NEWARK - A year has come and gone for the Ras Baraka administration, and the mayor is counting his accomplishments.

Wednesday morning, his office sent out a "2014-15 Year in Review" highlighting more than a dozen successes he says have made Newark safer, more prosperous, transparent and poised for future growth.

"All of these deeds were accomplished by the hard work and commitment of our valued municipal team and the unity and love of our residents. I am humbled and privileged to report on their work today, and to serve as the Chief Executive and foremost advocate of Newark 3.0," he said in a statement.

Here are 5 of Baraka's most significant victories of his first year.

Billion dollar boon

Newark has seen levels of investment over the last year that officials say is unparalleled in its recent history.

Baraka pegged the number of dollars poured into city real estate since last July at about $1 billion, which includes the opening of luxury loft apartments, work on a mixed-use building on Broad Street that will include a Whole Foods supermarket, and plans for the world's largest "vertical farm" in a former East Ward steel factory.

If the mayor has his way, the next phase of the city's redevelopment will be headlined by a casino, surrounded by a convention center, retail and entertainment shops.

Bringing civilians on board

In April, Baraka signed an executive order creating a board that will allow a group of 11 civilians to investigate complaints about police officer misconduct - something local civil rights leaders had been advocating for decades.

Plans for the board came after U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman and the U.S. Department of Justice made clear that additional oversight of the city's police force would be required as a part of an impending consent decree to implement a number of reforms.

The board will not have the power to impose discipline on officers itself, but can make a recommendation to Police Director Eugene Venable, who will hand down a final ruling using a so-called "discipline matrix" to guide him.

Baraka recently told NJ Advance Media he expects a legal challenge and other pushback from police unions, but proponents say the board is among the strongest in the country.

Bolstering the ranks

For years, city police have complained that their numbers were far too thin, and that they were never able to recover from a devastating round of layoffs in 2010.

After taking office, Baraka first aimed to make better use of the existing ranks, taking officers out from behind desks and putting them onto the streets. Since then, he has sent 80 officers to the police academy, with plans to add another 70 over the remainder of the year.

While the city continues to struggle to significantly lower its crime rate, more good guys on the street can only be a boon to their efforts.

A deficit dismantled

Baraka inherited a $93 million budget deficit after taking office last July.

While his predecessor Luis Quintana's administration had already begun chipping away at the gap, his team added new measures, including increasing the tax collection rate, declining to fill vacant positions and cutting contributions to the city's unemployment insurance.

That experience is likely to come in handy, as officials have estimated this year's shortfall at between $50 and $60 million.

Political partnerships

It hasn't taken long for Baraka to establish himself as a powerful force in New Jersey politics.

The mayor has repeatedly detailed his burgeoning friendship with Jersey City Mayor and rumored Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steven Fulop. He has also teamed with Fulop and Paterson Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres to pool public safety resources in the state's three largest cities.

He has also managed to turn many of his doubters into believers. Last month, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. - who supported Baraka's opponent Shavar Jefferies in last year's mayoral election - publicly declared that he made a mistake.

The North Jersey power broker went on to praise the mayor's work so far, and pledged his support on bringing a casino to town and other projects.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.