(NECN: Josh Brogadir, Providence, RI) - Outgoing Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri delivered his final State of the State address Tuesday night. The major focus was jobs and state finances. Rhode Island has the third worst unemployment rate in the country. The address lasted about 35 minutes. Governor Carcieri essentially said the state of Rhode Island is looking up but that it will take time. A group of mayors and city officials does not think local cuts are the answer. CLICK HERE to listen to more of Carcieri's address. "As I stand before you tonight, our state is facing the most severe economic turmoil of the last 30 years," Gov. Carcieri said. Facing intense scrutiny in his 8th and final year in office, Carcieri's term-limited last State of the State focused on bringing back some of the close to 40,000 jobs lost in the last 3 years. Tuesday night in front of a joint session of the General Assembly, the two term Republican laid out his plan. "The budget will also contain a major focus on jobs, with a package that includes: small business tax relief; a tax credit for job creation; and programs for enhancing access to capital," he said. The Ocean State has fallen on hard times, it has the third highest unemployment rate in the country. At a staggering 12.9 percent it trails only, Michigan and Nevada, far beyond any other state in New England. "Despite my best efforts in adding over 300 new jobs, we're fighting against a heavy tide on the unemployment front. So many of my residents are hurting, not only on the unemployment level. But also, they're facing foreclosures and any of the problems that this economy's creating," reacted Mayor Allan Fung (R), of Cranston. But Gov. Carcieri also talked about education and about the need for towns and cities who have already been asked to tighten their belts - to shoulder more cuts for town and city workers. "If every city and town employee throughout our state, including all school department personnel, were to agree to a salary reduction plan this year and next, just as state workers have done, tens of millions of dollars could be saved," the Governor said. The current state deficit is $219 million and a coalition of mayors, city and town officials from across Rhode Island protested the Gov's speech with this response. "The municipalities, the cities and towns, are not responsible for the state budget deficit. Period," said Mayor Dan McKee (D), of Cumberland. "We keep making cuts to what used to come to cities and towns. That's not an answer. And we have to protect any further shifting of those burdens to families," said Mayor David Cicilline, (D), of Providence. The governor also praised advances in infrastructure, offshore wind power development, cleanup of rivers and beaches. He said neither property nor sales taxes have gone up in his seven years. And they won't this year if he can help it.