City of Chandler Council Meeting & Installation Ceremony 01.09.25

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ready council members if you please join
us
yeah good evening and welcome to the
regular city council meeting of the
Chandler city council before we uh do
our uh roll call and everything else I
would like to take a moment and
acknowledge some of our guests our
special guests electeds that are with us
um I have a list that doesn't
necessarily mean that they are still
here or able to be here but uh and if
you'll save your applause to the end I'd
like to acknowledge Mitsy Epstein our
Arizona state senator Patty contras our
Arizona State Rep and if you are here
please stand so that we can acknowledge
you Jennifer Germaine previous Arizona
State Rep and Justice of the Peace
Regina Anton uh grick lieutenant
governor
Kurt roers uh cusd governing board
member Renee Lopez former Chandler city
council member and Arizona Corporation
commissioner Trinity Donovan former
Chandler city council
member Taylor Rogers representing the
office of Senator Mark
Kelly and Chelsea Rivas representing the
office of Representative Greg
santon and uh also we have Nora former
Chandler city council member she was she
is and I don't know if he made it in
Jeff wer Arizona State Rep he was here
great he was here and then finally we're
always grateful for our relationship
with the chamber uh Terry Kimble Chamber
of Commerce president is here as
[Applause]
well thank you all for joining us and
helping us honor uh our outgoing council
member as well as being here for the
installation of our
incoming uh clerk would you please take
the role mayor Harkey here vice mayor
Harris here council member enus here
council member Ellis here council member
Orlando here council member Poston here
we have a quorum thank you our
invitation is going to be uh delivered
by Dr Randy Carlson from Family Life
Radio International Min Life Ministries
right after that the posting of her
colors from Chandler police and fire our
Pledge of Allegiance from vice mayor
Harris that might be the last time he
hears those words vice mayor at least
tonight keep saying it and then the song
the America the Beautiful Chant by our
fire Chandler Chandler fire department
with uh pipe and drums so Dr Carlson
thank you
thank you mayor and thank you Christine
for inviting me to lead in prayer
tonight let me just share one verse if I
can from scripture and then lead us in
prayer uh the Apostle Paul says that I
urge you first of all to pray for all
people and that's why we begin a meeting
like this that way ask God to help them
intercede on their behalf and give
thanks for them and then we're reminded
to pray this way for kings and all who
are in Authority so that we can live
peaceful and quiet lives and I know
that's a big responsibility for you all
here and with that um allow me to
pray Lord God in obedience to what I
have just read from your word I pray for
the people of Chandler that they would
know you as The Only Living Lord of the
universe and embrace the truth that
human strength and wisdom alone is
insufficient without your Holy Spirit I
pray that you would protect the people
and the leaders of this great City For
Your Glory I pray also for each member
of this council tonight that are before
us uh that through their leadership
decisions that would result in citizens
of this great City experiencing peaceful
and quiet lives I pray that their
deliberations tonight and other nights
would honor you and the citizens of this
city and finally Lord I pray that your
spirit would be present here and across
the valley and around this around the
state of Ariz Arizona and I pray all
this in the matchless name of the one
that came to redeem our fallen world for
his glory and our benefit amen amen
what
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more
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[Applause]
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please join me as we recite the pledge
allegiance I pledge allegiance to the
flag of the United States of America and
to the Republic for which it stands one
nation under God indivisible with
liberty and justice for all
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for
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right
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please be
seated again we're honored by all of you
joining us and uh and helping us honor
our our installation and farewells here
tonight Council next owner agenda as we
have a brief consent agenda how would
you like to
proceed
May m yes thank you I move to approve
the consent agenda for January 9th 202
2025 regular meum meeting items one
through three May second second please
okay we have a a motion by council
member inas a second by council member
Poston uh I'm not aware of any recusals
with these particular items so Council
and I believe you said we can vote using
these items great thank you please
vote motion carries unanimously thank
you all right next uh I'd like to
invite supervisor former council member
Mark Stewart just if you move forward
we're going to uh thank you for your
service just stand in the middle there
yeah just an awkward moment for you but
stay right
there and then we'll just continue with
Angel and going around but uh Mark we
wanted to thank you for being awesome on
Council for looking at uh really the
size of government the scope having a
Passion to make sure that uh we were
looking for out for a residence and
you've been a strong voice in that so I
picked up a couple fun things for you
first uh a nice tumbler from burst of
butterflies and if you notice it's got a
map of Chandler on there and that's to
remind you of where you've where you've
come from but Mark has a habit of
needing to borrow
pens so I I filled it with pens
but wait there's more Dana also realizes
since you always borrow pens from her
that she got you a separate set as well
are thank
you thank you
I was gonna stay up there
but so Mark our city has been such a
success story not only across our state
but across our nation and it's due to
previous leaders that have gotten us to
where we are today and now you are among
them so I want to thank you so much for
your leadership your dedication and your
time over the last eight years not only
to our city but to our residents here so
I want to thank you I want to thank your
family your wife and your children for
Lending us your your dad here uh for the
last eight years um it it's truly
something that's a great sacrifice to
get back to your community so appreciate
that um I want to say we've worked
together for about two years so far and
those years went by very very quickly
and you and I we went from you not
taking a meeting with me until I was an
official candidate on the ballot for
coffee because you wanted someone
serious to speak to so now you pick up
every phone call if I call you respond
to text messages and then I'll interrupt
you in your workout we'll have chats at
the gym as well so I appreciate you um
