Mayor’s Vision Statement

Following is the first public address at a City Commission meeting from newly-elected Mayor of Benton Harbor, Wilce Cooke.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, incumbent and newly-elected Commissioners, citizens of Benton Harbor and others. I am humbled tonight in greeting you that God and the citizens of this city have seen fit to return me to this office. I also believe we have a great team to work with in you eight Commissioners. As I look out over this Chamber tonight, I am filled with hope for the future of this city – OUR CITY, OUR HOME, Benton Harbor, Michigan!!!

I have hope and am committed to seeing this city, once again, turn in a positivedirection and hold promise to the future for our children and for ourselves. It must be a future where “our children” will not grow up feeling that the only way to have a good quality of life is to move away to work, to buy a home, or to live. It must be for “ourselves,” because we cannot and must not tarry. We must plan strategically and we must act swiftly and decisively to save our hometown. And ladies and gentlemen, responsibility for that future falls upon us here today.

It has been proven that Benton Harbor does not have to stand stagnant nor fall victim to every scheme that comes along, even when it is against our best interest.I have seen this city move. I had the good fortune and was blessed to be this city’s Mayor in the eighties and played a key role in waking it up with an aggressive program of demolishing dilapidated buildings, purchasing and opening the Vincent Hotel building – owned free and clear by the city. Our program included removal of an abandoned Conrail railroad bridge; helping significant business like Sumitec to expand and hire city residents; planning all the waterfront development along Riverview Drive; completing the downtown and riverfront streetscape with trees and new lighting; and putting projects in motion such as the construction of the incubator, the Transportation Building – both now named after prominent local citizens, Carl Brown and Wilbert Brown respectively.

My history helps me know it can happen, and I am committed to seeing that it happens again. In those days, we did things that lasted and laid the groundwork for the future. The current Cornerstone operation is an outgrowth of something that we started with Whirlpool and the Chamber of Commerce in the late 80’s that was set up to assist the city in its redevelopment.

The main ingredients to progress before was the right management team of professionals who were knowledgeable, experienced, honest, and who put the best interest of the city before anything else while we, the elected officials, worked closely with them, listened to them, and set policy that enabled progress. That, my friends, is good government. That is still the key to building a better future for this city and that should be our first order of business.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” to borrow a phrase from Charles Dickens. When we, the city’s leaders, commission and management staff, planned and negotiated for a better future for the city, the results of our efforts in the 80’s produced the state’s First Enterprise Zone, the Downtown Authority (DDA), the Tax Increment Financing Authority (TIFA), improved intergovernmental relations with our funding sources and with our neighbors, but first and probably most significantly, we improve our internal operations that restored residents faith in our ability to govern our affairs.

Despite our efforts, it also attracted elements that worked against the city. They took control of the city for a number of years through several administrations. Despite the valiant efforts of some of our veterans of many years on this Commission to try and protect this city, assets of this city were taken, often sold at less than market value, and fiduciary responsibilities and related accountabilities have waned, to say the least. As a result, we find ourselves today, back in debt, with huge numbers of vacant lots, and many needs.

These vacant lots and abandoned buildings are indicative of reduced residential tax base and a reduced census count, and our economic woes in general. This is not to say that some positive things have not been done during the last fourteen years, but do they outweigh the negative things when we consider that could have been. After all, as a result of our efforts when I was in this office before, this city has had over a million extra dollars to spend in Enterprise Zone funds for over ten (10) years. Did we get the best bang of the bucks?

The Future of Our Community
My vision is one of progress – one that makes this community more economically vibrant, desirable to people of all classes, races, and economic means, with a local city government that is accountable. I visualize this community with new desirable homes of all types that meets the needs of our current citizens and attracts a new group of citizens who want to live and work in Benton Harbor. I want to see a city with more new businesses, expanding existing businesses, and more local business owners that can employ our citizens and our youth.

I visualize a city where our elected leadership – you and I – work together toward a better future, valuing and respecting each others views and opinions and is committed to reaching consensus on all matters with the best interest of the city always at the forefront – not on the basis of friends, relatives, connections, favors, and personal interest. I want to see our city government be as responsive in granting service to average citizens as to larger businesses and friends – with compassion and fairness. City Hall should operate as a business with professionalism, competence, sound fiscal administration, and effectiveness.

City government must lead in the rebuilding of our community while working with all those willing to help, not simply by responding to whatever proposals someone delivers to us and carrying out someone else’s plan. We should reach out to and seek opportunities for cooperation with our neighboring communities to improve and lower cost of some services. This city should reestablish its own economic development capacity to play the lead role to working with Cornerstone; the County, State, and Federal governments; private businesses; and others in rebuilding Benton Harbor in accordance with our plan.

It is my hope that you, the stewards of the people of Benton Harbor, will share this vision for the future of this City as we set about eliminating the huge budget deficit that has been accumulated over the last two years, rebuilding our tax base, and providing better services for our citizens. Thank you.