City of Tempe’s Post

Transcript

Our Tempe City Council is made-up of a group of people with a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Just like our Resonance, this diversity helps us creatively address Tempe's needs and serve our community better. Some of our council members are parents. Some of our council members are retired. Some are building their careers, Some rent. Some have lived in the home they owned for decades. Some are married. Most of them have dogs. All of them have one thing in common. They love our community and work tirelessly for the benefit of Tempe residents. I am the daughter of restaurant owners and I am a lover of good food and an advocate for entrepreneurs. When our locally owned businesses succeed, so does our city. Successful businesses bring new jobs, new places to shop and new revenues to support. All of our city programs, what's not to love? Last year, we added 2300 new jobs to our economy with an average salary of more than $76,000, and tourism to our city had an economic impact of more than $1 billion. Come on Tempe, let's keep that going. I attend Tippy schools. They help me grow into the person I am today. Ensuring partnerships with our city government and our schools is the best way to foster the next generation of successful residents and community leaders. The City of Tempe spent $17 million annually on education, career and Family Services programs like Kid Zone, Tempe Free and College Connect. That serves thousands of our youth. It's making a difference. More than 50% of Tempe residents over the age of 25 have at least a bachelor's degree. That's about 15% higher than the rest of the state. I moved to Tempe more than 20 years ago to study at ASU and to start my career. Helping other people on their journey, no matter what they're starting point, really resonates with me. That's why I started Tempe Works, a program that connects our unsheltered with jobs, housing and services to help those who have the biggest hurdles to overcome. Tempe residents have told us that reducing homelessness is a top priority for them. This program does exactly that. I'll keep working to address those issues be provided housing solutions to more than. 1600 Unsheltered people In our last two years, our homeless rate has dropped by 34%. Let's keep progress going. I'm the mom of high school and college students. I want them to be able to afford safe, quality housing. Making sure that Tempe has a variety of housing choices in all our zip codes. It's important to me. I'll work with partners regionally to help make that happen for my kids and all Tempe residents. I'm proud that Tempe invest 75 million in affordable housing and homelessness solutions for our community. I work for the City of Tempe for nearly 30 years before becoming a council member. Much of that time was in public works. Ensuring we maintain our 1200 miles of roads, along with our water lines and our parks continues to be a priority for me. The City of Tempe invests $600 million annually to keep up our infrastructure for everyone. That's vital to our communities, to getting water to our houses and making sure our parks are beautiful and safe. I raised my four kids in Tempe and now have a grandson, Beau, who lives just around the corner and you'll often see him with me when I'm out. Creating a safe and healthy environment for him, my family and our residents is important to me. More than 700 police and fire and park Ranger staff work to keep our community safe every day, and crime has reduced by 18% since 2022. But safety starts with knowing your neighbors. The Cities Resiliency Hub Network brings people together in community centers, churches and other spots gathering together. The idea is simple. When you know each other in an emergency, you can help each other and everyone has a place to go. I live downtown. Today's Mill Ave. is far more than a place for ASU students. We have a variety of residents like me, along with young professionals, retirees, and people who simply love the vibe. Bringing new restaurants and businesses, events for everyone to enjoy, and refreshing the streetscape with modern amenities is important to me. Honoring our historic Mill Ave. While making it interesting and accessible for everyone is something we can all work on together. Our Tempe City Council is ready to serve you. Visit Tempe Gov Slash Elected for all the ways you can connect with them.