MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The mayor of Milwaukee has laid out his vision for 2025.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson delivered the State of the City address Monday morning from the Baird Center, highlighting economic growth and crime reduction, while also addressing concerns about housing costs and major issues at Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS).

"We have great teachers. We have great students. I want great outcomes," Johnson said, voicing a need for improvement at MPS after a financial fallout, lead exposure, academic concerns, and failure to hire school resource officers.

"Funding issues, fairness issues, and the complexities of urban education have all complicated the necessary work," Johnson said. "These are not excuses, these are real issues that collectively we can address, and we can overcome."

Johnson praised the recently hired superintendent, Dr. Brenda Cassellius, as a new path forward for the district.

"We have both an opportunity and an obligation to address what's not working at MPS," Johnson said.

A positive note from the speech - violent crime rates are down in Milwaukee for the third year in row.

"The biggest year-over-year changes in 2024 came in homicides and non-fatal shootings," Johnson explained. "Both categories were more than 20% down from the previous year."

He credits that decrease to law enforcement and prevention tactics keeping young people off the streets.

"I've asked teachers, preachers, businesspeople, neighbors, relatives, and especially parents to step up," Johnson said.

The mayor also acknowledged high rent and housing costs.

He said programs are in place to create more affordable housing, a necessity to grow the city's population.

"We will lose out - we will lose to other cities that are advancing innovative change if we allow the status quo to persist," Johnson warned.

The mayor also mentioned traffic calming efforts throughout the city, noting a reduction in excessive speeding on improved roadways.

He also said despite a tight budget, city finances are stronger than past years, crediting that to the city sales tax implemented in January 2024.