Lovely A.

Warren
City Hall Room 308A, 30 Church Street Mayor
Rochester, New York 14614-1290
www.cityofrochester.gov

October 4, 2021

Dear President Scott and Vice President Lightfoot:

It has been my pleasure serving the City of Rochester. First as the Northeast’s
representative on City Council, then as President of Council and now as Mayor. Together,
we’ve built safer more vibrant neighborhoods, more jobs and better educational
opportunities for our citizens. We ROC(ed) the Riverway, protected our city throughout the
COVID-19 pandemic, provided over 9,000 residents with new, affordable homes and our
Downtown is finally coming back. We have truly transformed every corner of Rochester.
As clear evidence of our success, we recently announced that Constellation Brands—a
Fortune 500 company—is moving to our Center City. At long last, we have people
gathering and dining on Main Street with the addition of the Mercantile on Main at the
revitalized Sibley Building. And “@ the 5” we introduced a new entertainment venue so all
who visit there can show the world that they “Love The ROC” as much as we do.
In every corner of our city, not just Downtown, we have new life, new jobs and a renewed
sense of community. We’ve delivered innovative solutions to rebuild our neighborhoods in
partnership with our not-for-profit developers. We finally delivered on our promises by
filling in the Inner Loop East, building the International Plaza at La Marketa, saving the
Genesee Brewery, finishing the Marina at our Port and beginning the revitalization of Bulls
Head and Inner Loop North.
We also responded to the greatest challenge of our era and reimagined policing by
forming the “Person In Crisis” team, the Office of Neighborhood Safety and a fully-funded
Police Accountability Board. No other city has acted so quickly and so definitively to create
a government that does more than simply police its community. Rather, we put systems in
place that truly address the safety and well-being of all its citizens.
Before the pandemic, Rochester was truly a city on the rise. Over $2 billion in private
investment has happened during my tenure as Mayor, which created thousands of
construction and permanent jobs. We made sure city residents participated in this growth
through successful job training programs like ReJob and YAMTEP which have helped
hundreds start meaningful and profitable careers. We empowered Black, Brown and
Women-owned businesses by increasing City spending with them by over 300 percent,
providing them with over $27 million in the last three years alone.

Phone: 585.428.7045 Fax: 585.428.6059 TTY: 585.428.6054 EEO/ADA Employer

We also helped our children and families like never before by providing a nationally-
recognized, universal Pre-K program and increasing the number of children it served by
over 1,200 percent. We also proved that neighborhood-based community schools like
School No. 17 can lift up families and children when we surround them with easily
accessible medical and dental care, job training and social services. It my sincere hope
that all levels of government will embrace working with our school district to deliver
community schools to every neighborhood.
I could go on for many more pages and share with you the work that we put in and the
results we achieved. However, there is no doubt that together, we delivered for the people
of Rochester in every corner of our city. I will always be grateful to all of my partners in
City government: City Council, Deputy Mayor Smith, my Senior Management Team and
especially, the thousands of City employees who work tirelessly because they believe in
our community. I am also thankful to our partners at the County, State and Federal
government levels. Rochester is truly at its best when we come together and my tenure as
Mayor has certainly benefitted from that.
I do not believe at moments like this that we should reflect and focus on the negative.
Instead, we should remain grateful for all the Lord has allowed us to accomplish and
humbled by the opportunity He continues to present us. That truly is where I am today.
Grateful for His blessings and humbled by His generosity. Ultimately, I will let history judge
my tenure as Mayor and all that we have experienced. I have been truly blessed and rest
assured in my faith for all of our futures.
Today, I made a choice and I chose my family, especially my miracle baby, my daughter
Taylor. I chose a path that presents her, our city and, yes, myself, with the best possible
future. I made this choice believing that the best is yet to come for all of us. However, this
choice, like so many difficult ones I have made, requires sacrifice. Therefore, I must inform
you that I will resign from the Office of Mayor of the City of Rochester, effective at 11:59
p.m. on December 1, 2021.
Until that time, I plan to continue serving this city as I have done all these years. I plan to
continue to push for equal rights under the law, reparations and doing the work for our
citizens. It has truly been my pleasure to work with you. I will always believe in Rochester.
May God continue to bless you and our city.

Sincerely,

Lovely A. Warren
Mayor