Benjamin's State of the City address tonight

A copy of the prepared text will be available online at 6:30 p.m. Watch the speech live at 6 p.m. here.

Begun seven years ago by former Mayor Bob Coble, the State of the City has become less of a “where are we” speech than a “where are we going” speech. Coble used it to announce plans to hire more police officers, offer water and sewer rate cuts for affordable-home builders and pledge support for USC’s Innovista Research Campus.

Benjamin said he will approach the speech the same way, as an agenda-setter.