always being open listening to me your
guidance your advice over these last two
years um it's been great and I hope that
we can continue that relationship as you
continue to lead our County here in the
great state of Arizona so again thank
you so much I'm here for anything you
need on the city and I got you a little
treat just to keep up with the gains at
the gym so there's that for
you
hello look at she standing looking at me
H well we always have our own little
chats all the time so I'm going to be
brief this this evening I just wanted to
leave you with something that's going to
remind you because I've always told you
that you're are such an amazing young
man and that you have a heart to serve
but with that comes a lot of
responsibilities and a lot of guidance
is needed and the Holy Spirit is the
only one that can do that for you and as
I put a blessing over you this evening
to go on to the next step I would like
to leave you with something that will
continually remind did you why you did
this because I've always told you your
why needs to be so strong that when the
time comes and that when everything is
falling apart that your why will keep
you there and help you to push through
anything and so tonight this is your why
Mark
Stewart I see it first everybody else
oh this is your
why this is your
why this is why you going down there for
this painting has a history now you can
show it thank
you so allergies again
um I want everybody to see this this
thank you
um this spenting was uh commissioned in
Haiti by a young pter called rash he's
one of our really top upcoming pter on
the island and he's pented all the 47
presidents of the United States and so
he has pained this for you and your
family I didn't know I could get it here
because there was no flight coming out
of Haiti so we had to fly this penting
from PTO Prince to capan from capan to
Florida from Florida
here and I didn't even think I was going
to get it here until this morning it
arrived at my house and I was able to
get it all set up for you but again this
is your why mark thank you so
much you you know throughout my time
working with Christine we've become
tremendous friends um confidants and
she's a very special person in my life
um so thank you so much for that and and
I'll try
to save some of the downtime with some
speech here but but I am so grateful for
you and for your heart and For Your Love
Of Christ it's helped me get closer
thanks that's awesome you just shaved
one minute off of your leaving
speech and if it's anything like uh
former uh council member Renee Lopez is
going to be one for the
ages no truly uh Mark I know that at the
center of your heart is your family um
everyone knows that you come for his
family you comfort his heart and truly
he has been a great representation of
what a good husband should be to a wife
and a great father he should be to his
children and I see your son is here in
the audience and you're doing such an
amazing job with your family and I think
that's what makes Chandler so great is
these family values and what I wanted to
do in the spirit of that I wanted to
provide you with something that you can
do with your wife and get away from the
kids and everyone else uh so everyone
knows that cooperhawk is one of one of
many of my favorite restaurants in the
city of Chandler make sure if you're
going to write it write it right right
is one of
many no but I have a um a gift
certificate for you and your wife to
enjoy you shared a story that when you
were sworn in you like I was like what
did you do after her you like I had some
chicken nuggets or something like that
but truly this will help you have an
enjoyable evening and a nice bottle of
wine that is that wine right there is um
my favorite me and my wife's favorite
wine when we decide to have wine that's
that's what our go-to so Mark
congratulations
OD has been such an amazing uh colleague
but so much fun to be around uh and he
talks about heart but there's nobody
that has a bigger heart for this city
than that man right there and uh he
lives it every day so I'm grateful that
we've gotten to work together I'll come
back to you Angel by the way
yeah
buddy so I don't know what we're going
to do for a center we need a basketball
center Jennifer can you play center for
us I don't know but Mark um it's been
great getting know I worked with you for
six years I work with a lot of council
members and we had some Frank and honest
discussions and I think in today's
environment more so Mark we need more of
that and we we we always even though we
had Frank discussions we had honest
discussion and we walked away saying I
understand Matt I understand mark and it
made us better it made us stronger and I
appreciate that and I think few people
said it tonight Mark leads with a heart
um there's no doubt about that every
time he makes a vote I know it's in his
heart he feels that's the best thing to
do thank you buddy we're going to miss
you but you haven't gone too far we need
a lot of stuff from the county so we're
going to be calling on you
brother oh this this is for you and your
wife as well thank you very much yeah
Matt Matt has been quite the historian
from for me as we've uh as I as I came
on board and he he joined a little bit
after me but he's got some tenure with
the city so it's been phenomenal that
he's been able to share with me the
history of the things that are going on
in the city uh so much so that you don't
always know what you're walking into
when you sit down but he's got such a
relationship with the community that
he's been able to share with me and so
I'm grateful for that Matt thank you
yeah what's that Al yeah exactly exactly
so oh hi
hi I snuck around the back so all right
Mark I don't know if you remember this
but I've known you much longer than
being on Council our first discussion
was when you came to my office right
across the way and we had a very Lively
discussion about marketing and
Communications so we have always had
that in common but you know much like
Matt just said I have always appreciated
that you and I maybe don't see things
the same way but so often we come
together and have uh an agreement maybe
for our different reasons but you've
always listened to me respect
respectfully and given as good as you
got which is really what I've always
enjoyed so that being said I'm a huge
reader I love to read um books are very
personal gifts though and um but I love
to give them and I am confident after
knowing you that this is one you're G to
love and I hope you enjoy it it's from
the heart so it's a really good read one
of the best in the country so
congratulations go do a wonderful job
off in the county we'll be we'll be
talking to you often and I I always have
appreciated your perspective I know much
of it is based on this so thank you for
all you've done keep at
it take thank you so everybody this is
the
Constitution of the United States of
America and
other other oh where are my
glasses other stories about American
democracy and so anybody that knows me
knows that uh a lot of I do almost
