Williams described Durham as a city meant to serve longtime residents, newcomers, and those still struggling to find stability.
"Who is the city for? It is for the family that has put down roots here and deserves to stay rooted. It's for the young person who loves the city enough to come back and pour everything they have into it," Williams said. "It is for the neighbor who is still finding their footing, and needs to know that this community has something for them, and it does and always will."
The mayor highlighted growth across the city and said crime rates are down 17%. He added that statistics alone do not capture the personal toll of violence.
"It's not abstract to me. This is actually very personal. The people doing the shooting and the people mostly getting shot. They look like me. I've said that publicly before. I said again tonight because I think it matters," Williams said. "It's not just policies, pain that I refuse to come down to. And that is why I refuse to give up."
Williams was joined by Brandon Scott, the mayor of Baltimore and a fellow Democrat, to discuss ways to engage the community, reduce crime, and expand opportunities for young people.
Williams said he plans to address ongoing barriers to housing and public safety.
Watch full State of Durham address
Full State of Durham address
"I am going to call out, you know, some of the things that have caused us to struggle with providing, providing housing supply. I'm going to call out some of the things that are providing, that are giving us a lot of adversity when it comes to being able to reduce crime," he said. "But right now, I think if I was to chuck all of this up into one phrase, I would say that Durham is experiencing a time of permit, permissionless prosperity."
Some attendees said the address reinforced their decision to live in Durham.
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"And I'm really proud that Durham is embracing that growth and embracing newcomers as a strength and not a weakness. I will also take care of the people that are here," said Andy Lowe of Durham. "So again, it's just the things that makes me proud to be part of Durham."
Families were also part of the conversation. Eight-year-old Evan walked downtown with his father, Dominique, who said the city has improved but could benefit from more youth outreach.
"Honestly, I think it's getting way better than what it was. But I think that, if we had more outreach, outreach places for youth, most of what we used to do, that would definitely help out with a lot of things, especially cutting down on crime," Dominique said.
Williams announced donations raised through the Bull City Future Fund to support local community groups and asked the audience to reaffirm their commitment to Durham.
"So I want you to repeat after me. And like I did last year, I love this city," he said.
The mayor also reiterated a goal of ending homelessness by 2031 and said the HEART program has played a major role in diverting police calls to provide help to people in crisis, a model he said could be used by other cities.