Madame Mayor and Members of the Worcester City Council:
I want to take this opportunity to commend the members of the Worcester City Council for all the tough decisions that you have taken during these very troubled times. You have stuck to the fiveyear financial plan which has enabled the City to maintain its stable low A bond rating while other cities are on the verge of bankruptcy. You have supported difficult changes in municipal employee health insurance premiums and plan designs, which have saved the City close to $100 million that has gone back into municipal services.