RALEIGH, N.C. — Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker said the city is showing signs of growth, but there is room for improvement.

In his State of the City address Monday, he focused on a number of items to improve the city, including bringing high-quality jobs to the area. He talked about how education, employment, commerce and culture will help to strengthen neighborhoods.

Meeker said he was proud of the capital city's financial strength, a growing downtown development and the move to limit clear-cutting of trees.

Meeker also wants to slow traffic on some neighborhood streets and get tougher on landlords who refuse to take care of their property. The first-term mayor is seeking re-election this fall.

In last year's State Of the City address, Meeker outlined plans for a new convention center and the reopening of the Fayetteville street mall to traffic. Both those projects moved from words to action.