Arlene Chin would like to Return to the Tempe City Council and Serve the People

Arlene Chin has served in a variety of public service positions in the Tempe area. These assignments include:

  • Tempe City Councilmember, May 2019 to July 2020
  • Tempe Public Safety Task Force
  • President of the Tempe Community Council Board of Directors
  • Chair of the Tempe Human Relations Commission
  • Graduate of Tempe Leadership Class XXII
  • Tempe Leadership Board of Directors
  • Tempe Sister Cities Co-Country Director of Zhenjiang, China
  • Tempe All-City Association Board of Directors
  • Tempe Neighborhood Advisory Commission

In May 2019, she made local history by becoming the first Asian American member of the Tempe City Council after being appointed to serve until 2020.

Advertisement

Currently the Director of Scholarship Advancement for the ASU Foundation, Ms. Chin would like to be elected in her own right by Tempe Residents and return to the City Council.

If elected, she will focus on:

  • Collaborative leadership with all other Tempe Council members.
  • Assisting and advocating for small businesses.
  • Local infrastructure and economic development.
  • Increased integrated sustainability projects that effectively combat climate change.
  • Helping the most vulnerable in need.

Ms. Chin graciously took the time to discuss her candidacy to return to the Tempe City Council.

The questions and her responses are below.

   1)      Please tell the readers two reasons you would like to return to the Tempe City Council.

“There are many reasons I’d like to return to the council, but I believe the most pressing is to finish the work I started in helping our local businesses to weather and recover from the pandemic.

 I am a pro- local business candidate. My parents owned a Chinese restaurant in Tempe while I was growing up and I worked there as a dishwasher, busser, cashier, and whatever else was needed. I understand the importance of locally-owned businesses to the livelihood of Tempe families and our city’s overall economic health. We can’t get Tempe back on track for recovery without supporting our local businesses. I am committed to providing local businesses with the support and resources they need to weather the pandemic and emerge stronger post-recovery. Along the same lines, I believe our city government needs to work in partnership with local businesses to help Tempe residents feel confident about re-engaging in community activities. For everyone around the world, the pandemic affected us economically, socially, and culturally. So, in a community like Tempe where people are accustomed to participating in community activities, we all have to figure out how to re-engage. People need to feel safe re-engaging and we, as leaders, need to work on that re-engagement. We need to set the tone, and help our residents understand what the new normal looks like going forward.”

“A second reason I’d like to return to the council is that I have a lifelong passion for public service coupled with four decades of grassroots community leadership and governance experience in Tempe. During this time, I’ve built many valuable partnerships and addressed a variety of complex issues facing our city. I’ve proven myself to Tempe residents as a trusted and respected leader and the time is right for me to continue my council service.” 

2)      Please tell the readers two accomplishments from your first tenure on the Tempe City Council.

“One of the major accomplishments we achieved during my time on council was the adoption of Tempe’s Climate Action Plan. This is a comprehensive plan to help Tempe reduce emissions through energy efficiency, transportation alternatives, and resilience to extreme heat. This plan laid the groundwork for tackling climate change on a variety of levels for the decades ahead. It includes everything from expanding our tree canopy to encouraging alternative transportation options and installing Resilient Energy Hubs throughout the city.”  

“A second task we accomplished during my time on council was a very important step toward meaningful systemic change and that was adopting “The Right to Breathe” plan in conjunction with the Tempe Human Relations Commission, the African American Advisory Committee, and the East Valley NAACP. One of the outcomes of the adoption of The Right to Breathe was establishing the Tempe Public Safety Task Force to further address systemic change needed in our city. That work is ongoing. I am still engaged in the task force and want to provide further, ongoing representation there once I’m back on the council.”       

 

3)      What are at least three issues you would like to work on if elected to the Tempe City Council?

“As I mentioned before, we need to place a priority on helping our local businesses recover from the pandemic, and I want to make sure we’re giving them the support and resources they need and also foster engagement. Engagement also affects Tempe’s socioeconomic future and how people have participated in the past by partaking in community activities or local shopping and eating in restaurants will help move the city forward.”

“Also, I want to continue working on the Public Safety Task Force to develop systemic solutions to some of the complex problems we face in terms of trust, accountability, and how we interact with members of our community. This work is ongoing and depends on the voices of diverse stakeholders to create meaningful change.”

“That ties into the third item I’d like to work on if elected to council, which involves inclusive representation. I’ve lived in Tempe for 47 years and I’ve watched our city grow and change over the years, and that includes changing demographics. Along with changing demographics, we need to consider how we include our citizens and ensure that people from every neighborhood and walk of life feel heard and represented in our local government. As the former Chair of the Tempe Human Relations Commission and one of Tempe’s “Diversity Champions” with an oral history on record at the Tempe Historical Museum, I am uniquely aware of the importance of representation in government at all levels and what a disservice it can be to all constituents when we’re missing important voices in our decision-making processes. Many people may not be aware that in 2018, Asians comprised 8.78% of the Tempe population, according to Data USA, making us the third-largest group behind whites and Hispanics.”

“I am very proud and honored to be Tempe’s first Asian American to serve on the Tempe City Council and I want to continue providing that valuable representation for our city, but I do not want to be the last. I want to make sure we are inclusive of people from all races, ethnicities, orientations, genders, abilities, and backgrounds because I believe it makes our city stronger and reflects our values as a diverse and welcoming city.”     

 

4)      Is there anything not covered in the first three questions that you would like readers to know? Please explain. 

“I was selected from among 50 qualified applicants after a very rigorous application and interview process for my appointment to the council, making me one of the most vetted council candidates in our city’s history. The fact that I was chosen from among so many great local leaders is a reflection of my reputation and many decades of leadership and service to our community. I was appointed to the council during an unprecedented and very tumultuous time. The council was facing a major leadership transition and then the pandemic broke out. One reason why I was chosen to join the council during this time was my reputation and abilities in managing difficult situations. I’m good at fixing problems and addressing difficult tasks. I’m often called upon to provide a stabilizing influence during times of difficulty and come up with structured solutions to carry us through. I was honored to be that person for the council during a time of great need and I’m very proud that I delivered on this task for our city.”

Please click on the below social media sites for more information on former Councilmember Chin and her candidacy.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arlenechintempe

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arlenechintempe/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArleneTempe

Website: https://www.arlenefortempe.com/

 

 

Advertisement

Discover more from Blog for Arizona

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.