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Mayor John Carney sworn in, urges partnerships on schools, housing and jobs in inaugural address
Summary
John Carney was sworn in as Wilmington mayor during the city’s Jan. 7, 2025 inauguration. In his inaugural address he emphasized partnering across government and community to improve city schools, tackle vacant and affordable housing, expand jobs for residents, and improve city services and responsiveness.
John Carney was sworn in as mayor of the City of Wilmington on Jan. 7, 2025 and used his inaugural address to outline priorities including strengthening city schools, targeting vacant housing and neighborhood stabilization, expanding job opportunities for residents, and improving delivery of city services.
Carney said the city has momentum in several neighborhoods and pointed to recent local projects and new development as a foundation for further work. He highlighted the opening of the Maurice Pritchard Senior Academy on the east side — described in his remarks as the first new school built in the city in nearly half a century — and said his administration would leverage partnerships to support the Wilmington Learning Collaborative and the city’s schools. “We finally have everybody at the same table working in partnership to support our city's children,” Carney said.
Carney told the crowd he spent the summer knocking on “close to 11,000 doors” across council districts and described the recurring concerns he heard: young people needing more after‑school and summer activities, residents worried about crime, streets and parks in disrepair, a shortage of affordable housing and visible homelessness, and frustration with responsiveness from city services. To address those issues, he said he will refocus the parks department’s out‑of‑school programming, target vacant housing for redevelopment and homeownership, promote affordable rental housing and improve access to social services. He also said the administration will continue to pursue job growth for city residents and maintain fiscal discipline, noting federal and state funding sources that supported recent projects are in decline.
Carney emphasized partnership with the city council and community organizations: “If we hold up our end of the bargain, I believe the people of Wilmington are ready to make the most of the opportunities that we helped create,” he said, adding, “Let's get to work.” He closed the remarks asking colleagues in city government to commit to outreach, public participation and civic engagement as the administration moves to implement its agenda.
The swearing-in was administered earlier in the program by Judge Arlene Coppage; Council President Ernest Trippie Congo presided over the inauguration and later called for the organizational actions taken by council that evening.
