire Department. Though our community mourns the 10 lives that were lost that night, we also recognize the courage, professionalism, and selfless service displayed by every first responder on that scene. Their actions reflected the very best of our City — strength under pressure, unity in crisis, and an unwavering commitment to protect and serve the people of Fall River.

In the weeks following the fire, a comprehensive after-action report was completed to identify any necessary operational improvements and an independent consulting firm was contracted to impartially review the Fire Department’s staffing needs. In accordance with the findings of these reports, staffing levels were subsequently raised from 35 to 38 firefighters per shift.

I am happy to report that 4 probationary firefighters completed their EMT and Firefighter training at the Massachusetts Fire Academy last year, and an additional 7 were hired from our local register. All will begin serving next week. Eight additional hires are scheduled to enter the regional academy on April 20th and will join fire companies by early July.

We invested in two new fire trucks, with the old ones to be retained as reserves. The Department secured nearly $600,000 in state and federal grant money to fund further equipment purchases and staff training.

Fall River Emergency Medical Services, or EMS for short, continues to provide top-tier emergency medical care and hospital transportation under the new leadership of its first female chief Beth Faunce. In 2024, our EMS providers responded to over 24,000 calls for service. This past year, that number rose to more than 29,000 – an increase of nearly 19 percent in just one year. This growth is largely due to interfacility transfers, reflecting both the expanding role of EMS in our healthcare system and the increasing demand for health services in Fall River.

We opened a new EMS facility on Corneau Street last fall, which can house up to six ambulances and will serve as the hub for our Mobile Integrated Health communications going forward. We also added two new ambulances to our fleet, including a unit dedicated to home visits.

We continue to expand our community health offerings, with the scope of our services now including antibiotic therapy, advanced wound care, facilitated telehealth visits, safety education, and basic vaccinations for students and seniors. We completed 327 home visits over the past year, expanding access to high-quality care for the elderly, disabled, and homebound who need it the most. This year we aim to double that number, further strengthening the safety net that supports our most vulnerable residents.

I am very proud to report that our newly established EMT school had two graduating classes this past year, including one made up entirely of new firefighter recruits. This strengthened recruitment pipeline has resulted in 13 new EMTs and 11 new firefighters. We plan to begin offering scholarships in partnership with local schools this year to help build the next generation of public safety professionals in Fall River.

Fall River continues to invest in the critical public infrastructure that keeps our City safe and functional. With the help of grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, we’ve replaced over 1,200 lead-containing water service pipes so far at absolutely no cost to our hard-working homeowners and will continue to do so in 2026. We continue to replace our aging water mains, with Jefferson Street next on our list. Construction is expected to start later this spring and will conclude with a full roadway reconstruction. Our efforts to address chronic flooding at the intersection of Pleasant, County, and Quarry Streets continue to move forward, with project design now 30% complete. We will continue to seek grant funding to alleviate the burden of this massive undertaking on our taxpayers.

We also received a $1 million MassWorks Infrastructure grant for Fiscal Year 2026 to design the full re-construction of Alden Street. This re-construction will include new water and sewer pipes, increased drainage capacity, and completely repaved streets and sidewalks.

Just as we are investing in the infrastructure beneath our streets, we are also making major investments in the streets themselves. Fall River continues to routinely repair cracks and potholes, with residents able to report a pothole directly through the City’s website. Several intersections have been completely redone to increase traffic flow and safety, including the intersection of Bedford and Robeson Streets. The corner of Bedford and Quarry Streets is currently in design, and construction of the Globe Four Corners is expected to begin this April.

gest thoroughfares over the past year. Both Bedford Street and Columbia Street are currently about 50% completed, having made significant progress that includes both repaved streets, new striping, and repaved sidewalks complete with stamped concrete details. The reconstruction of Eastern Avenue and Pleasant Street are both currently in design.

Several streets in our residential neighborhoods are also in various stages of repaving. Barnes, Charlotte, Charles, Hyacinth, Pond, Wall, and Wilson Streets have all either been completed or are nearing completion. The Fall River Community Development Agency also committed $129,000 to replace sidewalks on Montaup, Kellogg, and Lawrence Streets.

We anticipate increases in both Chapter 90 funding and municipal funding for roadway improvements in 2026 so we can expand upon this progress and keep our City streets safe, functional, and attractive.

