A Democrat has been sworn in as the mayor of New York City. Bill de Blasio vowed to tackle issues, including an income gap that widened under the 12-year government of his predecessor Michael Bloomberg.
A ceremony to inaugurate de Blasio as the 109th mayor of the largest US city took place on Wednesday. The 52-year-old won the mayoral election last November.
De Blasio said New York now faces inequality crisis while it has faced fiscal collapse, a crime epidemic, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. He noted disparities over income and race worsened while Bloomberg was in office.
De Blasio pledged to build housing for low-income earners and implement a tax hike on the wealthy.
He also promised to reform the controversial police tactic of stop-and-frisk that critics say leads to racial profiling.
This is the first time in 20 years that a Democrat has taken over as New York City mayor. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended the inauguration ceremony. Hillary Clinton is rumored to be the next Democratic candidate for presidency.
Observers say his predecessor has greatly improved the city's security situation as the number of murders there has declined to one fifth over the last 2 decades. Focus is on what the Democratic mayor may achieve in the largest hub city of business and sightseeing in the US.
