On the evening of June 19, Mayor of Hobart Josh Huddlestun delivered the 2024 State of the City address in the auditorium of the Hobart High School Performing Arts Center. This was Huddlestun’s first State of the City address since taking office six months ago. The address touched on a wide array of topics including infrastructure, first responders, initiatives, and new organizations. Hobart residents of all ages were in attendance.
Before beginning his address, Huddlestun took a moment to acknowledge his friend, mentor, and Hobart’s previous mayor Brian Snedecor for his years of dedicated service. Huddlestun invited Brian Snedecor and his wife Janet Snedecor onto the stage as a compilation of heartfelt videos made by Brian Snedecor’s friends and colleagues was played. Huddlestun then presented Brian Snedecor the key to the city as the audience gave a standing ovation. Huddlestun went on to deliver his address, stressing just how imperative it is that Hobart’s strengths are recognized.
“I recently had the opportunity to visit some other communities and talk about all the amazing things we have going on here in Hobart,” Huddlestun said. “People would say to me, ‘I didn’t know Hobart had that!’ We have to let people know that our city has a lot to offer. I wake up every morning pretty excited to go to work because I know this city has tremendous potential. Hobart really is the best kept secret in the Region. Our goal is to make our city better tomorrow than it is today and ensure that we're no longer a secret.”
Huddlestun announced the launch of the new “Dream Higher Hobart: Embracing Tradition and Inspiring Tomorrow” marketing campaign. This campaign will showcase Hobart’s ability to stay true to its roots as it strives for a better tomorrow. Huddleston announced several new investments in Hobart’s Route 6 corridor, one of which will be a new Starbucks. He also mentioned that Hobart’s Route 30 corridor was named a number one site for a convention center. Huddlestun shared some of the advancements that his administration has helped make in the growth of downtown Hobart.
“I believe that the health of a city is rooted in the health of its downtown,” Huddlestun said. “If the downtown is thriving, that’s a good indication that the community is thriving as well. We assisted in the formation of the Downtown Business Coalition to facilitate this in our own city. This was not a mayoral initiative, but we want to see the downtown businesses take ownership of downtown. We want them to be the driving force for change and growth. The Coalition met for the first time on Monday and we’re very excited about its potential because this is something that will only make our downtown stronger.”
Huddlestun discussed the strategies that his administration will be using to promote walkability in Hobart, thus providing residents and visitors with a satisfactory alternative to automobile transportation. Huddlestun and his staff plan to achieve this by implementing a sidewalk reimbursement program, as well as constructing new sidewalks and purchasing ones that are already in place. Huddlestun also discussed the Mayor’s Youth Council, a newly-established organization that allows Hobart’s young people to participate in the city’s government on a deeper level. Huddlestun closed the address on a very optimistic note.
“The future is now,” Huddlestun said. “We're dreaming bigger, we're dreaming higher. Our staff is excited, they’re gassed up and ready to go. We're all excited because the possibilities for the City of Hobart are truly limitless. Hobart is on the map and we're going to continue to push the envelope and be a community that is highly sought after. As we hold on to the traditions that make us who we are, we’re looking forward to that next level up and we hope to change everyone's understanding of what Hobart can truly be. We're very excited about the state of our city and the future looks extremely bright.”
You can learn more about what to expect from the City of Hobart in the future by visiting cityofhobart.org.
