A big-city mayor tells News 12 New Jersey he fends off big-city problems at every turn.

Andre Sayegh's job title isn't necessarily worthy of a conversation, but the zest by which he tries to tackle those problems is. He says he’s a “glass is half-full” kind of guy - and then he pours more water in.

There's an energy, an enthusiasm, a likability about him that makes you want to believe when he says Paterson has a bright future. The city has more than its share of crime, failing schools and a recent spike of police brutality cases which make you wonder if the city's future can shine like its past.

Paterson is a historic and cultural jewel in New Jersey. Are its best days a century gone? What will it be a hundred years from now? Can one person's attitude be a slingshot to that brighter future?

This is "12 Minutes with Andre Sayegh" on News 12 New Jersey.