TEMPE, Ariz. — The first African American to serve as mayor of the city of Tempe will take the oath of office on Thursday night during a virtual ceremony due to coronavirus.
Mayor-Elect Corey Woods, will be sworn in along with first-time City Councilmember Doreen Garlid and re-elected Councilmembers Randy Keating and Joel Navarro will take the oath of office at 6 p.m.
Woods had served on the Tempe City Council for eight years before 2016, including time as the city's vice mayor.
He decided the time was right to return to the city government to bring some new ideas.
The Tempe City Council also has another "first" after the March election. Garlid became the first Native American elected to the city council.
“Our residents are very forward-thinking, and they really do want a diverse council. I think that’s what we got. I think we’re going to work really well together,” said Woods after the election.
Woods recently tested positive for coronavirus he wrote in a Facebook post this week. He said he is home recovering and is in quarantine.
Those taking the oath of office were elected to four-year terms in the city’s election on March 10.
The ceremony can be watched live on Tempe 11 (on Cox or Century Link) or streamed at tempe.gov/tempe11.
