Interview: Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln discusses city's future

YOU'RE WATCHING FOX 40 NEWSAT 11.WELCOME BACK TO FOX 40 NEWSAT 11 ON SUNSERI TONSIL AMARINE A PASTOR RECRUITED BYOFFICE TO HELP PROTECTPRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH KEVINLINCOLN HAS PLEDGED TO PROTECTIN PROGRESS THE CITY OFSTOCKTON AS ITS NEW MAYORMAYOR LINCOLN NOW JOINING USLIVE WELCOME TO FOX 40 NEWS AT11.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THISMORNING, LET'S GET INTO ITMUNICIPALITIES ALL ACROSS THECOUNTRY ARE STRUGGLING RIGHTNOW BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUSDOWNTURN STOCKTON HAD ITS BACKIN 2013.

BEING THE BIGGESTCITY IN THE U.S. AT THAT TIMETO FILE BANKRUPTCY, EMERGINGHEALTHY, BUT STILL WITH390 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OFUNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITIESNOW WHAT IS THE CITY'SFINANCIAL SITUATION WITH ALLOF THAT AS OF TODAY.BANKRUPTCY OR COUNCIL DIDEXCELLENT JOB OF MAKING THETOUGH DECISIONS TO AND SURETHAT WE HAD A SUSTAINABLEFINANCIAL FUTURE FOR CITY OFSTOCKTON IN YOU KNOW WE HAVE ALONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLAN THATWE'RE STICKING TO AND THISPAST YEAR LAST FISCAL YEARINTO THE AIR WITH THE BUDGETSURPLUS, A LITTLE OVER13 MILLION DOLLARS WHICHHELPED THIS MEET SOME OFFINANCIAL LIABILITIES INADDITION TO THAT WE HAVEINVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURETHAT'S ALL IN THE MIDDLE THEPANDEMIC THAT WE'VE BEEN.AND SO YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TOKNOCK DOWN THAT THE PREVIOUSLYUNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITY.STATE THE SUSTAINABILITY MODELYOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE HERE FORTHE CITY OF STOCKTON TO ENSURETHAT WE DO NEED PENSIONLIABILITY IN THOSE FINANCIALOBLIGATIONS.

BUT IN ADDITIONTO THAT NOW COMES SHIFTINGYEARS FOCUSING ON YOU KNOWFUTURE THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENTOF OUR CITIES OR ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES.ALL RIGHT, LET'S TOUCH ONTHAT WHICH MUCH OF THE ENTIRECONSTRAINED BY THE PANDEMICHOW DOES A CITY OF 300,000 ORSO LIKE YOURS GET BACK TOTHRIVING DURING THIS TIME.YEAH, ABSOLUTELY WE'LL ONEOF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGSIS THAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBERTHAT WE'RE NOT IN THIS THISPANDEMIC HAS IMPACTEDEVERYBODY ON MANY DIFFERENTLEVELS AND SO WE HAVE TOENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TOCOME TOGETHER WORK TOGETHER TOMOVE OUR COMMUNITY FORWARD.AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT YOUWE ACCEPT OUR RESPONSIBILITYFROM A PUBLIC HEALTHSTANDPOINT UNFOLDING ALL THEGUIDELINES MAKE SURE THAT WESIGN TO GET VACCINATED.

ASTHEY BECOME AVAILABLE HERECEIVED NOTIFICATIONS AND SAWHIS STOCK IN SOUTH KINGCOUNTY.

ALL RESIDENTS CAN GOAS JAY READY THAT WORK.SPEAKING OF THE IMPACT OFTHE CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES INTHE COUNTY OR CITY SITS ANDYOU JUST MENTIONED IT SANJOAQUIN COUNTY HAVE BEENSLAMMED BY THIS HOSPITALS AND0 ICU CAPACITY FOR WEEKS ANDWEEKS UNDER THE STATE'S FORMERREGIONAL EVALUATION SYSTEM HOWIS STOCKTON FAIRING WITHGETTING WHAT IT NEEDS DURINGTHIS PANDEMIC.SURE YOU THIS HAS BEEN AVERY CHALLENGING DIFFICULT ANDUNCERTAIN TIME FOR MANY IN OURCOMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW STOCKTONMISSION WHERE WE'RE ABOUT320,000.

RESIDENTS WE'VE HADYOU KNOW OVER 20,000 CASESWITH JUST A LITTLE OVER 490DEATHS AT WITH THE LATEST ADAY TO DAY.

SO IT'S BEEN AVERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR OURRESIDENTS FOR FAMILIES.

WE DOHAVE A 92% RECOVERY RATE.

BUTAGAIN YOU KNOW WE STILL HAVETO CONTINUE TO TO MOVE THENEEDLE UNSURE.