everything I do is in the spirit of what
our Founders intended for our
constitutional republic and uh I'm just
uh thank you thank you Jane and you know
what those discussions that we have are
the best and and you know why because
the great thing about a a city council
is versus maybe a legislator or um or or
a president or whatever that may be is
that there is diversity of thought from
everybody that's on this board to get to
the best decisions right we sit in a
room and we hash things out we try to
think about what's the best for our
community and so I I'm super grateful
for that and Josh is on his way up here
too so I didn't want to get in front of
you but I do have a few words prepared
but come on up we we'll get this yeah
thank you so you got half my
speech we're just getting in pieces
right yeah well thank you um mark it is
amazing we have come this far so this is
an interesting experience for me because
you're the first council member that is
leaving us that we've been here almost
the entire time together we started
almost at the same time with the city of
Chandler so you were you were elected
right before uh I was hired here uh
almost eight years ago so what an
amazing journey we've had together kind
of growing up with the city of Chandler
and uh you know one thing I I brief
story I do want to share about Mark so
Mark was probably one of our most
enthusiastic City council members we've
ever had he came in as a ball of energy
in fact Matt was just reminding me that
uh I think it was in your first few
months on the council we we had to have
a little chat with you
because um there was a sidewalk that
needed to be repaired and you decided to
go try to repair it
yourself and we had to remind you we
have we have Crews for that you know we
have people that work here and they do
that every day but it just showed how
passionate you are about the city of
chance
and that's one of the things I've always
loved about you always enjoyed about
working with you is the passion is so
clear the community is always top of
mind no matter what we were talking
about it was always a fun conversation
because I knew you were always thinking
about the next exciting thing for
Chandler and you have been so supportive
of our team Chandler staff you've never
doubted uh the ability for this great
City to get amazing things done and one
thing I'll personally miss when we have
always uh chatted is you we always had a
time for a little bit of personal chat
too and you always asked how my family
was doing how my kids were doing in
Youth Sports and I always appreciated
how much you you really cared about
about others around you and that shows
every day uh and the way you take care
of your family and and everybody in your
circle so we have a little gift for you
here this is our tradition
[Applause]
well this will go up in the county in my
office in the county so so thank
Josh and I'm not going far right so uh I
still live in Chandler I haven't moved
to Queen Creek yet no I'm just kidding I
listen I love Chandler and and and
serving on the board and I don't want to
get in the way of some important
ceremonies that's going on here we've
got somebody taking over uh in my chair
that's uh going to be remark remarkable
so I want to get to that too but I did
want to share a few things um you
know when I ran 8 years
ago you get this impression that you're
going to go in and change the world
right you're gonna you go with this
heart and this this fever pitch to go in
and and you're GNA you're going to fix
things right what I quickly realized
about local government and what I
realized about Chandler was it wasn't
broken right there wasn't anything go
shake your fist at and go try to fix and
it's because of the people that are in
this room like when you see a turnout
like this for people that are being
installed or a Fareway farewell ceremony
and you see boards and commission
members and Chambers and things like
that this is what makes this city work
is the people that show up every day uh
to make that happen and and the great
thing about that is is that eight years
ago I recognized that immediately I
recognized that we've got community
input in just about everything we do and
that's why this works doesn't work like
that everywhere like you can't go to
Congress right and address your
government you can't see them in the
grocery store you can't send them an
email or a text and get that back like
you do from the folks up here and so I'm
grateful that this is the path that I
chose for for giving service right or or
giving back if I could and it made sense
to me um but I didn't know it at the
time and so here's what I here's what I
want to leave you with you know local
government matters so so much and you
guys that are in the room understand
that and the people that work for this
city get it they get their why and thank
you for bringing that up their why is
about providing service to you so you
feel safe and secure in your home and so
that you feel
like all the things that that are
important to you matter right and and
they care about you so it's the
community it's the staff and then lastly
it's the leadership right and so we've
got some incredible people that care a
lot about their neighbors right and I
say neighbors all the time because
that's what it is we're all neighbors
you know we may not agree on everything
but most of the time we do right most of
the time we have a
we have a
we most of the time we understand right
we understand what's going on anyway
I'll close with this you know my time
here while it was eight years went like
that and what I got to see during that
time was a community that moved into a
community of innovation but it never
lost that Community feel we went from
about 220,000 People to 280,000 People
we built a new Square popped up Intel
expanded northr Grumman moved here from
Utah we um added schools we have done an
incredible amount of work here and it's
a testament to the staff and the people
that work for the community so Josh I
gotta tell you you know how to run a
ship and uh you know how to manage all
of us and still get the things done that
these folks want to get done when we
bring that to you and juggle all those
things and it's remarkable and uh we
have a lot of fun when we were doing it
the thing is what you don't know is that
Josh and I would have our meetings we'd
go over the agenda items and about every
third comment was a joke and we had a
really good time but we but we were
serious about the job we had to do and
so everybody up here does the same thing
and so we've had a great time I want to
tell you this um the last thing I'll
leave you with and and and I'm so
grateful for that photo but my family is
my why right they're why I do what I do
um but I also consider the community my
family right and so we're all in this
together um let's just keep plowing
forward Chandler is a great City but
Allison who's watching I I meant to
mention that her her mother's not
feeling well so she's back in Missouri
visiting with family and sisters and
