GARY | Mayor Rudy Clay portrayed his administration Tuesday as a team of cost-cutters who have improved city services in the face of financial challenges.

"We are living in good times and bad times at the same time. But considering that the world is all messed up ... and recession is all around us, I would still rather be mayor today than any other time in history," Clay told a crowd of hundreds during his State of the City speech.

Clay appeared to speak not only to city employees enjoying the luncheon event at the Genesis Convention Center, but also state officials weighing Clay's petition for relief from new property tax caps that would sap more than $30 million this year from the city.

"We have spent many hours streamlining city operations," Clay told the gathering. "We have contracted out our (garbage collection) services, realizing a tremendous savings, approximately $3 million and our complaints about garbage pickup have gone down almost to zero.

"As of Jan. 1 this year 148 positions have been eliminated from our budget. We have had to close six of our park pavilions. We are tightening our financial belt. By the end of the year we will have cut $30 million over the past 30 months.

"We appeared before the Distressed Unit Appeals Board in Indianapolis to make our case for relief and to show them what we have done to help ourselves."

The mayor said none of the cuts have affected public safety services, with police still making hundreds of arrests related to illicit drugs and other nuisances.

"The citizens of Gary can rest assured that this administration will take all steps possible to ensure that basic services remain in place," Clay said.

His biggest applause line came when he noted some officials around the country have publicly indicated they would refuse federal economic stimulus money. Clay has requested $400 million in federal funds.

"I want the world to know that any stimulus money that the governor does not want or any mayor does not want: Send it to Gary," he said.