The City is committed to keeping all of its facilities well-maintained in order to save our taxpayers money in the long-run. From schools to police and fire stations to our many parks and trails, we remain dedicated to making sure all of Fall River’s assets remain in top condition so that they can continue to be enjoyed by all.

We are currently working with the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District, or SRPEDD, to update our Open Space and Recreation Plan to include a greater focus on necessary upgrades to existing facilities.

We are planning a full rehabilitation of the parklet on the corner of Columbia and Canal Streets, as well as the addition of a parking facility at Father Kelly Park. The planned expansion of the Alfred J. Lima Quequechan River Rail Trail will also continue to progress over the coming year.

We’ve invested heavily in our parks and playgrounds, making sure that every child in Fall River has access to safe and high-quality outdoor play. We are installing a new playground at Columbus Park, installed a new skate park and walkways at Lafayette Park, resurfaced and restriped the pickleball and tennis courts at Britland and Maplewood Parks, and renovated deteriorating public restrooms at several of our parks. The City is currently working with the Community Development Agency to build a brand-new sensory-friendly playground at Abbott Court designed specifically for children with autism spectrum disorder and other heightened sensory needs. This park, which will also be fully wheelchair-accessible, will be the first of its kind in Fall River. Its construction has been made possible in part by the exceptional fundraising efforts of Fall River resident Marcel Riley, whose autistic daughter Mae-Ella inspired him to take matters into his own hands and make a lasting change for both his own family and his community.

Fall River hosted several successful community events over the past year, with many more planned for 2026 to ensure that our City remains a desirable and engaging place for residents and visitors to spend their time. The Battle of Fall River reenactment at Heritage State Park last spring drew over 6,000 attendees from across the state, representing a collaborative effort between the City, the Lafayette-Durfee House Museum, Viva Fall River, the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Our 41st Annual Children’s Holiday Parade and July Fourth Waterfront Celebration were our largest events last year, drawing over 15,000 attendees each. We also continue to provide dedicated event programming for children and their families, offering several opportunities for free, age-appropriate fun throughout the year. Notable events last year included Family Kite Night on the Norton City Pier, guided birdwatching at the Watuppa Reservation, a freshwater fishing clinic hosted by volunteer officers from the Fall River Police Department, our popular Summer Evenings in the Park event series, several outdoor movie nights, nature walks, and much more.

Just a few weeks ago, Fall River was hit with a record-breaking 41 inches of snowfall in under 24 hours. While snow removal took longer than we all would have liked, I’m very proud of our emergency response. Between our emergency shelters, our emergency warming center, and the hard work of our FAST Response Team, we were able to shelter all 175 unhoused individuals who sought our help during the storm. We made sure that nobody was turned away, even deploying one of our own DCM vehicles to provide emergency transportation to a family who found themselves stranded overnight. I want to take a moment to extend my sincerest thanks to our first responders for showing up and giving their all during the storm. While most of us were safe at home, you braved blizzard conditions to keep the people of Fall River safe. When streets were impassable and emergency vehicles were stuck, you trudged through several feet of snow to reach those in need. So, to our dedicated police officers, firefighters, and EMTs, thank you.

I also want to thank the Massachusetts National Guard, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and our neighbors from New York State, Vermont and Connecticut for sending us additional equipment and personnel in our time of need. Thanks to your help, we were able to make sure our most essential workers like hospital and nursing home staff could report to work, you assisted in freeing stuck and abandoned vehicles and ensured that our first responders could safely access emergencies. Your hard work and heavy equipment that you delivered helped get our city back on its feet.

To the many residents who took it upon themselves with their neighbors to shovel or snowblow their streets to open them up for emergency access your city is forever grateful. And one citizen in particular,

Matthew Medeiros, who used his technological skills to establish a website, that allowed citizens to report streets that were in need of plowing so that our snow operations personnel were able to direct resources where needed and worked with us to update the site throughout the clean up operations. I will ask Matt to join me along with our state delegation for the presentation of citations for his volunteer efforts.

While we may face more than our fair share of challenges, the Fall River community is undoubtedly a tough one. We are strong enough to handle whatever comes our way. As we look ahead to 2026, I am confident that the people of our City will continue to prosper.

Thank you all once again for being here tonight and for caring about the state of our beautiful City. God bless you all and the great City of Fall River.