Scott Smith (mayor)
Encyclopedia
Scott Smith is a businessman and politician, elected as the 38th mayor of Mesa, Arizona
, in a May 20, 2008, runoff election after the March 11 primary
. He began his tenure as mayor on June 2, 2008. His previous employment includes serving as president of both Great Western Homes and K. Hovnanian Homes
. He also has extensive financial and business consulting
experience as well as a long history of involvement in community organizations.
. He was a star basketball player at Westwood High School
and graduated in 1974. He obtained a BS in accounting in 1980 from the Brigham Young University
Marriott School of Management
. He subsequently attended Arizona State University
where he obtained an MBA in 1985 and a juris doctor
ate in 1996 from the Arizona State University College of Law
. He has raised his children in Mesa.
Prior to his time in office, Smith held various professional positions. From 1988–1993 he was an accounting and finance instructor at the University of Phoenix
. He held leadership roles in home building companies: from 1994–2003 he was president of Great Western Homes, and from 2003–2007 he was a regional president for K. Hovnanian Homes. Before and during the time that he held these aforementioned positions he was active as a financial and business consultant at ExecuShare, Ltd. Smith also held a variety of quasi-public roles, such as the 2006–07 campaign chairman for the Mesa United Way and as a member of the citizens tax initiative committee.
as his campaign manager
. His first attempt at public office, Smith was the first person since 1966 to be elected Mayor of Mesa without having first served on the Mesa City Council. Incumbent, Keno Hawker was term limit
ed. In the primary election, Smith and restaurateur Rex Griswold both defeated then-current Vice Mayor Claudia Walters, who was an eight-year veteran of the Mesa City Council. Griswold had served five years on the City Council before resigning to run for Mayor. Griswold's resignation was mandatory due to the length of his unexpired council term (until 2010), while Walters in her final year was not required to resign. The unofficial primary results were Smith 16,229 (38.21%), Griswold 14,198 (33.43%) and Walters 11,890 (27.99%) with 160 write-in votes.
In the runoff election, Walters endorsed Smith, and Smith won by a 5,100:2,590 margin in Walters' city council district, according to preliminary results. He won five of the six districts, only losing Griswold's district. The preliminary election totals were 26,263:20,760. It was the first time that a candidate defeated someone who had resigned from the City Council to run for mayor in more than a generation. Al Brooks was successful in 1983 and Willie Wong was successful in 1991.
, along with Phoenix
, is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area
. It is the thirty-eighth most populous city in the United States and the third most populous city (after Tucson) in the state of Arizona according to 2007 United States Census Bureau
estimates. It is the largest of seven incorporated areas with populations of 100,000 or more (followed by Glendale
, Chandler
, Scottsdale
, Gilbert
, Tempe
and Peoria
) that surround Phoenix in its metropolitan area.
On August 6, 2008, after two months as mayor, Smith served as ceremonial driver for the first run of METRO Light Rail
, a new light rail
transit for Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe. The 20 miles (32.2 km) light rail system had its grand opening on December 27, 2008.
Economic Development has been a key aspect of Smith's administration. During his first term, two major citywide elections involving economic development opportunities were brought to the voters of Mesa. First, in March 2009, Mayor Smith led the charge for a development deal that would bring a 1,200 room Gaylord Hotel and Resort
to the Mesa Proving Grounds. Proposition 300, passed by the largest margin in the history of the city with 84% of voters approving.
In November 2011, voters in Mesa were asked to approve an incentive package that would build the Chicago Cubs
a new Spring Training facility. The Cubs, who had trained in Mesa for over 50 years, had offers to move their operations to Naples, Florida
. Taking the lead again, Mayor Smith helped Proposition 420 pass with 63% of the vote. Renderings of the planned stadium, and accompanying "Wrigleyville West" entertainment district were released prior to the election and it is expected that the stadium will be complete by the 2014 Spring Training season. In August 2011, it was reported that the Arizona State University Baseball Team
would join the Cubs and move their facilities to the new stadium upon completion instead of renovating Packard Field.
Additionally, since taking office First Solar
announced it would build a $300 million manufacturing facility in East Mesa. The facility, at buildout, will create 4,800 jobs.
Mayor Smith has pushed his H.E.A.T. initiative to focus on industries of opportunity that Mesa has had success in. H.E.A.T. is an acronym for Heathcare, Education, Aerospace and Tourism/Technology.
Mayor Smith played a significant role in the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) agreement
, which allows Mesa to lease the facility and eventually own it while maintaining its highly classified status. The AFRL site is the only such secured facility in Arizona and is one of just a handful in the United States.
