My 100th day as Chandler Mayor was April 20th. Time has flown by and I have to say momentum is only building. I am committed to building upon the legacy that Mayors and Councils before me have built. The City has a vision of making Chandler a world-class city by delivering outstanding public services, creating a unique community and ensuring an exceptional quality of life. Council has identified five main priorities to help achieve that vision. Below are a few updates from my first 100 days in office.
Fiscal Responsibility – In February, we kicked off the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget planning process, and since then have held several budget workshops to identify the needs of our community and how we can address them financially. Council and staff hosted Budget Connect, a live, digital forum for residents and business owners to ask questions about the budget, voice concerns about community projects and help us understand what improvements are important to them. Council will be adopting the tentative budget and capital improvement program at the May 23rd council meeting.
Water Preservation and Conservation – In April, we celebrated Water Conservation Month with a campaign educating residents and businesses on best practices in water conservation, shared the City’s plan for maintaining and updating water infrastructure and provided reassurance that the City is secure in water supply for the next 100 years.
Transportation Infrastructure – In January, we kicked off the Transportation Master Plan Update to garner community feedback on future development and implementation of transportation infrastructure and operations in the City. We’re developing plan options to bring back to the public for further input.
Safe Neighborhoods – In February, the Chandler Police and Fire Departments unveiled a new coordinated approach to school safety in the Kyrene and Chandler Unified districts. The School Emergency Response Training (SERT) program focuses on training teachers and staff in basic life-saving techniques and how to prevent worst case scenarios. Safety and security is our main priority when it comes to students and staff, and the SERT program plays an invaluable part in ensuring that.
Responsible Development – In my first 100 days, I have welcomed dozens of new companies to Chandler, large and small. I continue to work with our Economic Development team and the Chandler Chamber of Commerce to build a friendly business atmosphere, to attract and retain employers in key industries that will create jobs relevant to our available workforce and to maintain an environment that fosters entrepreneurism and innovation.
I look forward to continuing to share Chandler’s story and to engaging with the community in a variety of ways to make Chandler the best city to live, work and play.