HUNTINGTON Ƶ A vibrant city that will be safer, healthy and a welcoming community for its residents and future generations was the focus of Mayor Patrick FarrellƵs inaugural address Thursday at HuntingtonƵs City Hall.
Farrell was surrounded by hundreds of residents, local officials and mayors from other cities as he took the oath of office as the City of HuntingtonƵs 48th elected mayor.
Farrell said his vision for the city he grew up in is to make the Jewel City a catalyst for growth and prosperity by focusing on public safety, building up HuntingtonƵs neighborhoods and infrastructure, preventing flooding and reenergizing the cityƵs economy.
Farrell said his number one priority is public safety and giving law enforcement the resources to combat the opioid epidemic and homelessness that has overwhelmed Huntington for years.
ƵHuntington is facing an ongoing public health and safety crisis caused by drugs and homelessness,Ƶ Farrell said. ƵThis isnƵt just a drug problem, and this isnƵt just a housing problem. There is a toxic intersection between the two, with each making the problem worse.Ƶ
Farrell said he will make the city safer by working with law enforcement to ensure it has the tools it needs to make strides in HuntingtonƵs drug crisis by kicking out drug traffickers.
Huntington Police Department Police Chief Phil Watkins said heƵs excited to hear that FarrellƵs top priority is safety. Watkins said he has had several discussions with Farrell about future plans, and they are ready to hit the ground running.
ƵHis focus could be anything, but to know right out of the gate his focus is going to be the safety of our city and putting resources into the police department to grow us and support our mission to protect the city and to increase the, not only the actual level of safety but the perception of safety, thatƵs important,Ƶ Watkins said.
To go hand-in-hand with public safety, Farrell said his administration will also focus on reducing homelessness.
ƵWe will stand with law enforcement to hold drug traffickers accountable while at the same time renewing our commitment to make sure nobody is forced to live on the streets,Ƶ Farrell said.
He said his mission is to unite agencies to address HuntingtonƵs unsheltered population and build a data-driven system that will connect people to housing, services and long-term support.
Farrell also announced a pilot program that will strive to eliminate veteran homelessness in Huntington.
ƵOur mission is to ensure that no one who honorably served our country has to live on the streets because they lack affordable housing,Ƶ Farrell said.
According to a Point in Time survey conducted Jan. 23, 2024, in Huntington, 21 homeless veterans were located.
Of the 21, 16 were sheltered and five were unsheltered on the night of the count. Of the 21, three veterans were described as experiencing chronic homelessness last year, meaning they have experienced homelessness for at least one year.
The pilot program will work with appropriate agencies including the Hershel ƵWoodyƵ Williams VA Medical Center. Farrell said the program will work on figuring out who the homeless veterans in the city are, what caused this episode of homelessness and what can be done to get them off the streets.
Farrell said his second priority is to invest in resilient and reliable infrastructure. He said his administration will build off of the work former Mayor Steve Williams and his administration have in motion, which includes improvement projects such as the 3rd and 5th Avenue project that will help reduce flooding.
He also plans to target flooding on Fourpole Creek. Farrell said he will do that by working with county officials, state and federal partners to secure funding to resolve flooding in Huntington for good.
ƵInfrastructure is the backbone of a strong city, and we need to continue to invest in it. We simply cannot continue to let our streets and homes be flooded, because nobody dreams of living in a home that floods every time it rains hard,Ƶ Farrell said.
Farrell said his focus as mayor will be to deliver results for Huntington that will put leadership over politics to solve problems that plague neighborhoods, and restoring prosperity in Guyandotte, Fairfield and the West End.
ƵWeƵre not just rebuilding sidewalks and pipes; we are rebuilding trust and hope,Ƶ Farrell said. ƵƵ mayor, my focus will be on delivering results for Huntington.Ƶ
After the ceremony, Farrell said the city will work on developing its neighborhoods and Marshall UniversityƵs Innovation District, although he didnƵt give specifics on any projects.
Farrell said he also wants to grow the cityƵs economy and job opportunities. He said plans to fix the cityƵs population, which has been in decline since 1950, by listening to what people have to say and make data informed decisions to make the city a place where youth want to stay.
He also said he will continue to work with Marshall to create more opportunities for students, which will encourage them to stay in the city, and support entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Marshall President Brad D. Smith, who attended the ceremony, said he is inspired, optimistic and confident in FarrellƵs role as mayor.
ƵIf you know anything about Mayor Farrell, he is a guy who translates ideas into action,Ƶ Smith said. ƵHe mobilizes a coalition, he gets clear about the critical few priorities and then he measures success one idea, one project, or, as you heard him say, one dream at a time.Ƶ
Smith, who worked with Farrell during his time as member of the universityƵs Board of Governors, said he loves that Farrell continues to see the university as a future partner, as did previous administrations.
ƵI believe he will build on the tremendous foundation that has been put in place and take us to levels we (have) never seen before,Ƶ Smith said.
Farrell said his first act of business is to re-work the budget to reflect his priorities. Farrell said he will spend the next 45 days examining the budgets for each department to ensure they enhance his priorities.
ƵTogether we will create safer, stronger and more vibrant city,Ƶ Farrell said. ƵA city we are proud to call home and a place the next generation to come will love as much as we do.Ƶ
Huntington City Councilwoman Holly Smith Mount said she embraces change and said it will be critical that the council and mayor focus on collaboration and keep moving Huntington forward with fresh ideas.
ƵThis is an exciting day, and IƵm excited to see what we can accomplish together over the next four years,Ƶ Mount said.
