GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Her ninth annual address will be her last. Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss is delivering her final State of the City address this week.
Bliss will recap the city's successes over the past year and reflect on her tenure serving Grand Rapids residents in the Thursday, May 16 event. Remarks are set to begin at 6 p.m.
The event is invite-only, but you can watch it live on 13 ON YOUR SIDE's website.
Bliss, who is in her second term, cannot run for re-election. She was first elected in 2016 and her term will end on Dec. 31, 2024.
Four people have applied for the vacant position, including former two-term 3rd Ward City Commissioner Senita Lenear and former state representative David LaGrand.
LaGrand, an attorney, previously served on the Grand Rapids City Commission and Grand Rapids Public School Board. Lenear, the owner of a consulting business, also served on the Grand Rapids Public School Board, including two years as president.
In her 2023 address, Mayor Bliss began by emphasizing collaboration throughout the community to move Grand Rapids forward. She highlighted changes and strides in public safety over the last year and spoke on the death of Patrick Lyoya, which sent shockwaves through the Grand Rapids community and beyond.
She also touched on the housing crisis, the explosion of new projects in the city and the Grand River restoration, all topics that could be highlighted in her 2024 address.
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