NAMPA, Idaho — Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling delivered her State of the City address in the Nampa Civic Center’s John Brandt Performing Arts Theater on Thursday, March 12.
This year's theme was "The Power of One" and in honor of that, Kling recognized several individuals throughout her speech who had made significant contributions to the city.
“I'm consistently amazed by the people in our community and the things that they do," Kling said as she introduced the theme.
The first issue addressed in the state of city was coronavirus. Kling said the city, as well as community safety providers, school districts and others were all meeting with Southwest District Health to prepare for a possible outbreak in the Gem State.
“We have a good communication link and team in our community so I just want everyone to know we’re collaborating, we’re on top of it,” Kling said. "When it comes to emergency preparedness, this is not my first rodeo, so I want to say, 'We've got this.'"
Kling also addressed the growth in the city, particularly the growth in the Ford Idaho Center. The center hosted more than 1,300 events and brought in just under $1.8 million in the last two years.
Public safety was also mentioned by the mayor, where she made mention of the 26% drop in violent crime. One particular stat the mayor said she was most proud of is the fact there were no homicides in the city in 2019.
The mayor also addressed economic development, citing the redevelopment of Karcher Mall and the construction of Amazon as the biggest economic contributors in 2019.
Amazon will bring in 1,000 jobs with a starting wage of $15 per hour. According to Kling, the company has already invested $14.2 million in transportation improvements. Once completed, Amazon is expected to bring $1.9 million in tax revenue each year to the city of Nampa.
“We are pleased that Amazon chose to host this fulfillment center – the first one in the state of Idaho – here in Nampa,” Kling said.
You can watch the full state of the city address above.