City Councilwoman Peggy Neely District 2 Inaugural Address

Mayor Rimsza, members of the City Council, revered clergy, neighbors, we observe today a celebration of freedom-as well as a new spirit of change and renewal.

For never before have we, as Americans, been so united.

We celebrate freedom like no other country in the world. We cherish our families, our multitude of faiths, our diversities and the peoples that create the backbone of our communities and neighborhoods.

And, at the most local level, our neighbors in Phoenix can celebrate a new beginning as this first newly elected city council of the new millennium begins its work.

To the mayor and my fellow council members, I look forward to making our communities safer, improving the quality of life for our families, striving to making our local businesses an economic success and building on the traditions that have made Phoenix a vital part of the diverse fabric of these United States…traditions that no one can ever take away from us.

To all the neighborhoods throughout the city, I pledge to work with you in furthering the best interests of our city. Our goal is nothing less than strengthening our unity, working to enhance our economic prosperity, building strong families and striving to bring vitality, security and stability to our neighborhoods.

To my neighbors in District Two, I look forward to an era where our precious Sonoran desert glitters alongside peaceful neighborhood streets, where businesses thrive and where the innovations of modern transportation systems connect us to the rest of the Valley with ease and efficiency, without compromising the serene quality of life that has drawn us to this unique northeastern part of the Valley.

So, let us begin this new era with hope, and faith, and a renewed optimism that will enable us to create communities that our children --and our children's children-- will forever value as a place they call "home."

I want to thank my family and all those who supported my efforts to become your Phoenix City Councilwoman.

And so my fellow citizens of Phoenix, let us move forward to build an even better community. We live in the "best run city in the world." Our challenge and our opportunity are to build upon the work of those who came before us, and resolve to leave behind a better, more vibrant community.

Let us swiftly move forward into this new era, where freedom, family, spirituality and community remind us that it is only through our faith and our willingness to work together that we become great.

My friends, it is indeed true: America-- and Phoenix-- are still open for business.