In her State of the City Address, Mayor Kate Gallego Declares Phoenix is the Future and City to Watch

“Phoenix now is our time. The Future is Phoenix, and the Future is everywhere we look:
In a TSMC manufacturing facility. In our affordable housing communities. On rooftops covered in solar panels. In community college classrooms. In the shade of a newly planted tree.
Regardless of what the future may hold – Phoenix is the city to watch. And we are ready to deliver.”

With those closing comments, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego concluded her fourth State of the City Address before the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Her message focused on the themes of hope, progress, and pushing forward in the fifth-largest city in the United States.

In her approximate half-hour address, the Mayor spoke of all the efforts and accomplishments the City, through the leadership of the Phoenix City Council, the City Management team led by Jeff Barton, private and not-for-profit organizations, and herself have made in the last year in the areas of water security, infrastructure and transportation, green sustainability, technology, education-workplace development, affordable housing and homelessness, law enforcement assistance, and biosciences.

Framing the address as a continuous path to the future, Mayor Gallego proclaimed what she wants Phoenix to be for her son, Michael, and the other children of the city, saying:

“When I think about that future, I think about how kids including my son, Michael, are watching it arrive right now – every day. I think about how, to our kids, where we are now is only the beginning. The cranes in the skyline and the construction teams at the airport – to today’s kids, that’s the starting point.
That’s why our work comes at a critical inflection point for the city. I want Michael to be able to stay here for a lifetime if he wants to. To have the chance at a great education. I want Michael to be able to raise a family here should he choose, and to enjoy South Mountain in the springtime just as he did when he was an infant. I want him to be able to afford a home, and to be confident that when he turns on the tap, there will always be clean water flowing. And I want him to continue growing in a city that’s brightest days are ahead. I know moms and dads across our city share the same wishes – as do many of you.
And like other moms, mayors, or “mom-mayors” – I have a to-do list, in fact, many lists, of goals to accomplish. Raising a six-year-old and running a city have more in common than you’d expect.”

The Mayor then delved into the major policy successes the City has amassed over the last year and vital issues still facing Phoenix.

Water Security:

The Mayor told the audience of the Council’s approval to help create with other Valley Cities, an Advanced Water Purification Facility that could when operational, recycle 60 million gallons of water per day.

Towards the conclusion of her address, Mayor Gallego noted that Phoenix only uses two-thirds of its Colorado River allotment while shifting the other third to groundwater recharge.

She also commented on the seriousness of the situation and the need for action, stating:

“While we know there is no silver bullet to address the West’s aridification, our city has the tools needed to preserve our strong water supply for decades. We have done this by working to diversify our supply to avoid over-dependence on any one source and achieving a decades-long reduction in per capita use.”

“But new challenges require innovation to guarantee our continued economic prosperity, environmental security, and quality of life… Water management has been a top priority throughout our existence, beginning with the Huhugam who dug our canals. Today, Phoenix continues its strong collaboration with tribal communities to protect our water resources and create flexibility in times of shortage…The City Council and I are hard at work to develop new Sustainable Development Standards for large users and require new residential projects to achieve EPA Water Sense or equivalent certification. The Verdin residential development in North Phoenix stands out as an example of a project that helped us set an impressive standard. Achieving the EPA’s water efficiency certification… each home will save more than 44 thousand gallons per year compared to a traditional new build. That means, collectively, the homes in Verdin will use 55 million fewer gallons of water every single year than a standard subdivision. Even more significantly, their preservation of natural desert landscaping will save nearly 80 million gallons of water per year.”

Infrastructure and Transportation:

Thanks in part to the local bond initiatives (Transportation 2050) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Phoenix has seen:

• Three new light rail projects will start over the next four years.
• The completion of the concourse at Terminal Four at Sky Harbor.
• The completion of the Sky Train.
• Security procedures at Sky Harbor now include the ability to check IDs on an Apple Watch or iPhone, resulting in helping to reduce the wait times at the airport to less than 22 minutes the day after the Super Bowl.
• The start of Autonomous Vehicle Service through Waymo. The Mayor remarked that “a visiting stand-up comedian who drove in a Waymo announced to his followers that the future had arrived in Phoenix and compared us to a Jetson’s episode.”

Mayor Gallego also called for voters to approve the infrastructure/park building/library and education facility construction-friendly measures Proposition 400 and the renewal of the 2006 City Bond Program at the ballot box.

Green Sustainability and Combatting Climate Change:

The Mayor proudly boasted about the City’s scoring a net zero waste result during the Super Bowl festivities thanks in part to Phoenix having one of four of the nation’s “Robot Depackagers.”