everybody's in town and and uh of course
U my son's here Cole and uh my daughter
is watching at home as well she's not
feeling well but thank you so much from
the bottom of my heart I'm just going to
Maricopa County so hopefully I can take
some of that passion and some of the
great work that we've done here in
Chandler and take that culture to
Maricopa County and uh and do some good
things for the community at large so
thank you very much for having me and
letting me serve you for these these
eight years I'm I'm truly
[Applause]
grateful you want to say
anything I did I did want to say one
last thing mayor you've been quite the
mentor to me and and and I got to tell
you between you here on the Das and
Angel at the
gym the coaching has been incredible him
on the workouts and stop talking start
working out Stuart and and and you with
being a mentor uh as the mayor and and
help guiding this city in the right
direction I'm I'm deeply grateful and I
look forward to working with you at the
at the county
[Applause]
all right thank you again uh supervisor
St so I'm going to to gabble out and
then we're going to install our newly
elected council members then I'm going
to gavel in and we'll have a brief
meeting to uh Council will vote on a new
vice mayor and then some announcements
and then we will carry on to whatever
follows this Gathering so
at this point I
um Vice May is your family all here yet
all right so
uh Jennifer we're uh Jennifer Hawkins
we're gonna start with you I realize
that you were hoping to to follow this
but uh always good to put new council
members in the fire and surprise
[Applause]
them and if you want to invite up who
you would like and we'll go from there
okay now you'll put your left hand on
your Bible and your right hand up and
we're g to have you swear
in I Jennifer
Hawkins do solemnly
swear that that I will support the
Constitution of the United
States and the Constitution and laws of
the State of Arizona and the
Constitution and the laws of the State
of Arizona that I will bear true faith
and allegiance to the same and I will
bear true faith and allegiance to the
same and defend them against all enemies
and defend them against all enemies
foreign and demestic foreign and
domestic and that I will faithfully and
that I will faithfully and impartially
and impartially discharge the duties
discharge the duties of the office of
council member of the office of council
member of the city of Chandler of the
city of Chandler County of Maricopa
County of Maricopa State of Arizona
State of Arizona according to the best
of my ability according to the best of
my ability so help me God so help me God
congratulations
okay I just wanted to take this time to
say a few thank yous
um oh it's weird being on this side of
it finally if I'm being honest but I'm
so excited to be here so I wanted to say
thank you to my family first and
foremost uh they were huge in this
obviously without them anybody running a
campaign knows that it is so impossible
and difficult to try to do such a thing
if they are not on board and supportive
and they have been nothing but that so
I'm eternally grateful um so thank you
and I love you and thank you for being
here to support me secondly I wanted to
say thank you to my friends I appreciate
everything they have provided for me um
again with campaigning there is never a
uh a constant flow of it's all just
great it's a lot of ups and downs and so
they were there to listen to all of it
all of my questions all of my sympathies
pains everything and so thank you um
again couldn't have done it without you
I also want to say thank you to my
campaign team I have many of them here
and again like we had a Grassroots team
that just was all over Chandler they
helped me there's no way I could have
done it without them and them along with
ld13 eternally grateful um I
just I I don't know what else to say I I
really could not have done it without
the like the support and the constant uh
interaction and just Direction and
guidance that I receive from that I also
want to say thank you to Jessica Lopez
my campaign manager I'm very grateful
for your support uh it means a lot to me
that you took the time and energy and
effort to to make that happen for me um
along with that I also want to say thank
you to my donors I will admittedly say
that is probably the worst part about
all of this but thank you you help me
get this far and um you know along with
Jessica I also have to say thank you to
a huge mentor and huge component of
myamp campaign Renee Lopez uh he
thankfully uh answered all my calls
answered all my questions and and thank
you for sharing him with you Jessica and
also Christine Ellis I you know along
with allive Council but Christine Ellis
was very instrumental in helping me and
guiding me as well so thank you I
appreciate that um along with that I
have to say thank you to the current
Council you guys have been wonderful
you've been so welcoming uh you guys
provide a really great culture to walk
into and I'm so grateful so thank you
and lastly thank you to staff and I
guess more lastly is I want to say thank
you to the community thank you for
entrusting me to get this far and to
help guide the city and move it forward
so thank you everybody I appreciate you
being here tonight and I'm looking
forward to
[Applause]
it all right next up is OD Harris
okay right over here okay got
it thanks
man all
right all right there all right
amen i
o i OD Harris do solemnly swear do
solemnly swear that I will support the
Constitution of the United States that I
will support the Constitution of the
United States and the Constitution and
laws the Constitution and the laws of
the State of Arizona of the State of
Arizona that I will bear true faith I
will bear true faith and allegiance to
the same and allegiance to the same and
defend them against all enemies and
defend them against all enemies foreign
and domestic foreign and domestic and
that I will faithfully and impartially
and I will faithfully and impartially
discharge the duties discharge the
duties of the office of council member
of the office of council member of the
city of Chandler of the city of Chandler
County of Maricopa County of Maricopa
State of Arizona of Arizona according to
the best of my ability according to the
best of my ability so help me God so
help me
God thank
you conratulations
brother well thank you guys so much um
for being here I'm here with my family
my wife my daughter Ivory Jeremiah and
IA we're here and I got a couple of
words so if my family wants to stay up
here with me I would love for you to do
that if not go take your seats if you
choose
to um but it
was I'm very thankful and I want to
really start out by expressing my
deepest gratitude to my wife who has
literally been a ride or die and someone
whom I love and I want to make sure she
always have her flowers while I'm on
this
[Applause]
Earth my wife is one of the most amazing
women you'll ever meet in life I promise
you this and what my wife does is
support to make sure I stand straight
