Inaugural Speech

City Councilman Michael Johnson
District 8 Inaugural Address

Photo of Vice Mayor Johnson giving his inaugural address Jan. 3, 2006

Thank you so much. I feel honored, humbled and blessed to be here today. When I was a little boy, I never dreamed that one day I’d have the great honor of serving the people of Phoenix on the City Council. Taking my second oath of office is a true privilege. I very much look forward to working with and serving the great people of Phoenix for four more years.

I’m especially proud that so many members of my family could be here today. The values I learned growing up – the importance of faith, family, honesty and responsibility – have guided me here today. It’s my family that has made sure I’ve stayed true to those values for the last four years and will stay true to them for the next four. I thank you all for your support and your patience. I wouldn’t be standing here today without your help.

I’m excited and optimistic about our next four years. We’re going to keep working together with neighbors and neighborhoods to make our streets safer and our local communities healthier. We’re going to keep attacking crime at its source, putting more police officers where we need them and strengthening our neighborhoods. We’re going to keep encouraging more and better business development in District 8. We’re going to keep expanding the economic and educational opportunities for our residents.

We’re going to keep working together to make downtown Phoenix the vibrant economic engine it can be and should be.

We’re going to keep working together to make sure we pass our bond election and bring an exciting ASU campus to downtown Phoenix and keep expanding our thriving biotech hub.

We’re going to keep working together – that’s the key. No matter what else happens, we’re going to keep working together, bringing more people to the decision-making table and making sure their voices are heard. That might be the most valuable lesson I’ve learned in four years on the Council – the people in Phoenix want to get involved and they are ready to roll up their sleeves and go to work if we’ll just give them the chance.

Even though we have faced some stiff challenges we’ve made great progress. I know the people of District 8 and the rest of Phoenix will make sure we keep moving forward, keep making progress and keep getting things done.

And we’re going to do it together. Thank you very much.

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