Tempe Mayor Corey Woods has a John F. Kennedy vision for the Arizona city that houses its leading educational institution, Arizona State University.
It is a vision where all stakeholders have the same hopes and dreams for their families, businesses, and communities moving forward in taking Tempe into a prosperous future.
It is a vision where Tempe becomes a regional hub in the East Valley where its streetcar transportation system links with Mesa.
It is a vision where affordable housing is expanded to provide necessary units for essential workers, seniors, while also addressing the indignity of homelessness.
It is a vision where people in their local communities have their wants and needs satisfied by local public and private enterprises.
Mayor Woods graciously took the time to discuss the progress Tempe made in 2024 and the hopes he has for the future in 2025.
The questions and his responses are below.
Mr. Mayor, please tell us your overall feelings about how 2024 went for you, the City Council and the people in Tempe.
“I think 2024 went exceptionally well. Let’s point to two specific things. The passage of General Plan 2050, which received over 60% support from the voters that took part in the March election this year, is a huge feather in our cap. The General Plan is a planning document that every city and town in Arizona has to do every 10 years to ensure for proper growth planning. With the City of Tempe anticipating over 70,000 additional people moving to our city within the next three decades, we need to make sure that we are set up for that kind of growth. We need to ensure we have enough housing not only for the people who live here now but for the people who are going to be moving here in the future. The document shows we had dozens of public meetings throughout the community over a two-year period and went through a number of changes due to resident feedback and input. This exceptional document was recognized by our local chapter of the American Planning Association for its excellence. My hat’s off to our staff for all the work they did with our community and the internal work they did on putting together what I think is a very visionary document. Getting more than 60% approval from your residents shows that this is not just the City Council’s direction, but also that this is the direction that the vast majority residents of the City of Tempe want to move in going forward. I’m very excited about that.”
“And then moving into November, we had three bond questions that just passed totaling $581 million. Question number one, which pertained to streets and public safety passed with over 77% of approval from our residents, which was the biggest landslide we’ve had for a bond question in over 20 years. The other bond questions pertained to historic preservation and quality of life projects and an additional $32 million to support affordable housing growth in our city as well. All of those questions won with overwhelming support from our residents. I think this shows a very strong mandate for the direction that the council needs to take next year and in the many years to come.”
What are the least achievements you are proudest of seeing through during 2024
I think the bonds are a big deal. One of the things I heard most from residents when I was knocking on doors during my re-election effort was the desire to have the roads fixed in the City of Tempe. When I first started talking to residents in mid-to-late 2023, I did not think that would be the top subject, but when you attend neighborhood meetings, community gatherings, and talk to people at their doorsteps, you sometimes hear things that surprise you. That was one of the things I heard consistently. As I talked to other members of the City Council, they were hearing the same message.
The Street and Road Acceleration Plan we had at the time would have had all of the roads in the City of Tempe fixed by 2036. Our residents basically said, “Well, that’s a long way off. My kids are going to be grown by the time all of these roads actually get resurfaced and fixed.” We knew we needed to find a way to rapidly accelerate a lot of those road repairs and resurfacing.
The total cost was about $301 million, and we wrote that into Bond Question 1. We told people that if this question passes, we will expedite road repairs and get them finished in four years instead of 12. We fully expect to start that construction in the first quarter of 2025. By the end of 2028 or the beginning of 2029, we expect all of the streets in the City of Tempe — arterial streets, collector streets, and neighborhood streets — to be freshly resurfaced and done. That is a very big deal for a lot of our residents, and I think that’s why that question received over a 77% pass rate from our voters. This was the highest bond passage rate for street improvements in 20 years. That was a huge accomplishment and something I’m very happy about.
I got into local politics back in 2008 at the age of 29 to improve housing options for people. Bond Question 3 included $32 million for affordable housing. Our city is 40 square miles and totally landlocked. We need the ability to go out into the market and acquire pieces of property that go up for sale, not for the purpose of generating revenue or wealth for the City of Tempe, but to ensure that we have a community for everyone of all ages, occupations, and income levels. That $32 million is really going to help turbocharge the work we were already doing with our very successful Hometown for All Program to create more attainable housing options. This includes acquisition and rehab work on existing parcels to create more affordable and attainable housing opportunities for current and future residents.
As someone who has spent the better part of 15 or 16 years working on housing issues, this is really giving me a new boost of energy to make all of those visions and dreams that members of the City Council and I have talked about into a reality moving forward.
A third thing, for me personally, would be the refresh and evolution of downtown Tempe. We’re undertaking a very big streetscape renovation project right now with new sidewalks, new public art installations, fixing the irrigation system under the concrete, and fixing the electrical system.
