Armor-Clad Mayor Asks City: 'Who's Willing To Fight For Stockton?'
STOCKTON (CBS13) - It's not exactly how you expect a state of the city address to go, a mayor pulling out his own warrior gear to make his point.
"Who's willing to fight for Stockton?" asked Mayor Anthony Silva.
The unusual address came with jokes and jabs but had a serious message for the city.
"Who's willing? If you are willing, stand up and show me you are willing to fight for the city," said Silva.
After his almost hour-long speech, Silva pulled out armor with a helmet and mace while asking the crowd to go to war for the broke and crime-ridden city.
It was a dramatic finish to the new mayor's first ever state of the city address.
"I have a question for you. Did all of you leave your egos at the door or did some of you sneak them in?" said Silva.
That was the theme of the speech: Leave your ego at the door.
"If ever a time to stop rooting for your new mayor to fail, the time is now," said Silva.
In addition to addressing city council dynamics and the rocky relationship between himself and City Manager Bob Deis, the mayor discussed his proposal to raise taxes and hire new police officers.
Silva says the plan could fund the city's crime fighting proposal, the Marshall Plan.
"By the way -- news flash -- the Marshal Plan also includes cops, a lot more cops. Stockton safe streets can be the funding for the Marshall Plan's recommendation," he said.
CBS13 tried getting answers from Deis -- who publicly opposes the mayor's plan -- but he refused to speak with us.
All but one member of the city council members attended the event.
"We need to stop the drama. Our town needs us to stand up and lead, rise above," said Councilmember Paul Canepa.
