LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer delivered the last state of the city address of his last term in office.

Fischer, who is finishing his third consecutive term, touted his accomplishments, and challenges over the past year and the 11 years he has had been in office.

“Together we have achieved remarkable accomplishments in the face of daunting odds and we have laid the foundation from even more dramatic progress in every Louisville neighborhood for every Louisville family,” said Fischer 

As his tenure as the Derby City mayor comes to a close, he presided through good times and historic challenges.

“Since I took office Louisville has added more than 80,000 private sector jobs, our wage growth adjusted for the cost of living increased 13%,” added Fischer.

The address presented a detailed look at several topics that have defined his time as mayor, most notably, public safety, the response to COVID-19, homelessness, gun violence and systemic racism.

“The stubborn pandemic has taken too many lives, the level of gun violences is unacceptable here and all across our nation, a necessary re-imaging of public safety and too many people still left out of opportunities by centuries of systemic racism,” explains Fischer. 

He says despite the pandemic, Louisville has seen unprecedented growth and opportunity. 

“We’ve recovered 99.5% of the jobs lost before the pandemic and that compares to a national recovery of 85% extraordinary out performance. Our unemployment rate is currently at 3%,” he said.

Fischer also acknowledged the tough times in Louisville, with concerns about gun violence in the city with homicide totals for the Louisville reaching 188 in 2021, according to Louisville Metro Police Department data.

Plus, the mayor addressed the fallout from the death of Breonna Taylor, and the civil unrest that followed during the protests in the summer of 2020.

“I felt immense grief over the loss of life and frustration that my lifelong commitments to compassion and racial equity have come up short, but I’m grateful to those protesters, change agents that fueled action in our city,” added Fischer.

Metro Council President David James tells Spectrum News 1,"He’s not had the greatest public safety record of any of our mayors which had led to civil unrest"

As Fischer heads into his final years in office, James reflects on Fischer’s tenure. 

“I hope he that he leaves the next mayor a good transition process. I hope that he is truly focused on making public safety number one responsibility of his administration,” explains James.

Fischer concluded his nearly hourlong speech by thanking the community for their support in his term so far.

“Cities are living, growing families, which simply means the work is never finished. My team and residents have been resolute at creating a better Louisville,” suggests the outgoing mayor.

At least eight candidates have expressed interest in the 2022 mayoral election, according to the Jefferson County Clerk.

Fischer was term limited from running for mayor again.

The primary election for Louisville’s mayoral race is set for May 17, followed by a general election in November.