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Executive Committee Spotlight:
Mayor Tibshraeny of Chandler
Name, title & city/town:
Jay Tibshraeny
Mayor
City of Chandler
Year elected to office:
2010 -- Previously served on the Council from 1986-2002 (1994-2002 as Mayor). Also served in the State senate from 2002-2010, Began current term of office on Jan.
13, 2011.
Years served on Executive Committee:
One. He also served on the Executive Committee during his first tenure as Mayor.
Hometown:
Born and raised in Chandler, Arizona
Why did you decide to serve in local government?
It has the most impact on people. When I first ran for Council, it was after serving some time on the City's Planning and Zoning Commission. Understanding I could
help make a positive difference in peoples' lives, I decided to run for elected office. Also, serving as a State Senator gave me a better perspective on how to
work with the Legislature. I also enjoy working more at the municipal level because you are not dealing with partisanship or ideologically based decision making.
It is just easier to accomplish more here.
What are the biggest challenges facing your town today?
Like most communities, it is all related to the lingering effects of the recession. In June we passed the first city budget in several years that did not cut
staffing or resident services. But things are still tight. We are focusing our efforts on neighborhood sustainability and the continued attraction of quality jobs
to Chandler.
What opportunities do you see for your community?
We have a thriving downtown and we are working vigorously to make it even better through the attraction of a public university presence and large employers to
create better density. I have also launched a number of neighborhood initiatives that will, over time, create a greater sense of ownership in our community while
helping to develop new neighborhood leaders.
What are you most proud of during your tenure on the Executive Committee?
While this was a rough legislative session for Arizona cities and towns, I think we did a fairly good job of keeping the damage to a minimum. Our constant
attendance at the legislature and the sharing of a common message from the state municipalities with our state elected leaders helped us keep a positive outlook.
Why is the League important to cities and towns in Arizona?
Obviously, in these challenging times, the League and its staff help to support cities and towns as they come under attack from legislative bills that could hurt
our efforts to do what we do best: govern at the local level. But the League also offers a multitude of other resources for elected officials including training,
advice and written materials that are invaluable to our work.
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League of Arizona Cities and Towns
1820 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-258-5786
Fax: 602-253-3874
http://www.azleague.org
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