Tempe Mayor Corey Woods has had an eventful first few months of office. His swear-in ceremony in July had to take place virtually after he contracted COVID-19. A few weeks later, a train derailed at Tempe Town Lake. But he and the city have persevered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think when you run for a job like this, you have to accept the fact things many times change," he said at his inaugural State of the City address on Friday. He compared this experience to when he first started as a city councilmember in 2008. The platform he ran on focused on transportation needs, human services and economic developments, but those goals shifted due to the Great Recession.
When he came into office in July as mayor, Woods said the city was facing a $14 million budget shortfall due to declining revenue from sales and bed taxes. Woods says it's forced the city to tighten its belt and freeze certain positions, but one thing that has remained strong during this economic downturn is interest in development.
“We are still getting a large number of applications from people who want to develop new properties in Tempe or people who want to open up or expand their current business," he said.
That’s a sharp contrast from what he saw Tempe experienced during the Great Recession. But Woods has heard from some developers who were planning on building office space and are now considering changing their development plans.
The city, for its part, is continuing to work on construction projects throughout Tempe, such as its street-car line, especially as traffic has been reduced during this time.
During the virtual State event, Woods addressed the recent change in Tempe police leadership after he was asked by viewers whether the city would bow to pleas to defund or reform the police.
Woods and the City Council were not involved in the new appointment since the police chief is overseen by City Manager Andrew Ching. Woods says he created a Public Safety Advisory Task Force with the police department’s support.
"They said while we’re doing an exceptional job in delivering services to the residents and to people, we are always open to new ideas, we are always open to new innovations," Woods said.
Woods added he doesn’t think supporting law order and racial equity are mutually exclusive issues.
