As this year comes to a close, I want to thank you for your tremendous support and friendship in helping us to achieve so much here in the City of Newark.

In 2009, we made great strides toward our core objectives -- thanks go to not only my dedicated team in City Hall and community partners, but, in large part, to the dynamic public-private partnerships we have created together. Through these strong collaborations, Newark is not only marking great achievement but we are creating new and innovative ways to solve problems and create urban transformation.

Thanks to GreenSpaces, a tremendous public-private partnership, in 2009, we saw Newark's biggest parks expansion in over a century -- our residents are no longer living in one of the most under-parked cities in America. This year, we served hundreds of families with greater access to primary care and free or steeply discounted prescription drugs with the creation of Newark Rx and Newark Health Plus, bold partnerships with the Heinz Family Philanthropies, New Jersey pharmaceutical companies and local doctors and pharmacies.

Despite the challenging housing market, we greatly expanded affordable and special needs housing thanks to work of the city, together with strong local and national nonprofits and the generosity of many individuals including Jon Bon Jovi and Oprah Winfrey. A number of our re-entry programs have become national models through innovative partnerships with local law firms, the Manhattan Institute, venture philanthropists and dedicated local leaders. We can now boast of re-entry programs in Newark that have removed significant barriers to men and women coming home and that have even achieved recidivism rates that are a small fraction of the statewide rate.

We are proud that Newark persisted in attracting new businesses and jobs. We launched effective, innovative economic empowerment programs to help bring opportunity and prosperity to Newark residents, including helping transition many residents into small businesses that are seeing encouraging success in this down economy.

Most significantly, thanks to a host of courageous partnerships, 2009 has been another good year in crime reduction for our city. Since my administration began in July 2006, shootings have decreased by more than 50%. Our partnerships in public safety are helping to build a true national model in violent crime reduction. These collaborations have resulted in the creation of our anonymous tip lines, integration of cutting-edge technology, and numerous community-based partnerships. One of the highlights of 2009 has been our community-driven night patrols -- hundreds of people from both inside and outside Newark have been working together every week to help keep our neighborhoods safe.

We had a very good year in 2009 despite challenging circumstances. I am now even more hopeful as to what we can achieve in the future. As we gear up for reelection in May 2010, we can confidently say that our city over the past four years has become stronger, safer and prouder.

I wish you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy, prosperous New Year. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Cory