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Go to WROC TV 8 for video report
Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson's 12 years in office are coming to a close. As voters elect a new leader, News 8 looks back on the administration of the city's first black mayor.
The Urban League president won a 6-way race for the Democratic nomination in 1993. He swept into city hall promising to promote an open government that lived within its means.
Johnson largely kept his word.
The next mayor will inherit a city with a good credit rating and a balanced budget, though he had to raise taxes and trim spending to make ends meet.
Major successes of the Johnson administration include a boom in downtown housing, completion of the Anthony Square Project, Frontier Field, the soccer stadium, and the arts district.
The High Falls District has gotten mixed reviews. It's made great strides, but it has also not lived up to its potential, despite 30 million dollars in public funds.
Crime, even homicides, dropped under Johnson's administration. Yet in most years Rochester had the highest per capita homicide rate in the state.
Violence remains a major frustration for city residents, including Johnson. The shooting death of young Latisha Parson provoked this memorable outburst. "I am pissed off, quote me on that, I am pissed off beyond words."
Johnson had well-publicized feuds with Monroe County Executive Jack Doyle and former School Superintendent Clifford Janey.
Johnson took Janey to task for massive deficits. The superintendent was soon forced to resign and the mayor sued the district over his severance package.
"This community is not going to be satisfied with a person walking away with a boatload of money and leaving this district in bad shape."
In 2003, Johnson ran for county executive and lost to Republican Maggie Brooks. Voters feared he would raise their taxes and push for metro government.
Johnson's final term was dominated by perhaps what will be his legacy, the fast ferry to Toronto.
Tens of millions of dollars have been spent on the terminal, port improvements and the ship itself. So far, the gamble has not paid off and taxpayers are on the hook. But the optimistic the ferry will thrive, and along with it, the city's fortunes.
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