Kim brace sworn in as york city mayor

Kim Bracey vowed to build on the past and rise to meet future challenges as she was inaugurated as York's 24th mayor Monday. "The little girl who trembled in her Penn Street house as the National Guard tank rumbled by in 1969 stands before you as mayor of York," Bracey told a crowd in front of City Hall. "Our York. One York for all of our people."

More than 200 braved the cold to see Bracey, sworn in by Judge John S. Kennedy, step into history as York's first black mayor and the second woman elected to the job. She thanked previous mayors for their leadership and outgoing Mayor John Brenner for creating "a foundation of enthusiasm, inclusion and progress from which future dreams can now take shape."

But, she said, the city must rise to confront "formidable social challenges and the fiscal tsunami" that threatens York's future. She acknowledged that many of the city's difficulties, including poverty and an antiquated tax system, will not disappear overnight. "But we must continue to seek answers for the tough questions and fight the good fight, so we can continue turning the corner toward hope and enlightenment," she said.

She pledged to tackle nine initiatives in her first nine months as mayor:

• creating a community policing network
• creating an action plan for neighborhoods
• updating the city's comprehensive economic development strategy
• continuing and recapitalizing on incentive programs, such as the Artist Homestead program
• start a small business revolving loan fund
• starting "Faith Net," joining faith-based and other nonprofits to address poverty
• instituting a zero-tolerance policy for blight improving customer service
• creating a "neighborhood-empowering" zoning ordinance
• creating an aggressive public relations and marketing campaign

Bracey was introduced by Gov. Ed Rendell, who thanked outgoing Mayor John Brenner for being a good mayor and for hiring Bracey. He pledged to support Bracey as he supported Brenner and urged the community to do the same.

"If she says we need the citizens of York to help clean up and brighten the city . . . sweep up," he said.

Before the ceremony, Brenner expressed support for Bracey. "It's a great day for York," he said.

Betty Rhodes, bundled in a winter coat with a blanket around her legs, claimed the first chair in the frigid weather.The former city resident who now lives in Springettsbury Township said she's known Bracey for years and wanted to be there."This is history being made in York," she said.