and erect and you guys may hear me on
the counsil talking about my wife my
wife my wife that's because I got a good
one and I thank God for her and my
children who has been here every step of
the way making sure they're helping out
doing whatever needs to be done and also
making sure that I stay focused and my
um my oldest daughter she works for a
major news media outlet and I always ask
her have I made national news yet she's
like n not
yet so it's really awesome but I want to
share some words with with the people of
Chandler and I just kind of want to
share my heart and I know many of you
guys may have know the challenges that I
faced during my election and I just kind
of think it's befitting since it's my
moment I'm G to have my moment um so I
can share and express some of the things
I want to share with you so this
campaign cycle last year was not without
its challenges a small but vocal Clan
sought to test my resolve and the
strength of our community they question
my character my service spreading
misinformation about me my family in our
movement uh their attack their attacks
escalated into a full-blown smear
campaign filled with a lot of hate and
bigotry you guys know it and Camp the
campaign signs my campaign signs were
deface with hateful graffiti
sasas racial slurs and other messages
intended to intimidate or divide us um
there these actions were not just an
attack on me but on the values we as a
community hold so dear but as Dr Martin
Luther King would say the ultimate
measure of a man is not where he stands
in moments of comfort or convenience but
where he stands at times of Challenge
and
controversy so we stood tall we
responded not with anger but with a
campaign rooted in community opportunity
and love and I'm proud to say that
Chandler voters responded resoundingly
and together we achieved a historic
Landslide Victory and winning every
district and securing the most votes of
by a significant margin and I'm really
happy about that and thank you
Chandler but as I stand here
while the victory is sweet I still
remain deeply concerned about the action
of those who try to divide us I'm not
worried about losing voters or even
opposition I'm worried on how their
attempts to spread hate and Discord risk
undermining the value soul of our
community my greatest fear my greatest
fear is not losing a
vote or facing opposition but why
watching our community lose sight of its
heart a community without heart is a
City without hope and that's the fear we
must face together Chandler is a City
built on strong foundations values
passed down by families like the doson
the Rays the pays the Westbrooks the
savages the harrises the Wolves the NH
hars the McQueens the McCalls the
Gonzalez and many others these fames
have taught us the dignity respect and
unity are an investment we must make
together to safeguard our Humanity for
tomorrow this investment is is this
investment is more than moral it's a
practical and it's a monetary one for
our seniors and families inflation is an
abstract statistic it's a daily struggle
it's the agonizing choice between
medicine and food between dignity and
dispar and as your counsilman I will not
allow these fears to go unanswered but I
can't do this alone I need your
continued support and as a community
leader we must recommit ourselves to
safeguarding our future together we can
do this if we invest in our schools and
invest in our seniors support both
Fortune 500 companies as well as
familyowned businesses fight not against
each other with hate but for each other
with love compassion and shared ADV
Vision to our community if we learn how
not to come at each other and not lose
heart you are the reason why we're here
you are the blood that goes through
these veins Chandler people is the heart
of this community and I'm glad you said
heart because I love this community I've
served this community with everything I
got and I want you to know that I'm here
to represent and be be a voice to the
voic less and if you ever need that cup
of coffee and if you ever need that text
message I will be there again thank you
to my supporters thank you to my family
and thank you to all that's here thank
you Christine Ellis
I have thees come up
where's
right go under there you go there you go
I Christine Ellis I Christine
tal do solemnly swear do solemnly swear
that I will support the Constitution
that I will support the Constitution of
the United States of the United States
of America and the constitution in law
the Constitution and laws of the State
of Arizona of the State of Arizona that
I will bear true faith that I will bear
true faith and Allegiance and allegiance
to the same to the same and defend them
against all enemies and defend them
against all enemies foreign and domestic
foreign and domestic and that I will
faithfully and that I will faithfully
and impartially and impartially
discharge the duties discharge the
duties of the office of council member
of the office of council member of the
city of Chandler of the city of Chandler
County of Maricopa County of Maricopa
State of Arizona State of Arizona
according to the best of my ability
according to the best of my abilities so
help me God so help me God amen amen
congratulations
good evening
everyone I am so grateful that you all
take this afternoon to be here with us
may I say first a great thank you to my
husband Benjamin Ellis that is standing
here with me this
evening and at this time I would like
kurd where are you can you please go get
that uh painting right behind where Mark
is standing and open it for me because I
have a few words to say not only that I
would like to thank my husband but there
are people in this room right now that I
believe that if I don't acknowledge it
them it will be remissed of me to do
that Dr Carlson and Miss Dina can you
please stand up thank you so much for
being here you probably heard of Family
Life Radio 47 radio station all over the
world and this couples have afforded me
to be able to stand here tonight they
have pour into my life for the last 38
years that I've lived here in Arizona
thank you so much for making me the
woman that I am tonight in living
intentionally you see me wearing this
bracelet all the time and this one
stated that one thing I do and every
single day that I get up and I tell
myself there's one thing I do I forgot
about the past and I keep my eyes on the
prize you have taught me that so well
along the way and for that I am so
grateful ful thank you so much for being
here
today Pastor Becky and Pastor
Davis Brad
Davis I'm standing before you too this
afternoon because you have also taught
me living with a clean hand and a Pew
heart God will always honor
that loving others Beyond yourself God
will always honor that and so for that
I'm grateful and I will continue I've
gone all over the world with you guys
doing missions and so tonight we are
standing on a mission that is stronger
and bigger than ourselves which is the
mission of the people of Chandler and
for that I covered your covering and I
want to thank you for that to my family
