Lynn to be featured in promotional video

LYNN, Mass. (WHDH) --The city of Lynn is the subject of a promotional video in the works that's getting national attention. It’s meant to draw visitors and maybe even new residents to the North Shore community -- but it has some questioning whether the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Not far from Boston, the sunset over Lynn's waterfront is as pretty as a post card. The scene is just one way the city hopes to promote itself as a great place to visit.

“I want people to be encouraged to come in and give us a try and I think they'll come back,” said Mayor Judy Kennedy, Lynn.

Convinced her city is ready for its close-up, the mayor is spending $20,000 in taxpayer funds on a 5-minute promotional video, which will reportedly air multiple times on CNN and once on the Discovery Channel.

But Lynn has its issues; its crime rate is more than twice the national average.

A church has its own spin on the old adage, “Lynn, Lynn, city of sin.”

Some, including the mayor, are tired of what they see as a bad rap.

“I’ve found that once people venture into the city of Lynn, and they see that it’s not as scary as its previous reputation would indicate, they tend to come back,” said Mayor Kennedy.

In June, the local paper reported Kennedy balked at budgeting $20,000 for rat control. Now she's paying that amount for the marketing campaign, and even some in Lynn wonder why.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think they should use that money for more police protection, cleaning out the streets,” said Vanessa Cooper.

Mayor Kennedy hopes to prove the naysayers wrong with this $20,000 investment -- which she says amounts to 1/100th of one percent of the city budget.