Speaking before a rain-chilled crowd of residents and local leaders, Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner delivered a message of unity in this year’s State of the City address, highlighting the accomplishments of the city and its residents and emphasizing the need to bring youth sports and business to the city.

The mayor spent much of Wednesday’s speech congratulating Morgan Hill and its residents, and with the help of slides projected on LED screens behind him, lauded everyone from members of public safety to police dogs and youth with self-published anti-bullying books.

Much of that optimism was directed at efforts to attract business into the city and encourage economic mobility. He highlighted a fund that would put a fee on developers to help pay for public art and announced a new business support initiative to offer guidance in both English and Spanish for local would-be entrepreneurs. He also hailed upcoming businesses, including a Chick-Fil-A and the long-awaited Hotel MOHI, defending a controversial tax break and maintaining that the luxury hotel would bring in money to the city.

Despite the otherwise optimistic tone, however, the mayor addressed his view of the current political climate. He argued that some in the community were fanning the “flames of hysteria” by “fear-mongering” about immigration enforcement in the migrant community and sowing division with “racially inflammatory remarks.”

The mayor noted that, while local law enforcement could collaborate with federal agents to prosecute immigrants who commit crimes, California law prevents police from engaging in immigration enforcement.

“We view (the migrant community) as residents, not immigrants,” said Turner before calling on residents to choose “dialog over destruction.” “It’s our unity and shared vision that will move us forward, ensuring that no one is left behind and that every voice is heard.”

The mayor also briefly addressed the need for the city to bolster revenue as its population grows, floating the possibility of a sales tax increase as a way to maintain city services in the face of growing need.

As with last year’s speech, the mayor called for educational efforts to bolster community health and heightened attention to youth sports. He reiterated the goal to make the city a sports tourism destination, leveraging the recently completed pickleball courts and pursuing the goal of an indoor sports complex. The speech also previewed upcoming parks and a new hiking trail to the top of El Toro, as well as an effort to restore playing fields spearheaded by two local youth.

The speech garnered favorable reactions from many in the public.

“It’s just very positive,” said resident and café owner Emanuel Vazquez. “The way that everything is moving in this town, it’s becoming very progressive … towards things that are different.”

Even so, some voiced concerns. “We don’t need to talk around the issue, let’s talk about the issue,” said Councilmember Yvonne Martínez Beltrán, who ran against the mayor last year, arguing that the speech should have focused more on difficult issues facing the city such as budget shortfalls, fire safety, and housing.

Still, the majority of the public spoke highly of the mayor and his speech. “I’ve lived in multiple cities in the Bay Area. I never knew what was going on in the community. I learned a lot here,” said Morgan Hill resident Moosa Suleman. “I just really think it’s an exciting future here in Morgan Hill.”