and all of you that are standing here my
sister shalam
Michelle I would like to thank you for
having been my ride or
die called you midnight 1:00 in the
morning whenever time you are there for
me and for that I'm
grateful and so I want to thank you I
couldn't have done this without you
we've run a multi-million dollar
business here in Chandler and we never
look back but the one thing that we
learn to do along the way
we take care of God's people God's
people will take care of
us Mr Leon and miss latan you came to me
years
ago and you work for me Miss latan and
now you work alongside me you are an
owner when we were selling we sold to
you so that you and your husband and
your family could stand with me tonight
Mr Leon as the person that we run all
those signs every signs that You' seen
put up by me this man was behind
that he put them up and he also helped
put them down I want to thank you for
that I want to thank you one of my
biggest cheerleaders is Mr Gonzalez my
adopted son and he's flying through
Arizona tonight he stopped to be with me
tonight thank you so much I adopted you
as my son and so tonight you represent
somebody that is very close to my heart
so thank you for being here and to my
nieces
my friends every single one of you that
are standing here with me my cousins and
you see this whole group of people here
with me they made me who I am and so for
that I am grateful thank you so much for
being here with
me I ran for Council and serve for the
love of
Chandler I represent all the community
whether you voted for me or
not I will work with my colleagues to
implement policies that benefit our
community I am the first black woman
elected to the city of council and I
embrace the significance of that
role tonight I am proud to be one of
three women serving on the city
council of this city of Chandler ladies
we are making history tonight
[Applause]
thank you so much for saying yes to this
assignment I really appreciate working
with both of
you Chandler is a global destination for
advanced manufacturing semiconductors
suppliers and Technology
inventors to leverage this fact an
increased presence of higher education
and carer opportunity and Chandler has
been one of my goals in the last four
years I've served here in this city I
have made it a passion of mine to make
sure that everyone who would like to
have an education gets it you see now in
Chandler we have higher education
because I believe truly that for every
boys and girls that we educate we take
90 people out of poverty so think about
it a city that is based and education
and empowering people to be the best
that they can be that City can never be
but a place of
destination as a registered nurse I work
now and I serve on the State Board of
Arizona I stand before you because I
have nurses here with me
tonight I stand before you with a
commitment that in the next four years
the best is yet to come for the nurses
here in
Chandler it is important that you
remember that Dignity Health and banner
have invested in their hospitals to
serve the needs for the people of
Chandler we stood with them and see them
open now a Residency program here in
Chandler all of that is being done to
make sure that your health is being
taken care of act Medical Park recently
opened to provide Cutting Edge medical
and resources Services under my watch
and our watch Chandler fire has become
an accredited paramedic training program
here only the second Fire Department in
the state to do so under our watch the
mental and physical health and wellness
of our community and First Responders is
also essential for me under our watch we
provided things for them we
provided places where they can go and
get their Wellness taken care of our
police Behavioral Health Unit have
undergone Advanced Training and
Behavioral Health clinician work with
police dispatcher and call to service
under our
watch when I came to the city it was a
passion of mine to make sure that mental
health is being seen and it's being
taken care of now in the city of
Chandler we have a fire a police unit
that does that when your loved one is in
need they will show up for you because
we made that a
priority homelessness is another area
where I wanted to make sure that we make
an impact and right now we stand here in
the city of Chandler at a place where B
none with our
program we have some navig leers that
are on the street constantly touching
people's lives and helping them to come
out home coming out of
homelessness and we' like to thank the
staff who are giv every single
day to help people's life the quality of
life to
improve we have invested in the
infrastructure water and Technology to
better serve our residents and
businesses we celebrate the diverse
cultures that we have here in the city
of Chandler you heard me said
it when I came here 38 years ago to live
here in the city of Chandler yes mayor I
know you told me don't say that again
people know I've been here for 38 years
so it's okay 39 now 39 now the reason
like why I like to bring it up is
because I have seen Chandler for where
it was and where it is right now and
that mayor is because of leadership like
yourselves and those that are on the Das
right now coun member orando thank you
for your tenure thank you for having
worked so arant to make sure that
Chandler is where it is right now I
acknowledge you today thank
you and at the end of my
work when I continue to represent
Chandler on the regional domestic
violence ground as we work to prevent
such actions from impacting families and
the children here in our
city the promise that I've made to you
tonight is that I feel that I am blessed
to
serve there is something in me that
would like to leave you with this one
word and if you will afford me that
minute I will turn around and look at
this picture can you put it up this is
my son that I lost three years ago as I
was on consult higher
and I made this young man a
promise because when I run he said Mom I
didn't think that they were going to
elect
you and I said why not he said I didn't
think that they were ready for a woman
like
you and I made him a promise and I told
him we will serve with a clean hand and
a pure
heart and through it all we have
demonstrated that
yes there were a lot of challenges yes
this last race was not easy but I stand
before you UN mooved today
unchanged because my heart for this city
will always be a heart of love and we
will always do it for the love of
Chandler thank you so much for being
here this
[Applause]
evening may take your seat
appreciate you all thank you so
much thank you
Daniel can we push
all right I this is my fourth
installment ceremony of uh this week
I've gone to three others and every city
is unique and I think you can see in
Chandler uh The Passion of our council
members and uh not that others are not
but every is unique and I think this
reflects our community so thank you for
coming I'm now going to gavlin and we're
going to have a brief council meeting
and and vote for uh a new vice mayor
so uh clerk please take the role mayor