A PUBLIC SAFETYTHROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY ANDWE NEED VACCINATIONS YOU MOREMORE GUYS BACK SCENES AND SOAGAIN I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLEWITHIN OUR COMMUNITY IN SOUTHKING COUNTY TO GO TO SHEREADIED OUR WORD.

A SIGN UP TOVACCINES ARE ARE READY.SUPPLY JUST THE BIGGESTCITY'S WAY.I'D SAY ABSOLUTELY BOTTOMLINE IT'S IT'S THE YOU KNOW WEHAVE TO HAVE MORE OF 4 OF THEVACCINES.

IT WOULD BE REALLYNICE HAVE A CONSISTENT WEEKLYALLOTMENT WITH THAT WITH THATNUMBER INCREASING.

YOU KNOWEVERY WEEK BUT IT FLOWS DOWNSOLUTIONS TO HOMELESSNESSOR THE LACK THEREOF HASSPARKED INTENSE CONTROVERSYLATELY IN SACRAMENTO.

IT'S ANISSUE YOUR PREDECESSOR REALLYGOT TAKEN TO TASK ABOUT DURINGTHE CAMPAIGN.

HE'S BY SOME OFCREATION OF A LARGE HOMELESSCAMP AT THE LOCAL FAIRGROUNDSMAYOR TUBBS MAINTAIN THAT THATWAS JUST NOT TRUE ANYTHINGABOUT THAT PLAN WAS UNTRUE.WHAT IS THE STATUS WITH THEFAIRGROUNDS AND ANY USE OF ANYLARGE AREA LIKE THAT FOR THEHOMELESS.SURE WE'RE NOT TALKINGSPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE WHAT WEARE DOING IS WE'RE FOCUSINGON.

THE KING AT WAYS THAT WECAN EXPAND OUR EMERGENCYSHELTER CAPACITY, GREATSHELTERS.

TRANSITIONAL HOUSINGPERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.TYPE SOLUTIONS.

WE'RE ALSOLOOKING AT PARTNERING WITHCOUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS INTHE CONTINUUM OF CARE.

THISYOU KNOW HOMELESSNESS IS AVERY ISSUE IN CRISIS THAT WEFIND OURSELVES IN AND SO WE'REGOING TO TAKE A MULTIFACETEDAPPROACH BUT THE ONLY WAY THATWE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GETTHEIR EFFECTIVELY ANDEFFICIENTLY.

IT IS THROUGHTHAT PARTNERSHIP, NOT ONLY ATBETWEEN THE CITY AND THECOUNTY.

BUT ALSO WITH OURCOMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AS WELLWE'RE MOVING FORWARD RIGHT NOWWITH THE ROLE WITH HISSTANDING UP.

OR NAVIGATIONCENTER.

THAT WAS SOMETHINGTHAT WAS SOMETHING WE WE LASTYEAR BACK IN NOVEMBER.

AND NOWWE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THATWITH THAT PROCESS INPARTNERSHIP WITH THE STOCK TOA SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS.AGAIN IT'S JUST GOING TOCOMMUNITY EFFORT TO COMETOGETHER TO IDENTIFY HIM TOREALLY TAKE ACTION WHEN ITCOMES TO HOMELESS NAVIGATIONALL RIGHT NOW EVERYONE HASAN IDEA OF WHAT LEADING WILLBE LIKE AND THEN IF THEY WINTHEIR ELECTIONS THEY ACTUALLYHAVE TO DO IT WHAT LOOKSDIFFERENT.

THEN WHAT YOUTHOUGHT NOW THAT YOU'RE ON THEINSIDE LOOKING OUT.THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOHONEYMOON YOU COME INTO OFFICEAS AN ELECTED OFFICIALINDUSTRY TO WORK.

IN ADDITIONTO THAT LIKE ANY LEADERSHIPROLE OR A NEW JOB THAT TAKEON.

THERE'S ACCLIMATIONPROCESS THAT TAKES PLACE.

BUTWITH PUBLIC SERVICE SINCE ITSTRAIGHT TO WORK SO FOR IT'SIT'S IMPORTANT TO BUILD ONWHEN THE MOMENTUM THAT WE HADOVER THE LAST YEAR CAMPAIGNINGIN TERMS BUILDING BRIDGES OFTHROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY ANDREALLY PROTECTING OF PUBLICTRUST AS WE MOVE FORWARD INMAKING DECISIONS.THERE'S BEEN SO VERY NICETHE CITY AND YOUR INSIGHT NOWTHAT ARE ROUGHLY ABOUT 39 DAYSINTO THIS ALL THANK YOU SOMUCH WE'LL DEFINITELY BECHECKING BACK IN WITH YOU TOSEE HOW YOUR FIRST 100 DAYSGO.THANK YOU SO MUCHAPPRECIATE TIME TODAY ALL