SCRANTON, PA. – Today, Tues., March 25, Mayor Paige G. Cognetti delivered the 2025 State of the City address at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, 525 Pine St., Scranton. The address, presented in partnership with the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, focused on the progress made under Mayor Cognetti’s leadership including the administration’s ongoing commitment to public safety, upgrading infrastructure, improving government transparency and fairness, and enhancing residents’ quality of life.
“Everything that we do as a City is based on fairness. It’s what my parents instilled in me growing up, and it’s what we base our decisions on every day,” Mayor Cognetti said. “The partnerships in this room are so important to the goal of fairness that we all share. Working together and running an efficient City government will help unlock the future we all see: a thriving, growing City that is a destination for families, retirees, and students.”
Cognetti provided an overview of the City’s major initiatives and achievements since 2020, beginning with its financial status. The City shed its label as a financially distressed municipality in 2022 and increased its credit rating through Standard & Poor’s three levels in 2023 and 2024 to its current BBB+ rating. The improved credit rating created $2.2 million in savings through bond refinancing, further stabilizing Scranton’s finances.
The City has had only modest tax increases since 2020, including no tax increase in the 2025 budget, and has eliminated the need for Tax Anticipation Notes since 2022. Through a combined five-year fiscal forecast and capital investment planning, the administration continues to regularly fund its obligations and plan for a brighter future.
By weaving technology into more assets of City operations, Scranton can track the evidence of its initiatives. “We have the data to show what we’re doing, not just to show the community but also to look internally to be able to hold ourselves accountable and to celebrate our wins,” Cognetti said. Internal tracking also leads to improved transparency to further instill confidence in local government.
Planning and preparation have allowed the Cognetti administration to proactively fund safety equipment, vehicle fleet upgrades, and training and technology for the City’s public safety entities – the Police, Fire, and Public Works Departments. In December 2024, the City received its new $1.4 million ladder truck for Engine 4 on North Main Avenue, and total investments of $1.3 million in 2024 and 2025 have added 46 new vehicles to the Police Department’s fleet of vehicles since 2023.
Vehicle investments are second only to technology improvements, including $3.5 million received with the help of former U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright. Among other projects, that federal funding has helped the Scranton Police Department upgrade its Axon body cameras. Every patrol officer is now equipped with an upgraded body-worn camera that can be used to relay their location and allow communication with other officers in real time. In addition, each patrol car includes license plate reading technology as well as cameras. While other agencies employ this technology, few can boast the use of it at the magnitude that the Scranton Police Department does.
At the neighborhood level, City crews including an expanded Department of Public Works traffic division have helped replace nearly 4,500 street signs in an ongoing project. Crews have also repainted more than 200 priority crosswalks near school zones and other critical areas, and hundreds more are due to be repainted in 2025. Further, the administration’s pursuit of proper road restoration through improved pave cut ordinances will hold companies responsible to properly repair roads that have been opened for utility work.
Along with neighborhood infrastructure, the City has organized dozens of clean-up efforts through Sprucin’ Up Scranton, regularly brought City services to parks and neighborhoods via City Hall Pop-Up events, demolished more than 70 hazardous structures, and invested more than $26 million into City pools and parks.
While continuing to improve public spaces and services, the Cognetti administration has also led the charge in advocating for its residents impacted by decisions outside of Scranton government. Those efforts last year resulted in a reduced rate increase from Pennsylvania American Water, a study into residential water quality issues, and continue this year with a requested hearing to advocate against UGI rate increases.
Cognetti closed by outlining ongoing efforts to combat a growing housing crisis and celebrate investment into the City by private business, higher education, and more. The City had an estimated $5.8 billion in construction projects in 2024 alone, a sure sign that many others see opportunity in the Electric City.
“The work will always be ongoing. As long as we continue to strengthen our partnerships with organizations and with people in rooms like this, I know that we will continue to make progress.”
ABOUT THE CITY OF SCRANTON: Incorporated in 1866, the City of Scranton has a population of approximately 76,000 residents and is the sixth-largest municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Scranton City Hall is located at 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Residents requiring services should visit www.scrantonpa.gov
ABOUT MAYOR PAIGE G. COGNETTI: Paige G. Cognetti was sworn in as the 36th Mayor of Scranton in January 2020. Her administration is focused on driving economic growth, upgrading infrastructure, ensuring public safety, fostering government transparency and efficiency, and improving residents’ overall quality of life.
Mayor Cognetti Delivers 2025 State of the City Address | Press Release
Last modified: March 26, 2025