Harkey here vice mayor Harris here
council member enus here council member
Ellis here council member Orlando here
council member Poston here council
member Hawkins here we have a quum our
indication tonight will be brought forth
by Pastor Palmer Chinchin of the Grove
Church
uh council member Hawkins Church please
stand now the president of Justice
University fouryear accredited
University here in Chandler um my wife
and I moved here 23 years ago to start
the church we in Chandler and we love
this city
uh before I pray I would like to read
one verse from scripture because the
Bible talks about how God loves his
cities our cities and he says this to
his people in the city that I put put
you build your homes PL to stay plant
Gardens and eat the food that they
produce marry and have children then
find spouses for them so that you may
have grandchildren multiply and work for
the peace and the prosperity of your
city where I carry you pray to the Lord
for it and for its welfare so let's pray
for for our our leaders and for our city
together God we are grateful for our
city of Chandler and for the leaders
that you have given our city I thank you
for our leaders that are being installed
this evening council member Jennifer
Hawkins council member Christine Ellis
council member OD Harris I pray that
your hand of blessing be on their lives
on their work as they represent your
city may they your hand be on their
families I also pray for our mayor mayor
hary and for all of our council members
that you fill them with your wisdom and
all that they do for all decisions Great
and Small God I pray for our city may
your hand of protection be over it may
the homes of our city be places of
safety and love may our schools be
places where students Thrive and grow
may all who work for our city flourish
in their in their responsibilities God
and I pray that in our city of Chandler
that every person know they are valued
by you and valued by everyone here and
by our leaders may all who come into our
city know that this is a place where
every person is welcomed and wanted and
treated with dignity and respect and may
this be a city where there is always
Justice I pray for this city council as
they do their work together
fill this council with peace and Oneness
in the name of Jesus Christ we pray
amen thank you mayor thank you
Pastor Council we have one uh action
item tonight which is the election of a
new vice mayor I would like to make a
nomination I I would submit and move
that uh we select council member
Christine Ellis to serve a one-year term
as vice mayor do I have a second second
second second uh vice mayor Harris thank
you uh Council please
vote mayor we can do a roll call vote oh
yeah Voice vote I'm sorry thank you um
vice mayor Harris council member and
cenis yes council member Ellis yes
council member Orlando uh yeah
yes council member posted yes council
member Hawkins yes mayor Harkey yes
cares unanimously all right thank
you then next and last on our agenda are
just current events and Council
announcements I would like to start
first I I certainly want to wel uh
welcome our new council member Jennifer
Hawkins I want to congratulate you and
our two returning council members and uh
I know you're have a heart and a passion
to continue to see our city move forward
and Mark I continue to wish you all the
success as you transition to the county
and look forward to continuing to work
with you uh I know we're going to
continue to have breakfast or lunch and
keep in touch with each other and see
how we can support and serve one another
in in your new role as well and I look
forward to doing that as well Council
I'm honored to serve alongside of each
of you and I know that uh even if we
disagree perhaps about priorities i'
I've never had cause to question your
passion or your prioritizing the the
needs of our community from your
perspective and that will continue and
I'm appreciative of the fact that as we
have served together that's never been a
question we might not have agreed on
something but we've never questioned uh
each other's passion to serve our
community and I think that is a
distinction that is made Chandler serve
well we we have served with decorum we
have served with honoring one another
and that certainly attributes to part of
our success as a community and as a city
we will work together to continue to
achieve great things for this wonderful
City that we all call home and I look
forward to the year ahead would like to
just draw a highlight to a couple things
coming up today is law enforcement
appreciation day so are to police in the
back We Salute You we Applause
you I would be remiss if I did not
recognize and mention our appreciation
for our First Responders every day in
Chandler and today is National Law
Enforcement appreciation day we're very
fortunate to have a police department
that is nationally recognized as one of
the best in the country and officers
that are deeply prepared extensively
trained and deeply involved in our
community so we are grateful for you
Chandler is experiencing some of the
lowest crime rates that we have seen in
our
history and we accredit most of that if
not all of that to the Fine work of our
sworn and civilian staff this team our
team Chandler as First Responders serves
our community with courage and integrity
and dedication and on law enforcement
appreciation day we do corporate
express our deep gratitude for the
sacrifices that team Chandler makes to
keep our city safe so again we applaud
[Applause]
you I do have a few upcoming events that
I'd also like to draw our attention to
First on Friday January 17th is our Dr
Martin Luther King Awards program this
event honors the accomplishments of our
Chandler residents and winners will be
announced at the award ceremony the
following day Saturday January 18th is
our 30th annual Multicultural Festival
so we invite you all to join us at Dr AJ
Chandler Park from 11 A.M to 6: PM for a
funfilled lineup including International
films
performances shopping market a custom
Cruise car show my wife will be there as
a poet with an oldfashioned manual
typewriter with others you can join her
if you feel the the uh the urge to type
and uh it'll be an exciting day so join
us on that Saturday council member and
Cen us thank you mayor I don't have any
official announcements but I do just
want to congratulate our new vice mayor
here with us and con congratulate our
new returning council members and our
new council member as well too I look
forward to working with each and every
one of you guys to a very successful
2025 I can't talk today and I don't know
what year it is but um I am here and
open for you guys to work on each and
every one of you guys' priorities and
help us get there uh by the end of 2025
so thank you guys so much and looking
forward to working with you guys thank
you vice mayor Ellis thank you mayor
thank you colleagues thank you so much
for putting your trust in me and
allowing me now to serve as your vice
mayor to the city of
Chandler what I just said when I stood
