Mayor Paige Cognetti described a Scranton that’s less analog, safer in part thanks to technology and providing for its residents during the annual State of the City address.
"I see how much we've all grown and we all see how much we've been able to do together," she said. "It's also easy to forget where we started.”
Cognetti’s address was held Wednesday at the University of Scranton’s Leahy Hall. Representatives from local organizations and nonprofits, business and government and school district officials sat in the audience.
University of Scranton President the Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., opened the State of the City address.
He said it was a privilege for the university to host the event.
"We can clearly see the well-being of our university and the city as two realities that are very much intertwined. As the city goes, so does the university," he said.
Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan was the only commissioner to attend the address. Scranton City Council Vice president Patrick Flynn was the only council member present.
'Bankruptcy was a word that came up'
Cognetti took over as mayor in January 2020.
The city was in crisis from day one, she said.
"We were looking at a financial situation that if things didn't improve, we were getting to a place where bankruptcy was a word that came up. It was a word that was on the table," Cognetti said of her early days in office.
Now, Cognetti said the city can plan for long-term capital projects and Scranton’s credit rating improved, which saved taxpayers millions of dollars in borrowing costs.
"A lot of hard work, hard decisions and strong leadership have put the city in the strongest financial position,” she said.
Cognetti won a seven-person special election in November 2019 to replace former Mayor Bill Courtright, who pleaded guilty to corruption and went to prison.
Cognetti, who won re-election in 2021 and 2025, is seeking the Democratic nomination in May's primary to run for the 8th congressional district seat held by Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Luzerne).
Bresnahan is seeking the Republican nomination to run for a second term.
From analog to online
The code enforcement department was paper-based at the beginning of her administration, she said.
"As you can imagine, [that was] onerous for anybody who wants to build anything in the city, and very, very hard for the people that we have working in the city to have to deal with a paper based system where they can't find what they need. They can't track the projects, track the permits, track the licenses, in an efficient manner,” she said.
Now everything is online, she said. The city also reduced the fees for permits.
The 'ripple effect'
Investment in the city has increased. And improvement to the downtown streetscape to change traffic patterns and make the area more walkable are underway.
Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Durkin said one of the signs of economic development, especially in large cities, is cranes in the sky.
"Everything to scale, what we saw and what we experienced just in a few short blocks coming over here from the chamber of commerce, was really impressive. Just look at what's happening around Courthouse Square," he said. "But not just Courthouse Square … you start to see this everywhere. It's private investment. It's public investment in our infrastructure, and it's doing the things that we need to do to continue to make Scranton and our area that much better.”
Durkin said the investment downtown has a ripple effect throughout the rest of the city and the county.
Upgrading safety
The police department’s technology was limited and its fleet of cars was aging, Cognetti said. Not anymore.
"We are investing in helping keep them safe on the job and giving them the tools that they need to do their job safely,” Cognetti said.
The technology investments, like body cameras that officers can use to talk to their colleagues at headquarters, help officers solve crimes faster, she said.
The fire department faced a similar situation.
"It's really a testament to the chief and the entire team and the firefighters themselves, constantly training, constantly getting these new designations to be able to do more for our community and keep us safe and train and help other other areas with mutual aid when they need it," she said.
Cognetti called the Department of Public Works the unsung hero of the city.
DPW has also upgraded its route technology.
"It's a remarkable improvement, and it helps ... the guys on these trucks be safer as well," she said.
The city’s recycling program was simplified and there’s been a 60% increase in paper and cardboard recycling, Cognetti acknowledged.
Stormwater infrastructure improvements are underway across Scranton.
"We have to set the city up for continued success, because we might have fixed mostly where the water flows right now, but we know that water flows change and things shift," she said.
But Cognetti worries data center campuses proposed in the Abingtons could threaten the stormwater work.
"The data centers that are proposed in Ransom and Newton are terrifying to us in Scranton, those would be built right on the city line and right above all of the Keyser Valley and Fawnwood work that we have done," she said.
"So I appreciate the partnership of those of you in this room who have already been working with us to push back on those. They would be particularly onerous for the residents and the City of Scranton."
Parks & Rec & Housing
When Cognetti took office the Capouse Pool was a hole in the ground with a tree growing out of it. There were dangerous playgrounds that had to be taken down and ADA compliance issues at parks.
"I think back to the first couple years, and most of the complaints that people would send to me were about parks, and that's no longer the case,” she said.
Now there’s a cricket pitch, a skate park and dog parks in the city. Capouse will be a splash pad and playground and one of two new pools at Nay Aug Park will open in June.
"We've got a million-dollar grant for Clover Field in West Side, which is going to be phenomenal. We're working to put a playground in Fellows Park, also in West Side. Grace Street is being built very soon," she said.
While affordable housing is getting harder, not easier, since taking office over 1,000 housing units have been added to the city, Cognetti said.
Looking to the future, Cognetti hopes to start a street-sweeping program, build more senior housing and continue partnering with area organizations that help residents, among other initiatives.
"That's what we're going to keep focusing on, is being able to learn from ourselves,” she said. “We're always needing to improve. There is not one department, one part of a department, that we aren't constantly looking at to try to improve.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ELECTRIC CITY
Scranton become a city 160 years ago today.
The city is throwing a Birthday Block Party at the Everhart Museum in Nay Aug Park on Saturday, April 25.
The family-friendly event is from noon to 3 p.m. and will feature activities, music, food trucks and and historical exhibits.
"We just wanted to make sure we had a real community feel to this milestone," Cognetti said.
