After being installed yesterday, Mayor DC Reeves thanked his predecessor, Grover Robinson, and the “city administration and our staff all 800 plus for investing their time and energy and making sure I’m as prepared as I could possibly be to serve you starting today.”
While thanking his parents, family and friends, he said, “That Bible I just had in my hand seconds ago tells us that when much is given, much is expected. I’m grateful for everything I’ve been given.”
He continued, “I was given the opportunity to attend schools in Escambia County to attend the state university and to be given so many great friends and mentors along the way, many of whom are in the audience today. I’ve been given the opportunity to work and build relationships across Pensacola.
“As a journalist, I’ve been given the opportunity to work in other cities to learn and to realize how much I miss my hometown. I’ve been given the opportunity to come back here and work for a nonprofit focused on quality of life to be able to start civic and get to know the best of the best in making cities great and to focus on helping small businesses start and grow to work for people as dedicated to our city as Quint and Rishy Studer.”
The mayor mentioned the trials and tribulations of being a small business owner. “I learn what it means to risk it all for something that you believe in and maybe a few life lessons about managing that through a pesky hurricane in a global pandemic.”
He tied it to his theme. “If you can say that they’ve been given so much and this path has led me here in front of you today, and I’m grateful for so much including this opportunity to be your mayor. Yes, much has been given and much is expected.”
And Reeves began to set the tone for his administration. “So what do the citizens of Pensacola expect? I believe they expect to feel safe no matter who you are or where you are. That is job one. They expect to have the opportunity for a job in a wage that doesn’t have Pensacola families living paycheck to paycheck. They expect to have the opportunity to live in the city and do so within their means. That this is my focus moving forward.”
He noted how much Pensacola has progressed over the past two decades. “When I left Catholic High school 20 years ago, me and most of my classmates had the notion that you would leave and you would never come back. Today, we are considered by many to be one of the South’s emerging communities. We are a city in demand,” the mayor said.
“We are a city in demand. Our population is increasing something we haven’t been able to say in a long time. When surveyed, our citizens are feeling more positive about Pensacola’s future, the word ‘potential’ is being replaced with ‘progress.'”
But he doesn’t want to rest on our recent accomplishments. “We have come a long way due to the efforts of so many. Still, it is not the time to rest. Business remains unfinished. Yes, we have issues to address in safety and in housing, but we also have too much poverty. We still experience a racial divide. Rest can come when Pensacola is, is a great place, not just for a few, not for most, but for all people.”
Reeves said the future is about making Pensacola better for all our children. “I love Caroline with all my heart. It’s a love that’s transcendent just as you feel about your child, but this future of ours and Pensacola isn’t about one child. It’s about treating every child like they’re ours. They all deserve a safe space to sleep, a good place to learn, and opportunities to get a good job when you grow up.”
He closed, “I look forward to working together to make Pensacola a great place for everyone. Much has been given to me. I am committed with your help to give you everything I have to meet the expectations that come with being the mayor of Pensacola. Thank you for this opportunity, and God bless this place.”