If you walk in downtown, you’ll see some places with big, beautiful ficus trees and other places where there used to be a ficus tree but now there’s just dirt in a hole to ensure people don’t trip. Those ficus trees are not native and have invasive root systems that, over time, damage the irrigation system below the concrete. As a result, many of the trees can no longer grow where they once flourished. This project will allow us to refresh and renovate the Mill Avenue area. It’s one of the most historic streets in the United States, and we want to ensure people have a safe, comfortable environment while supporting existing businesses and attracting new ones, including food and beverage operations and retail opportunities.
The last time we replaced the sidewalks was in the mid-to-late 1980s in preparation for the visit of Pope John Paul II. Those bricks have been there for decades, and many are uneven, cracked, broken, or missing. This isn’t due to neglect but simply because they’re nearly 40 years old. It’s time to refresh that street.
We are doing more than infrastructure work. Our downtown is evolving – growing up. We still have the nation’s largest public university, ASU, but we also have older adults living in the market-rate housing, such as the Hayden Ferry Square Condominiums and apartment buildings like West Sixth and Emerson Mill Avenue. There are brand-new hotels like the Westin, Canopy, and Omni, alongside longstanding ones like the Tempe Mission Palms. Developments like Mirabella at ASU, a senior retirement facility, is bring lifelong learners into the mix. The demographic is much more diverse, and we need to ensure that downtown Mill reflects that diversity while supporting businesses that have been there for years, like Cafe Boa and Fat Tuesday.
There’s going to be a new generation of businesses and offerings downtown to enjoy the refreshed streetscape and infrastructure. I’m very excited about the work we’re doing in that area. I think the sky’s the limit for Mill Avenue.
What are at least two of your most pleasant surprises during 2024?
This isn’t necessarily surprising, but it definitely is pleasant. I looked at the community satisfaction survey this year because we do them every single year, and just seeing the numbers was great. There were numbers over 90% approval from residents who have had conversations with members of our staff. Over 90% said, “I had a positive interaction, or I felt like the person that I talked to from the City of Tempe really cared about me and cared about my welfare.” As a resident, renter, homeowner, or small businessperson, they felt like the department they interacted with and the city employee they interacted with really cared about the issue they were bringing to the table. So, seeing numbers that were over 90% approval when it came to the feelings people had when interacting with our city government really made me exceptionally happy. I was not shocked, but anytime in this day and age, with the level of polarization we’ve seen throughout our country, to hear more than nine out of 10 people say, “Yeah, the people in the City of Tempe who work for the city, your staff clearly care about us and clearly care about our interests and have our needs at heart,” that makes me very happy as the mayor of this great community.
The other surprise centered around the bond approval. It wasn’t that I was surprised that the bonds passed. We have a very long history in the City of Tempe of our residents supporting bond questions that go to them for their ratification. But seeing the numbers was great. Two out of the three questions cleared 70% and the affordable housing question was just over 69%, while the historic preservation question, which was Question 2, was over 74%. The streets and public safety question was over 77%. Seeing such overwhelming numbers of support was very heartwarming and shows that we are clearly, as a city, moving in the right direction.
What have been at least two continuing or unexpected challenges that cropped up this year and you and the council had to handle or may have to continue handling it in 2025?
“I think one would come to unsheltered homelessness. It is a big challenge, not just for the City of Tempe but for all of the cities across the State of Arizona. We’ve done a great job from my perspective in acquiring two motels for the purpose of trying to create more transitional housing for people in our community who really need it. The first of those was the Roadway Inn, which we later named renamed Sue’s Espacio. It has 40 rooms and many of those rooms allow for not just one person but whole families. There are 40 rooms with multiple configurations that allow for a lot of different kinds of family types to be together, even with their pets.
We’ve also recently purchased the Apache Inn on Apache Boulevard, which is an $11 million project. This will give us another 58 rooms to expand our efforts. We’ve nearly doubled the number of people working for our HOPE and Care7 teams who work with people who are currently experiencing life on our streets.
There have been challenges with issues like Proposition 312 that passed last year. Arizona voters voted for that proposition statewide. I think the pass rate was over 59%. Learning how to comply with that law will be a challenge for all cities and towns. That proposition allows property owners, meaning residents or small business owners, the ability to seek property tax relief or to sue their local government if they feel as if the city is not addressing encampments or situations that affect them. It puts cities in a very difficult position. We have to make sure that we continue to lead with our hearts and lead with compassion and humanity, which is the way Tempe has always led when it comes to issues dealing with unsheltered homelessness.”