down there stand I will continue to lead
with my heart I will continue to ask
hard questions and I will continue to
make sure that I have an open door
policy as I've always had I've been told
that I have bought more people here to
City Hall than anybody before staff said
that to me but the fact of the matter is
it's just because I feel that it is
important that those who pass in front
of this building get a good
understanding of what's Happening Here
Behind These Walls when we sit here we
do the business of the people of
chantler and every single day that we
get up and I personally get up I always
ask myself this one question what will I
do today that will make the city of
Chandler a better City for tomorrow
you're going to see the city of Chandler
as I'm a vice mayor becoming Global
because I am going global with it
I plan to go places to take the Chandler
name there not that it's not already
there but I believe that with a chamber
like the chamber that we have and Miss
Terry at the realm of it that we will be
able to do so many great things here and
then I'll be able to take so much to
other places that we would love to work
with mayor councel thank you so much for
your trust in me again allowing me to
serve you as the vice mayor of the city
of Chandler again tonight
we made history the first black woman to
be the vice mayor the first Haitian
American to be the vice mayor in this
city of Chandler of 113 years old thank
[Applause]
you before we get to council member
Harris vice mayor I have one correction
for you we've had some zoning cases that
this place has been a sea of different
colored t-shirts standing room only of
contentious issues so so we put her out
there council member Harris no thank you
so much it's been such a great honor to
serve as the vice mayor in 2024 I think
some people are like hey ain't you
supposed to be the vice mayor again well
in Chandler we do vice mayor annually so
every year we change and every year
there's a new person at the HM and I'm
so proud and so honored to have my
friend uh vice mayor Christine Ellis to
serve I'm glad to have second that
because that's a point in history for
all of us you know we're making history
I think we've talked so much about
history I just want to remind you the
three women that's here that's history
but we're the first two I believe black
people to serve together on Council and
how about this history point to have a
black vice mayor as a male then turn
around have a black the first black
woman as the vice mayor of the city of
Chandler I think these are remarkable
strives in our community it's not a
testament to something of our goodness
it's a testament of what our community
wants and guess what when the next when
is your turn next it'll be your turn but
I think that what mayor said I just want
to Echo it's what we believe in is what
we do every single day we want to make
sure our Chandler is moving forward it's
okay to have discourse discourse is good
because who would want to go to a taco
party and everyone brought t tacos that
only has meat you know so if you only
bring beef to the Taco it's to the taco
part is not going to be much of a taco
party you're going to need some bread
you're going to need some lettuce you're
going to need some Tomatoes you're going
to need some different things some
different ingredients and that's what
this console is it's a mix of
ingredients that is different and that's
what makes Chandler so great is because
we can embrace our diversities we can
embrace our differences and again um to
council member Jennifer Hawkins
congratulations um well done and
supervisor Mark as you leave we're gonna
be calling on you so Chandler plus all
your other cities you got to represent
just pick up the phone for us first
that's all I got to say thank
you CC membera thank you mayor there's
not much more I could add to any of this
stuff tonight um congratulations vice
mayor congratulations Council M Harris
and more importantly gradually he was 12
and you know we we talked about this the
other day uh a few months ago I had
asked staff to look into something that
I felt a gut feeling uh and then I
immediately got a text message to all
the three ladies up here and I said hey
we're making history we have three women
for the first time and I challenged Matt
and his staff to go back and they said
council member you're right in fact we
thought we had 16 but I called former
Jim Patterson mayor Jim Patterson and he
said nope that person was a guy
so I I appreciate the we did the due
diligence um and and like you mayor I'm
I'm proud not only to have served with
eight of the 15 women but I've known
three of them too uh it's exciting to
have being the old man up here and
understanding the experience and the and
the history of this city it's exciting
to to be up here with these three women
today and I certainly appreciate that
thank
you council member Orlando so
excited he's going to help us get the
next mayor or woman is that
[Laughter]
right yeah after after I
serve I'm gonna keep it short because I
think everybody wants to get to a
celebration tonight right this is going
to be a lot of it's been a lot of fun
tonight it's going to be a lot of fun
after this I just want to add my
congratulations to um to vice mayor
Ellis I I think it's wonderful we I've
had a wonderful time serving with you uh
council member Harris I know that hurts
a little bit with that title but you're
new you're your renewed title of council
member I'm always may I I appreciate
your support I look forward to it and
council member Hawkins my door is always
open um this is such a i everything's
going to come at you so fast I know that
every one of the council members here
are going to work as hard as we can to
assist you where we can and I want to
add that to um add my words to that as
well congratulations to all of you and
have a wonderful
evening council member
Hawkins okay no official announcements
tonight um I just want to reiterate
thank you all for being here tonight and
thank you Council congratulations again
to my counterparts I'm really looking
forward to working with you all and I
know I can learn a lot and so um yeah
I'm just looking forward to building on
our successes
thank you thank you city manager thank
you Mr Mayor members of council wanted
to Echo congratulations on behalf of
Staff uh council member Hawkins we're
delighted to have you here welcome to
the city of Chandler and uh we have
enjoyed working with you in orientation
over the last few months all of our
staff have enjoyed getting to know you
look forward to working with you in the
year ahead council member Harris thank
you again for your services vice mayor
congratulations on your reelection you
can be vice mayor ameritus maybe as your
time how about that and certainly to
council member Ellis now vice mayor
Ellis we are thrilled to have you once
again joining the council and looking
forward to working with you as vice
mayor in the year ahead thank
you with that uh concludes our meeting
thank you and uh be safe once we leave
here
[Applause]