City Mayor of Phoenix

Mayor Phil Gordon

Phil Gordon was elected Mayor on September 9, 2003 with 72% of the votes and was re-elected in September 2007 with 77% of the votes. In 2008, he was named the Best Mayor in North America by an international think tank located in London.

Gordon attended the University of Arizona and graduated with a bachelor's degree in education. After earning his undergraduate degree, he entered Arizona State University School of Law and graduated cum laude.

Gordon has worn many professional hats. He taught school, owned his own business, served on the Madison Elementary School Board and was chairman of Landiscor, an aerial photography company. Before serving in elected office, Gordon was a leader in the movement to revitalize, preserve and redevelop central Phoenix.

In 1996, after serving as chief of staff for Mayor Skip Rimsza, Gordon's interest in Phoenix became his incentive to seek public office. Pledging to fight crime and preserve neighborhoods, he entered the race for Phoenix City Council and was elected in 1997 and 2000.

While councilman, Gordon spearheaded Shannon's Law, making it a felony to randomly discharge a firearm within city limits. He also co-founded and chaired the Slumlord Task Force, which produced legislation to aid in the fight against neglectful and criminal landlords.

As Mayor, Gordon lists his three priorities for the city as: Public Safety, Education and Jobs. He has already chalked up a tremendous record. Phoenix invests more than 60 percent of its budget in public safety. A new crime lab is open and new precincts were built. In education, a downtown Phoenixcampus is a second home to both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. Additionally, Phoenix has invested in small high schools to prepare students for immediate careers in specific areas such as public safety and nursing, as well as the creation of the Green Phoenix Learning Center, a charter high school and adult learning center focused on green jobs of the future. Furthermore, Phoenix is the home of the Translational Genomics Research Institute and the state of the art Chase Field and US Airways Center.

In 2009, the Mayor unveiled his 17-point Green Phoenix plan to make Phoenix the first carbon-neutral city in the United States which already has the endorsement of the Secretary of Energy.

Mayor Gordon has also built a stronger international presence for global opportunities in business and investment. His goal is to build economic bridges internationally. Recent business trips include Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Canada and Mexico. Periodically the Mayor meets with many business delegations visiting Phoenix from around the world.

When you add those accomplishments to a new light rail system, a new downtown hotel, tripling in size of the Phoenix Convention Center, a $950 million project in the heart of downtown known as City Scape and the passage of an $878 million bond program, you can see why Phoenix was dubbed “A 21st Century City” in 2008 and in 2009 named an All America City.

Mayor's Office

Address: 200 W. Washington St., 11th floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Tel: (602) 262-7111
Fax: (602) 495-5583
TTY: (602) 534-5500
Email: mayor.gordon@phoenix.gov