Mayor Philip Jones on Tuesday delivered the 2025 State of the City address at the Ferguson Center on the campus of Christopher Newport University, saying the city will prioritize youth programs, education funding, public safety and downtown economic development in the year ahead.

In his roughly hourlong speech, Mayor Jones credited community partners for last year’s All-America City recognition, announced that the city is providing $130,000,000 in direct funding to school operations and an additional $7,200,000 for school capital projects, and described initiatives to expand youth employment, early childhood care and public-safety staffing. “By 2030, every school in Newport News will be accredited without conditions,” Jones said.

The mayor framed the initiatives as investments in the city’s future. He said the city’s YouThrive coalition — described in the speech as a cross-sector program “of over $400,000,000” — has supported a suite of youth efforts, including an eight-week Youth Career Program that matched “over 100” young people with about 50 businesses and nonprofits, and a free summer league called Friday Night Nets that offered counseling, meals and services on-site.

Jones also announced the opening of the PEAK Early Childhood Development Center, a public–private project developed with Virginia Peninsula Community College and local funding partners. The mayor said the center will serve 200 children from infants through age 5.

On public safety, Jones told the audience that citywide gun violence is down 25% year-over-year and that the city’s homicide rate decreased by 52% over the prior year; he credited local policing strategies, regional and federal operations and community programs. “This progress is the result of strategies at the state and federal level to include Operation Blue Line and Operation Ceasefire, along with the recovery of over 1,000 illegal weapons and our exceeding FBI clearance rate averages,” Jones said, praising the Newport News Police Department and community partners.

To build on those gains, the mayor said the city will increase police staffing “to the highest number that it has always been or never been, over 500 officers,” and will pursue competitive pay for public defenders. He described the planned police growth as a phased, strategic expansion.

Economic development and downtown transformation also featured in the address. Jones cited a public–private partnership with Huntington Ingalls and the U.S. Navy that he said will provide $120,000,000 to expand downtown parking and support future Navy housing investments tied to downtown growth. He said the city will introduce a streamlined rapid-permit process to reduce delays for small businesses and pursue a AAA bond rating by 2030 to strengthen fiscal standing.

Jones closed by recognizing community leaders and former mayors, presenting a symbolic key to the city to former NFL player and local philanthropist Antoine Bethea, and repeating a central theme: “This is our city. This is our story. And this is our moment.”

Speakers referenced in the address and program included Christopher Newport University President Bill Kelly, Old Point Financial executive Don Buckless, City Manager Alan Archer, Police Chief Steve Drew, Councilwoman Tina Bate and several council members involved in the initiatives Jones described. Several federal and state elected officials were present but were not quoted in the speech.