Later, she proudly reminded the audience of other efforts to promote green sustainability and combat climate change including:

• “100 miles of Cool Pavement that reduces surface temperatures and makes for cooler nights.”
• The creation of Cool Corridors with the planting of trees across neglected parts of the city.
• Phoenix has more solar per capita than any large American city.
• The growth of solar contractors from six to fifty. Along with the use of the Solar App, the wait time for solar energy products has been cut in half.

The Mayor also called on FEMA to include extreme heat in its declared disasters list.

She also warned that unless the city takes “bolder action” in response to the EPA designating Valley air quality “moderate,” “we will pay the price with heftier costs to economic development and poorer health outcomes for our residents.”

Technology: 

The Mayor touted the $40 billion investment by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Phoenix, an announcement attended by President Joe Biden and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Education-Workplace Development:

Mayor Gallego praised the Route to Relief Program, a partnership with Maricopa Community Colleges that provides free tuition and accessories like free child care to qualifying students who want to specialize in a high-demand field like semiconductor manufacturing.

In her address, the Mayor cited the experiences of an Air Force Reservist named Rylee, saying:

“Rylee is an expecting mom who was born and raised in Phoenix. She was working part-time and serving in the Air Force Reserves when she heard about Route to Relief. After researching TSMC and the industry, Rylee enrolled in the Semiconductor QuickStart Boot Camp at Estrella Mountain. When she finished her coursework, Rylee landed a job as a Manufacturing Technician at TSMC. Not only did she tell me it is the best-paying job she has ever had, but she is excited to build her career there. Congratulations, Rylee!”

Affordable Housing and Homelessness:

Recognizing the affordable housing crunch in the Phoenix area, the Mayor pointed out that the 2019 Housing Phoenix Plan has built or preserved “26,000” out of the planned “50,000 units.”

She also signaled out both the Community Land Trust and Shipping Container Housing Development projects as successful efforts to provide affordable housing.

On homelessness, the Mayor commented:

“…In one of the wealthiest countries on planet Earth, we can all agree that no one should be living on the street. Sadly, homelessness is not unique to Phoenix – more than half a million individuals are experiencing homelessness in America. What is unique to Phoenix is that our city is putting every solution on the table to lift people out of homelessness…”

The Mayor brought up the example of Monique as a success story of lifting people out of homelessness. Taking advantage of the services offered at the Native American Connections’ Youth Shelter, Monique lifted herself up by studying and finding a career as a dental assistant.

Among the solutions to address homelessness, Mayor Gallego cited were:

• Investments in public housing from not-for-profit partners.
• “Distributing 7,000 housing vouchers and managing 5,000 affordable housing units.”
• The opening of the YMCA homeless youth-drop in center.
• The opening of Soluna, an energy-efficient facility in the Edison- Eastlake public housing community where 80 percent of the 1000 planned housing units will be affordable.

Law Enforcement Assistance:

The Mayor spent some time discussing the efforts and investments designed to make working in law enforcement easier. These include:

• A $10 million investment to Mercy Care to help people access mental health treatment.
• Launching a Behavior Health Engagement Team Pilot Program to help people suffering from opioid drug abuse.
• Instituting the Community Assistance Program.
• Phoenix now becoming the highest-paid law enforcement agency in Arizona.

To celebrate the attributes that make an excellent law enforcement officer, the Mayor praised Jacob Tinto, saying:

“Officer Tinto was working near the Human Services Campus and had received several calls to transport a woman to get care. Over time, Jacob got to know the woman. He helped her obtain critical services, and ultimately helped her out of homelessness. His work left such a deep impact on her that, when she gave birth to a baby, she named him after Jacob. To me, naming a child after someone is one of the most powerful compliments that a person could give.”

Mayor Gallego closed her comments on law enforcement by stating:

“I am willing to work with anyone from any political party or professional background on strategies to recruit and retain the best public safety professionals for our community.”

Biosciences

The Mayor cited the Discovery Oasis biotechnology corridor being constructed around the Mayo Clinic in  North Phoenix. When all is built, she said “people can access world-class medicine and services close to home.”

She also noted other developments in the biosciences area including:

• The creation of the Phoenix Medical Quarter, a global center for the Advancement of Health and Education in midtown between Third Avenue and Park Central.
• Barrow Neurological Institute opening a new research facility that will work on ways to mitigate and prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.

Please click here to read other articles about some of the issues Mayor Gallego referenced in today’s address and other efforts Phoenix has made since she has taken office.