In January 2011 Mayor Smith unveiled iMesa, an exciting initiative designed to invigorate Mesa through transformative community projects. Leveraging technology for civic engagement, iMesa is a grassroots improvement effort where residents submit, vote and comment on ideas that will transform the community.
Mayor Smith was elected as the Second Vice President of the United States Conference of Mayors. He will become the organization's president in 2013. He will be the first Arizona mayor to serve as president of the organization.
The Wall Street Journal, Politico and the Arizona Republic have run op ed pieces about the national debt crisis co-authored by Smith, USCM President Antonio Villaraigosa (Los Angeles) and Vice President Michael Nutter (Philadelphia). Smith has also been featured on Bloomberg TV, MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell, CNBC's Kudlow Report and in the Washington Post.
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
, in a May 20, 2008, runoff election after the March 11 primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
. He began his tenure as mayor on June 2, 2008. His previous employment includes serving as president of both Great Western Homes and K. Hovnanian Homes
Hovnanian Enterprises
Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. is a United States real estate company involved in every aspect of marketing homes, including design, construction and sales. The company works with individual detached housing as well as higher-occupancy dwellings, including townhouses, condominiums and retirement homes...
. He also has extensive financial and business consulting
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
experience as well as a long history of involvement in community organizations.
Background
Smith grew up in the Mesa area after his family moved to Mesa in 1967, when his father assumed the role of superintendent of Mesa Public SchoolsMesa Public Schools
Mesa Public Schools is the unified school district for the city of Mesa, Arizona, United States...
. He was a star basketball player at Westwood High School
Westwood High School (Mesa, Arizona)
Westwood High School is a high school in Mesa, Arizona under the jurisdiction of Mesa Public Schools.-Notable alumni:Individuals * Siaha Burley - wide receiver in the Arena Football League* Larry Owens - NBA basketball player with the Washington Wizards...
and graduated in 1974. He obtained a BS in accounting in 1980 from the Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
Marriott School of Management
Marriott School of Management
The Marriott School of Management is a business school located in Provo, Utah at Brigham Young University , a private university in the United States owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. He subsequently attended Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
where he obtained an MBA in 1985 and a juris doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
ate in 1996 from the Arizona State University College of Law
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is one of the professional graduate schools at Arizona State University, located in Tempe, Arizona. Founded in 1964, the law school has held American Bar Association accreditation since 1969. The school is currently located in , adjacent to the architecturally...
. He has raised his children in Mesa.
Prior to his time in office, Smith held various professional positions. From 1988–1993 he was an accounting and finance instructor at the University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix
The University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...
. He held leadership roles in home building companies: from 1994–2003 he was president of Great Western Homes, and from 2003–2007 he was a regional president for K. Hovnanian Homes. Before and during the time that he held these aforementioned positions he was active as a financial and business consultant at ExecuShare, Ltd. Smith also held a variety of quasi-public roles, such as the 2006–07 campaign chairman for the Mesa United Way and as a member of the citizens tax initiative committee.
Campaign
Smith launched his campaign for mayor on May 1, 2007, with former U.S. Congressman Matt SalmonMatt Salmon
Matthew James "Matt" Salmon is a former Republican Congressional Representative from Arizona. In 2002, he lost to Janet Napolitano in a highly competitive Arizona governor's race.-Early life, education, and business career:...
as his campaign manager
Campaign manager
A campaign manager is a paid or volunteer individual, whose role is to coordinate the campaign's operations such as fundraising, advertising, polling, getting out the vote , and other activities supporting the effort, directly.Apart from the candidate, they are often a campaign's most visible leader...
. His first attempt at public office, Smith was the first person since 1966 to be elected Mayor of Mesa without having first served on the Mesa City Council. Incumbent, Keno Hawker was term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
ed. In the primary election, Smith and restaurateur Rex Griswold both defeated then-current Vice Mayor Claudia Walters, who was an eight-year veteran of the Mesa City Council. Griswold had served five years on the City Council before resigning to run for Mayor. Griswold's resignation was mandatory due to the length of his unexpired council term (until 2010), while Walters in her final year was not required to resign. The unofficial primary results were Smith 16,229 (38.21%), Griswold 14,198 (33.43%) and Walters 11,890 (27.99%) with 160 write-in votes.