“The second challenge would be with the repeal of the residential rental tax. It is something that really is critically important. There was a repeal of the ability of cities to collect taxes on rental properties and starting this year, we will lose roughly 20 million dollars annually out of our General Fund. Losing that much money is a major chunk of revenue that we use to hire police officers, fire and medical rescue teams, human services workers, solid waste employees, and the list goes on and on. We’re trying to find ways to look at our existing budget and tighten our belts a little bit and make sure that we’re being smart and responsible with the resources that we do have and the revenue that is still coming into the City. We have a great team here at the City of Tempe and we’re going to make sure that we can manage our way through it and try to make sure that we are minimizing any actual effects to our residents.”
What are the names of two current policy goals that you want to continue and expand in 2025?
“Clearly on the affordable housing front, I absolutely want to ensure that, given the additional $32 million coming in as a result of bond question number three passing, we can do more to accelerate creating housing for our service industry workers, teachers, first responders, and anyone in our community who wants to live here. We believe that anyone who wants to live, work, and play in the City of Tempe—if you’re putting in an honest day’s work—should have the ability to do so. We want to create housing for all of those folks, whether it’s affordable, workforce, market-rate, rental, or homeownership. We aim to provide housing for people of all backgrounds in the city. Having that money available to create more attainable housing will really help us, as I mentioned before, turbocharge a lot of our existing efforts and possibly pursue initiatives we couldn’t before due to a lack of funding and resources. I’m very excited about expanding these efforts in 2025, thanks to the availability of that money and voter support for the affordable housing question.”
“I am also very excited about the continued discussions regarding the extension of the Mill Avenue Streetcar eastbound on Rio Salado Parkway. Remember, I mentioned expecting an additional 70,000 residents to move here in the next three decades. We need to ensure that we’re not only providing streets for single-use automobiles but also enabling people to utilize mass or multimodal transportation for our current and future residents. Whether it’s bicycles, buses, rapid transit, light rail, or streetcar, the ability to extend that streetcar eastbound on Rio Salado all the way to Mesa to connect to the Cubs Stadium is vital. This extension will make it more than just a streetcar system serving the City of Tempe. It will become a truly regional streetcar, connecting to the City of Mesa, one of the top three largest cities in Arizona and among the top 40 largest cities in the United States. When our streetcar was first conceived 15 years ago, it faced a lot of skepticism from residents. Now, it is very much an accepted part of what we do in the City of Tempe, and I think people appreciate that the Council had the foresight to add another mode of transportation, anticipating future demographic trends.
“I’m excited to continue working with the City of Mesa and their team to ensure we can make this streetcar extension a reality. Connecting our two cities will allow people to move around without needing a car, if they choose.”
Going to 2025, what are two new initiatives you want to pursue?
“I’m excited to see what we can continue to do on climate change, sustainability, and resilience. We’re already on our second climate action plan here in the City of Tempe, and we’re seeing more and more developers come forward. Even though we don’t currently require people to use the Green Building Code, it is suggested for what we call the first code cycle, typically three years, to test out some of the initiatives contained within the International Green Building Code.
What excites me is seeing many developers voluntarily adopting elements of the code, such as rainwater harvesting or solar panels. Without any mandate, they recognize the importance of adopting these sustainable practices. Developers understand that this Council values responsible stewardship of Arizona’s natural resources. Their proactive approach aligns with the vision of this Council, and I am excited to see how our Transportation and Sustainability Department can continue to grow these efforts. As we anticipate population growth and increased development over the next few years, it’s crucial to proceed in a responsible, sustainable manner.”
“Regarding economic development, we are seeing exciting changes not just on Mill Avenue but throughout the city. For example, we recently approved a new development at the northwest corner of Rural and Warner roads in South Tempe. This project includes four new buildings featuring best-in-class food, beverage, and retail options for residents in the southern part of the city. For years, many residents in this area have expressed a desire for more local options, so they don’t have to drive north to downtown or Rio Salado.
A lot of the work we’re doing involves bringing new restaurants and retail opportunities not just to downtown but also to neighborhoods. We’re focusing on aging shopping centers, vacant plots of land, and underutilized developments to create infill projects. These aren’t always the flashy projects that make headlines, but they enhance neighborhoods and make our residents happy. People can walk, bike, or scooter to these neighborhood elements that benefit their families and communities.
I’m thrilled about our local focus and the collaborative efforts with community members to enhance neighborhoods. By addressing aging shopping centers and underutilized spaces, we’re creating economic development opportunities that are the right size and scope for our neighborhoods.”
