In his recent State of the City address, city of Binghamton Mayor Matthew Ryan said he has been improving on the methods of former Binghamton leaders to create a more stable governing body.

The financial situation has been a top priority, he said.

Ryan said that one of the great accomplishments of the office in the last year has been taking control of the Regency Hotel, selling it and paying off the hotel’s debts — 108 loans owed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — while keeping it open and running. The hands-on approach to dealing with the hotel saved over 100 jobs for Binghamton residents, Ryan said.

To raise declining property values in Binghamton, Ryan’s office passed a Vacant Property Registration Ordinance that requires vacant properties to be registered with the city, enabling it to collect $10,000 in fees and fines. This idea has been recognized by other municipal leaders as a positive management strategy to adopt for their own districts, Ryan said.

Also on Ryan’s agenda is the current climate crisis.

The city will demolish or deconstruct more than 20 properties, and some will be turned into lots for eco-friendly housing. Others will be sold for $1, to be used for “green space, community gardening or new home construction,” Ryan said.

This summer, Ryan also has plans to mitigate the city’s contribution to global warming by planting more trees, encouraging gardening and pushing for increased bike travel.

The city is in trouble financially, as its funds are being depleted due to the rising cost of fuel, increased personnel costs and a spike in the payments owed to the New York state pension system — $300,000 in 2002 to $4 million in 2004. As a result, the city has had to raise taxes in the last year.

To keep residents up to speed, Ryan announced that his office “will unveil an online, interactive budget that will allow anyone to examine and adjust our projected 2010 budget.”

Another way Ryan has reached out to the city, he said, is through the city’s Web site, which he feels “attract[s] outside families, investors and entrepreneurs.”