Today is the first official day of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's fourth term.
If there was a theme to the ceremony, it seemed to be this: 'Being mayor is not easy.'
From the introduction by Judge Patricia Blackmon: "Then I saw him again and he said, 'I'm running for mayor,' and I said, 'Frank, don't do it ...'"
...to a musical number sung by a city police sergeant.
After he was sworn in, Jackson kept up the motif. He said despite the progress Cleveland has made in the 12 years he's been in office, the city still faces inequalities in education, health and economic opportunity.
"How do we become a great city? A great city will be measured by the well-being of the least of us. Not in terms of welfare and charity, but in terms of all being able to participate in the quality of life and the prosperity we have created," he said.
Without getting specific, he said addressing inequality would require some "hard decisions," as well as participation from community leaders and everyday citizens. Jackson also pledged to improve public safety, in part, by adding more police officers.
