Tempe City Hall
By James Brown Jr. | The State Press
For the first time in nearly 40 years, Tempe City Council candidates were unable to address community questions in person. Instead, the proposed extension of the streetcar, various urban development plans and other topics needed to be discussed virtually.
Six of seven candidates running for three open seats on Tempe City Council attended the forum over Zoom. Victor Linoff, a local historian who hosted the event, said the decision to move to Zoom was made by the sponsors, out of an abundance of caution after a candidate tested positive for COVID-19. The Arizona Republic and the Tempe Chamber of Commerce hosted the event Wednesday.
Candidates Gina Kash, Arlene Chin, Jennifer Adams, John Skelton, Harper Lines and Casey Clowes all attended over Zoom. The seventh candidate, Berdetta Hodge, provided a statement as she was needed at the Tempe Union High School District board meeting and was unable to attend.
During her introduction, Adams, who is on Tempe City Council and is running for reelection, apologized in advance if her performance was impacted by any “brain fog” that she was experiencing from “active COVID.”
“So if I don’t make sense, I apologize, but I will try to make sense,” Adams said.
The Tempe streetcar was a big topic of discussion during the meeting, with all candidates in support of the expansion. The streetcar, an extension of the light rail system, is expected to begin service early this year.