To what extent are you worried that the incoming Trump-Vance Administration may work to undo the achievements, especially the climate initiatives, of the Biden-Harris one that have helped with development of Tempe and the Valley of the last four years? Please explain.
“Well, I think any time a new administration comes in with a different set of ideas and policy priorities, it brings some concern. At some point, if the city received significant funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, we were able to use those funds to advance key initiatives. There’s concern about whether those funds will continue – they have helped improve the lives of the people in our community”
“But if we can communicate with the incoming administration about the benefits these programs have had on our residents—not abstract or theoretical discussions, but concrete examples—such as how we used federal funds, sometimes in partnership with Maricopa County, the City of Tempe, or the State of Arizona, to deliver critical services and meet residents’ needs, my hope is that the incoming administration will recognize those successes. I hope they will look favorably on the continuation of funding directly to cities and towns. At the end of the day, I understand they will have different policy priorities, but my greatest hope is that if we can demonstrate real, tangible successes, they will consider continuing the funding from Washington, D.C. This would help maintain the kind of cooperation we had under the current administration. That said, they clearly have different policy priorities than the Biden-Harris administration, which is obvious. As mayor, I have to keep demonstrating what has worked for us over the last four years. If we can show clear, measurable results, my hope is that they would consider continuing the funding so we can continue serving not just ourselves, but the nearly 200,000 people who live in our city.”
Is there anyone in your office you would like to recognize for their contributions to making 2024 successful for the City of Tempe?
“I would love to recognize our City Manager, Rosa Inchausti. Rosa does a phenomenal job. She’s been city manager for roughly a year and a half and has done an exceptional job of leading our team. At the end of the day, I tell people all the time that the council, for the most part, acts as a board of directors, and I act as the chairman of the board. But our city manager really is the chief executive officer of this organization. In any council-manager form of government, they’re the ones who actually run all of the operations and logistics on a day-to-day basis.
As a matter of fact, from myself and the other six members of the council, we only supervise four employees in the entire City of Tempe, which has over 1,700 employees. A lot of people don’t recognize that the only people we actually hire and directly oversee are the city manager, city attorney, city clerk, and presiding judge of the court. That’s it. Everyone else reports to our city manager. So, while I might have a difficult job at times and while our council members have difficult jobs, Rosa has an exceptionally heavy lift each and every day managing all of our employees and all of the different departments that comprise the City of Tempe.
But I think she does it exceptionally well. She does it with grace and dignity, and I couldn’t be prouder to have her as our city manager. I just want to make sure that I give a big shoutout to her. She’s doing wonderful things on behalf of the City of Tempe, its residents, and its businesses. So, if I can shout out one employee in this interview, I would make it her.”
Is there anything not covered in the preceding questions that you would like the readers to know about your experiences during 2024 as Tempe Mayor or looking forward to 2025? Please explain.
“I think the biggest takeaway is a broad, 30,000-foot view of things. I find, especially working in a nonpartisan city government, that there is more that unites us than divides us. I think we frankly need to focus more on that—not just as Tempe residents, but as Arizonans and as Americans. In my job, I work with Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, and Green Party members. While they might have different approaches to achieving certain goals, the overwhelming majority want the same things. They want good schools for their kids, nice parks, well-maintained streets, and for their small businesses to thrive in our economy.
“If we focus more on working together, identifying what unites us, and supporting issues that can move our city, state, and country forward in a positive way, I think we can accomplish a lot. That’s how I’ve always tried to lead in my job. I’m not perfect—there are absolutely times when I get frustrated or a little snarky. I’m human, like anyone else. But at the end of the day, I believe if we focus on what unites us and ensure our criticism is constructive, not simply cutting, we can achieve exceptional things and create a much better world.”
“That’s the general message I’d like to leave readers with. I’m here five days a week at City Hall and always open to hearing praise. Of course, I’m also open to hearing criticism—whether about things you feel I’m not doing correctly, areas where the city could improve, services you’d like to see, or ways to enhance service delivery. I, along with our Council and city staff, am always striving for continuous improvement. Constructive feedback is always welcome.
“As long as we recognize that no one gets up in the morning with the express purpose of destroying our community, we can acknowledge that most of us are trying to get to the same place. We might have different strategies to get there, but focusing on our shared direction, listening without prejudice, minimizing bias, and assuming good intentions can help us achieve a lot.
“I’m excited about what 2025 holds. 2024 was a great year for the City of Tempe, but I think 2025 has the potential to be even better.”
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