Name: Terry Roe
Age: 59
Educational Background: Mesa Community College & University of Phoenix – 65 Credits
Current employer/job: Retired Mesa Police Sergeant – City of Chandler Councilmember
Immediate Family (spouse’s name/number of children): Married to my high school Sweetheart Cheryl – We have two wonderful Children; Paul and Katie – 3 Grandchildren, Allison, Annabeth, and Camden
Year you moved to Chandler: 1988
Last book read: The Summons – John Grisham
Most favorite annual event in Chandler: Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade
Most favorite spot in Chandler: Veterans Oasis Park – 4050 E Chandler Heights Rd.
PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW IN 100 WORDS OR LESS.
Why are you running for or seeking another term on City Council?
It has been a great honor to serve on the council and if re-elected I’m looking forward to a 2nd and final term. I would like to use my twenty years of police service and the experience I’ve gained on council to help Chandler as it continues moving forward. Cheryl and I love Chandler; we raised our children here, and I want to spend the next four years honoring those who served before me. I want to contribute.
Briefly explain your three most significant accomplishments.
I am an ardent supporter of our public safety professionals. During my term on council Chandler has added two new fire stations giving us excellent citywide emergency services. Our police department has also benefitted adding a multi-million dollar training facility, SWAT facility, and a Crimes Against Families facility renovation.
Over the past three and a half years the mayor and council voted unanimously to hire three key individuals. As a council member I played a role in the hiring of our number crunching City Manager Marsha Reed, A tough and experienced city prosecutor Kelly Schwab, and a skilled and meticulous city clerk Dana DeLong. A mayor and council working together with a willingness to professionally settle their differences is good for Chandler. It shows collaboration; it shows stability.
As an ex-officio board member of the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership I have been a consistent advocate for our downtown. I have supported several exciting new projects and pushed for two new parking structures on the west side of Arizona Avenue that is scheduled to be in place before the end of 2019.
What initiative do you most regret not getting done and why didn’t it?
Throughout the city I would like department heads to adopt innovative ways to improve staffing. Job sharing or creating opportunities for people to work as little as twenty-four hours a week has the potential to be a big win for Chandler. There is a considerable pool of talented retired professionals and hard working single parents in our community that are waiting to bring their expertise back into the work force. Changes of this sort take time. I will continue working with our city manager to move this idea forward in a manner that makes sense for all of Chandler.
What is the biggest challenge facing Chandler over the next five years?
There is a great deal of excitement surrounding all of the businesses choosing to make Chandler their home. New jobs and new residents will require expanded services and infrastructure. Fortunately a number of our capital improvements have been designed to accommodate growth. Of course, the best planning can still be sidetracked by a downturn in the economy. In order to prepare for unforeseen circumstances or a hiccup in the economy Chandler has set aside impressive contingency funds. These precious dollars will be there to help the city work its way through troubled times while minimizing the impact on city services and our valued employees.
What are your three primary goals if you are elected?
Perhaps the single most important requirement for any great community is quality public safety. I will continue to be a strong voice for excellent police staffing. Throughout the state of Arizona sworn officers are retiring and competition for their replacements will inevitably create a shortage of potential new hires. Hiring the right people with the talent and desire to do the job takes time. I want Chandler to be ahead of the curve.
I plan to continue my support of Chandler’s non-profit community. Organizations like AZCEND, Matthew’s Crossing, ICAN, Boys & Girls Clubs, Fans Across America, and The Salvation Army make a huge difference in our community. They do great work and they deserve our support.
I would like to see big changes in our senior center. Currently there is a needs assessment being conducted to provide recommendations on expanding our current facility located in downtown Chandler. The current facility provides so many excellent services but as our senior population grows an expanded facility or a second facility in another part of the city could be a real benefit.
How can Chandler best sustain the high quality of life it currently enjoys?
Chandler’s business community and our citizens expect safety and stability. In order to achieve that there are a few things we must get right. We must continue to have quality police and fire services, great schools, a good supply of water, and well-maintained streets. It’s also important that Chandler demand quality development, and provide great public spaces including our parks, and museums. In order to make all of these things possible we will have to control government spending. Chandler’s mayor and council get it. This year we voted unanimously to approve a budget for 2018-19 that is
6% less than this past year. Controlled spending while maintaining our AAA bond rating should give us all a reason to be proud.
