A delicate balance between accomplishing goals and bringing everybody along runs through this conversation with Tempe Mayor Corey Woods. Host Hugh Plappert opens with Corey’s path from dinner table conversations about foreign and domestic issues to a city council seat at 29 and then the mayor’s chair. Corey explains the council manager form of government, the limits of mayoral authority and how state law and federal directives can preempt local decisions.

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He shares the challenge of starting as mayor in July 2020 at the height of the COVID 19 pandemic, governing from behind a laptop while trying to steer the ship with the city council and city manager. Corey walks through Tempe’s Hometown for All affordable housing fund, budgets as a reflection of values and why a robust general fund depends on property tax, sales tax and bed tax revenue. The discussion closes with accessibility, many different channels for community outreach, boards and commissions and invitations for younger people to get involved right now.

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👤 Guest Bio

Corey Woods is the mayor of Tempe, Arizona. He first moved to Tempe in 2003 to go to graduate school at Arizona State University and was elected to the Tempe City Council in 2008 at the age of 29. Corey has now served a total of 14 years on the council and began his first term as mayor in July 2020, starting in the middle of the COVID 19 pandemic. He often describes himself as an extroverted, very expressive person who values civic participation, public service and bringing many different voices to the table.

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📌 What We Cover

• How dinner table conversations about foreign and domestic issues and civic participation shaped Corey’s interest in government and public policy
• The reality of a council manager form of government, including the difference between a strong mayor model and Tempe’s voter approved city charter
• Why the mayor is more like a chairman of the board, what a simple majority on the city council can do and what Corey cannot do unilaterally
• How state preemption, housing bills on middle housing and accessory dwelling units and federal directives can supersede city authority
• Starting as mayor in July 2020 during the COVID 19 pandemic, governing from behind a computer screen and the impact on an extroverted, people focused style
• The Hometown for All affordable housing fund, creating a sustainable revenue stream and a mindset around affordable housing, workforce housing, home ownership and rental opportunities
• Budgets as a reflection of values, the role of property tax, sales tax and bed tax and why Tempe needs a robust economy to provide services for nearly 200,000 residents
• The tension between picking the lowest bid vendor and delivering systems and services that actually work for residents and business owners
• Education as part of the job, explaining zoning, revenue, preemption and the separation of powers so everyone can read off the same sheet of music
• Listening to as many people as possible, following a moral compass and North Star, and accepting that a 100 percent approval rating is not realistic
• Accessibility and outreach through newspapers, television, social media, neighborhood meetings and many different channels for different generations
• Pathways for young people to get involved through internships at the City of Tempe and service on 28 boards and commissions such as parks and recreation, transportation, economic development and historic preservation

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• City of Tempe boards and commissions
• Hometown for All affordable housing fund
• Arizona State University
• Rio Salado College
• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• TikTok
• Meet the Press on NBC
• Arizona Republic
• New York Times
• Email: [email protected]