Mayor Kate Gallego

In her State of the City Address, Mayor Kate Gallego said the city’s strategic efforts to invest in the bioscience and semiconductor industries are yielding significant economic gains for the region, highlighting how Phoenix is creating more economic opportunities and improving the lives of those living in Arizona. Now in her eighth year as Mayor, she pointed to Phoenix joining Seattle, San Jose, and San Francisco as the top four U.S. cities for per capita GDP growth rates from 2022 to 2024, and ranking fourth for attracting new corporate headquarters.

Mayor Gallego highlighted major investments driving that progress, including Phoenix’s $50 million investment to support the new ASU Health building on the Phoenix Biomedical Core, noting that ASU’s approach to combine medical and engineering educations will fundamentally transform how health care works and has the promise to significantly improve health outcomes in the community. She also announced the creation of the Phoenix Quantum Strategy to position the city and region as a leader in emerging technologies, and emphasized continued support for TSMC’s $165 billion investment, which is spurring suppliers and other companies to choose Phoenix and bringing hundreds of quality jobs to the region.

The Mayor also highlighted the city’s work to secure its long-term water supply and support residents, including advancing water purification facilities that will provide a combined 14,000 acre-feet of water each year, enough to serve 40,000 families, and a larger regional facility that will ultimately serve hundreds of thousands of households. She emphasized continued investment in affordable housing, noting the creation of the Phoenix Housing Trust Fund, which will reach $15 million and help cover permit costs, making it easier for affordable housing to come to market. Together, these efforts show the city is committed to delivering results for residents while growing responsibly and sustainably.

Watch the Mayor’s full remarks here.