Tempe Union High School Governing Board Member and former Board President Berdetta Hodge would like to serve the people of Tempe in an additional role.
On the Tempe City Council.
The former East Valley NAACP Education Coordinator and current Vice President of the Booker T. Washington Child Development Center wants to give back to the city of Tempe for all it has done for her and her family by serving on the City Council and working to address issues of:
- Homelessness
- Workforce development
- Sustainability
- Promoting social justice and equity
- Historic preservation
- Uniting the Tempe Community.
If elected to the City Council, Ms. Hodge would continue serving on the Tempe Union High School Board and advocate for better funding, greater health and safety, and equity for the community’s children, teachers, and families.
She would also bring a powerful voice and a whole-of-government approach to fixing Tempe’s and Arizona’s most pressing issues.
Ms. Hodge graciously took some time to discuss with me her candidacy for the Tempe City Council.
The questions and her responses are below.
- Please tell the readers at least two reasons you would like to serve on the Tempe City Council.
“I am running for Tempe City Council to build on the work and partnerships I started on the Tempe Union High School Governing Board. I strive to use this opportunity to be an advocate for issues that affect our families, including our students. We need a real plan to promote social justice, combat homelessness, and address other big-picture problems that cannot be solved by just one governmental department. Additionally, the city of Tempe has given me so much. I have lived and worked here all my life and I want to be able to give back to the community that raised my sons and me.”
- Please tell the readers two qualifications you have for serving on the Tempe City Council.
“Being part of the Tempe Union High School Governing Board showed me what it takes to lead in local government. I am a product of and contributor to Tempe. I have seen our growth. I have seen the strengths and opportunities of Tempe. I understand the infrastructure of the city and know what it means to invest in housing, roads, schools, and community programs. I am intimately familiar with community services and am on the ground level when it comes to the thoughts of the community and the city of Tempe. I understand my community because I am from this community. In addition to my leadership experiences, I bring a distinct voice to the decision-making process. I am a Black woman who has been raised in this city and who has never seen a woman who looks like my mother or me play a role in the Tempe City Council decision-making process.”
- What are at least three policy issues you would like to work on if elected to the Tempe City Council?
“I want to make Tempe a city where everyone feels at home. That not only means addressing homelessness in our community by investing in housing and support solutions but also by ensuring we are a socially just community that enfranchises the people and brings them together. We can advance equity, build high-quality affordable housing, and preserve some traditions of our historic community while also preparing our city for a rapidly-growing economy with modern education and job opportunities. Finally, I want to be a uniter on the Tempe City Council, listening to and working with all of Tempe’s residents, not just the ones who vote for me.”
- What else would you like readers to know about you?
“It has been an absolute pleasure to serve on the school board. Not only have I been able to (and will continue to) make positive progress for others, but I have gained something too: perspective. The school board has given me a perspective on the needs of the community, and I want to be a voice for all. I so look forward to expanding my service to Tempe. I already enjoy working for Tempe and cannot wait to make the city better in another capacity.”
For more information on Berdetta Hodge and her candidacy for the Tempe City Council, please click on the below social media sites.
Twitter: @BerdettaAZ
https://www.facebook.com/BerdettaBHodge
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