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Bring up Brockton's $6M bill for bad hiring practices, and the city's first diversity & inclusion manager doesn't miss a beat. "That's why I'm here."

Mayor Robert Sullivan pointed to these new housing and retail projects being built or opening soon in the central business district.

BROCKTON — A year after taking office as Brockton's 50th mayor, Robert Sullivan gave his first State of the City address on Thursday evening. The speech was prerecorded and delivered virtually, airing live on Brockton Community Access, including its YouTube page, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus, which has disproportionately affected the city, was at the forefront of Sullivan's address. As of Thursday, 10,924 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic and 368 residents have died after contracting the disease. But the mayor also discussed s...

1. COVID hits the city hard It would be wrong not to include the coronavirus pandemic on any list of top stories this year, but that's especially true in Brockton. The city was a top coronavirus hot spot in the state early in the pandemic, long having the second-highest infection rate. The city was disproportionately affected by the highly contagious disease, striking nursing homes, the homeless shelter, businesses and young and old residents. COVID-19 has also especially impacted communities of color and Brockton has the fifth-highest concentration of people of color among cities and towns...

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