In the runoff election, Walters endorsed Smith, and Smith won by a 5,100:2,590 margin in Walters' city council district, according to preliminary results. He won five of the six districts, only losing Griswold's district. The preliminary election totals were 26,263:20,760. It was the first time that a candidate defeated someone who had resigned from the City Council to run for mayor in more than a generation. Al Brooks was successful in 1983 and Willie Wong was successful in 1991.
Mayoralty
Smith's term of office runs from June 2, 2008 – January 22, 2013. Mesa Mayor's can serve up to two four-year terms. Mesa, which is in Maricopa County, ArizonaMaricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, along with Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area
Phoenix Metropolitan Area
The Phoenix metropolitan area, often referred to as The Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area, centered on the city of Phoenix, that includes much of the central part of the US state of Arizona...
. It is the thirty-eighth most populous city in the United States and the third most populous city (after Tucson) in the state of Arizona according to 2007 United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
estimates. It is the largest of seven incorporated areas with populations of 100,000 or more (followed by Glendale
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, Chandler
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
, Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, Gilbert
Gilbert, Arizona
-Demographics:As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments, Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. there were 217,521 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household....
, Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
and Peoria
Peoria, Arizona
Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Located primarily in Maricopa County, it is a major suburb of Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau releases, the population of the city is 154,065. Peoria is currently the sixth largest city in Arizona for land...
) that surround Phoenix in its metropolitan area.
On August 6, 2008, after two months as mayor, Smith served as ceremonial driver for the first run of METRO Light Rail
METRO Light Rail (Phoenix)
Metro Light Rail is a 32 km light rail line operating in the U.S. state of Arizona. Part of the Valley Metro public transit system, it serves the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. Construction began in March 2005; operation started December 27, 2008...
, a new light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
transit for Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe. The 20 miles (32.2 km) light rail system had its grand opening on December 27, 2008.
Economic Development has been a key aspect of Smith's administration. During his first term, two major citywide elections involving economic development opportunities were brought to the voters of Mesa. First, in March 2009, Mayor Smith led the charge for a development deal that would bring a 1,200 room Gaylord Hotel and Resort
Gaylord Entertainment Company
The Gaylord Entertainment Company operates a number of hotel, resort, and media companies that were built by Edward Gaylord. It was previously a subsidiary of the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Publishing Company, which is owned by the Gaylord family and publishes the Daily Oklahoman newspaper...
to the Mesa Proving Grounds. Proposition 300, passed by the largest margin in the history of the city with 84% of voters approving.
In November 2011, voters in Mesa were asked to approve an incentive package that would build the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
a new Spring Training facility. The Cubs, who had trained in Mesa for over 50 years, had offers to move their operations to Naples, Florida
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
. Taking the lead again, Mayor Smith helped Proposition 420 pass with 63% of the vote. Renderings of the planned stadium, and accompanying "Wrigleyville West" entertainment district were released prior to the election and it is expected that the stadium will be complete by the 2014 Spring Training season. In August 2011, it was reported that the Arizona State University Baseball Team
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
would join the Cubs and move their facilities to the new stadium upon completion instead of renovating Packard Field.
Additionally, since taking office First Solar
First Solar
First Solar, Inc. is an American manufacturer of thin film photovoltaic modules, or solar panels, and a provider to PV power plants of supporting services that include finance, construction, maintenance and end-of-life panel recycling...
announced it would build a $300 million manufacturing facility in East Mesa. The facility, at buildout, will create 4,800 jobs.
Mayor Smith has pushed his H.E.A.T. initiative to focus on industries of opportunity that Mesa has had success in. H.E.A.T. is an acronym for Heathcare, Education, Aerospace and Tourism/Technology.
Mayor Smith played a significant role in the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) agreement
Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable aerospace warfighting technologies; planning and executing the Air Force science and...
, which allows Mesa to lease the facility and eventually own it while maintaining its highly classified status. The AFRL site is the only such secured facility in Arizona and is one of just a handful in the United States.
In January 2011 Mayor Smith unveiled iMesa, an exciting initiative designed to invigorate Mesa through transformative community projects. Leveraging technology for civic engagement, iMesa is a grassroots improvement effort where residents submit, vote and comment on ideas that will transform the community.
Mayor Smith was elected as the Second Vice President of the United States Conference of Mayors. He will become the organization's president in 2013. He will be the first Arizona mayor to serve as president of the organization.
The Wall Street Journal, Politico and the Arizona Republic have run op ed pieces about the national debt crisis co-authored by Smith, USCM President Antonio Villaraigosa (Los Angeles) and Vice President Michael Nutter (Philadelphia). Smith has also been featured on Bloomberg TV, MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell, CNBC's Kudlow Report and in the Washington Post.