March 8 Abigails Program featuring Savannah Mayor Van Johnson

The Lasting Challenges for Savannah Once the Pandemic Has Passed  

He has used these principles to lead the City of Savannah during these unprecedented times over the past year dealing with COVID-19, and Black Lives Matter protests.

Mayor Johnson will address questions that face the citizens of Savannah, and what he sees as some of the ongoing challenges. What will be the economic fallout for Savannah from COVID-19? Have many small businesses closed?  How will we attract new businesses?  What are the implications of lower tax revenue on the City? Have residents lost jobs that will never return? How will we help them find new jobs?  When will we get all the school children back in school and how do we plan on helping them make up lost time and lost ground? How can we make Savannah a more equitable city? 

Mayor Johnson convened a number of Task Forces in 2020 that he hopes will help Savannah get back on track. For example, the Racial Equity Task Force will make recommendations on how Savannah can become more equitable for all; the Read Savannah Task Force will focus on getting our students where they need to be educationally; and the Police Reform Task Force will make recommendations to the Police Department.