Mt. Vernon mayor gives annual State of the City address

The mayor of Mt. Vernon delivered his annual State of the City address last night before a packed room in City Hall.

Mayor Clinton Young said that improvements in the city start with economic development, and used the speech to announce the pairing of Mt. Vernon Hospital with Sound Shore Medical Center. The venture, he said, will pump an estimated $100 million into the local economy, and create plenty of new jobs.

"Investment is at an all-time high," Young said. "We've never taken full and complete advantage of our proximity to New York City. Now people know Mt. Vernon is really on the map."

Residents say they are pleased with the city's progress, saying Young was elected on the premise that he would clean up the city's image.

The mayor reinforced that despite progress, he still wants to better tackle the issue of crime.