An Argument for Hugo Tapia
contributed by Toby Duffell
THE DOCTOR IS IN
Toby Duffell, reporting on the upcoming election.
Concerned about the future of Tempe? So is Dr. Hugo Tapia, who is running for Tempe City Council. He spoke with me today about what concerns him in the city and how he hopes to address it.
Hugo Tapia is an academic. The son of immigrant farmworker parents who never spoke English, Hugo is the eleventh of twelve children born into his family. He had to learn English and went on to earn three degrees culminating with a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University. Married to Dr. Robbie Adler-Tapia, who is also a psychologist, they have two sons and a daughter and all three followed their parents calling; one is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, the second is a fifth-grade teacher, and the youngest is a Behavior Interventionist for Tempe Union High Schools. The Tapias are long-term residents of Tempe.
My first question to Dr. Tapia was, why are you running for Councilman?
Dr. Tapia: I’m concerned about what is going on in the city, and what it offers residents. When people move here, it’s because they wanted to – and decided to live here based on several factors, including the quality of life and sense of community. We need to guard those things that help define Tempe.
I next asked him about the changes proposed in the 2050 plan to allow ‘Accessory Dwelling Units’ – ADUs – that will greatly increase housing density, traffic, crowding, and all the things that a land-locked City with no room to grow cannot accommodate. Dr. Tapia, what is your position on ADUs?
Dr. Tapia: ADUs are being floated by the mayor with the rationale that they would add more living units in homeowners’ back yards, so that additional family members can move in. But that muddies the water. ADUs are rentals and there would be no restrictions to keep the new residents to those with a family connection – in fact, it would be impossible to enforce. So, what we would see instead, is growth of new properties that will add to the stock of rentals, either short-term like AirBnB with their associated turnover and dysfunction, or long-term, where new residents add a longstanding burden to the neighborhoods – roads, schools, services, and more. If we are to maintain and even grow a sense of community, we need to focus on property ownership and the stability that comes from it that you just don’t get with rentals. We need to prevent the housing stock becoming more and more one that residents will never have a chance to own. It may sound obvious, but homeownership develops community.
There’s a bigger picture that worries residents, too. It seems that the ADUs are a construction of Corey Woods and his staff and they can’t be traced back to resident input. The ADU plan is being presented for a ‘Yes-No’ vote – and we already have an example of that approach with high-density apartment project that was presented as an ‘Entertainment District’ but was voted down. Is the mayor is trying again? An insider advised that Corey Woods has his eyes on a political career outside of Tempe, and it’s thought he won’t complete a next term but will leave for a job as a political lobbyist or consultant – and he wants to point to a list of wins here to help him. So what would you differently as a Councilman?”
Dr. Tapia: “First, I’d listen. I’d take input from the residents in the community. I served on the board of Trellis Community Development in the City of Phoenix for about six years, so I know what works. But in Tempe, no-one in the city has truly asked people here what they want. Maybe our residents came to Tempe because they liked the idea of the way the city is – rightsized? Not how much it can be made more crowded, busier, noisier, with reduced green spaces, poorer air quality, a scarcer share of resources to residents, and all that goes with a city infrastructure straining under a huge extra load. And the first thing would demand of any developers is to prove to me what the benefits would be to the community they are building in.”
This speaks to the concern homeowners have – that developers generally don’t live where their projects are built. Usually, they do a job, take their money, and leave with any problems they make staying behind. This concern is deepened by the funding some of the other candidates are receiving from commercial parties with a business interest. What’s your view?
Dr. Tapia: “That’s why I won’t accept a penny from those groups! Unlike, for example, Randy Keating, with fully 60% of his campaign funding coming from developers, lobbyists, and land-use attorneys!”
What else would you do?
Dr. Tapia: The main job of the mayor and council is to ensure the safety and security of the community. And the principal way to do that is to have an effective, properly staffed and healthy Police department”. Tempe is already below the national average of Law Enforcement Officers per thousand residents for suburban areas and even further below that for high-crime areas, of which Tempe, I am sorry to say, is one. I’ve met and spoken with many of our Law Enforcement Officers, and my overwhelming impression is one of ordinary, decent people trying to do an extraordinary job. I’ve had some demanding assignments in my life, but I’d hate to be in the Police. The unfair criticism they’ve received, the attempts to discourage and defund them, and the tough, tough job they do with insufficient numbers and resources in a situation where they might not live through the day has to take its toll. So first I’d focus first on retaining and ensuring the mental health of the force we have, and adding to their numbers so they aren’t under an intolerable strain. Speaking of strain, it’s the repeated and extreme loads upon officers – called ‘cognitive load’, that blunts ordinary and decent people and can affect their whole outlook on life and work – no wonder there are so many officers leaving the force. I’d seek to make Tempe a city where Police officers would want to work. And that’s not going to be made any better by just ignoring the problem because supporting our Officers isn’t politically expedient.
What would be your key message to voters on March 12?
Dr. Tapia – “The reason I’m running for Council is so that people have a voice at the Council level. I’m a good listener – I’ve had to be, to do well in my profession. Now issues may come and go, but the source of approval for everything should come from the people who live here in Tempe and pay for what the city does. I believe the mayor and council are public servants to the community and not celebrities. I will represent the voice of the community.”
Ballots for the upcoming election will be mailed to all Tempe residents in time for the March 12 election. Dr. Hugo Tapia’s office can be reached through http://www.Tapia4Tempe.com.
Rich is discussing. 
Jim is discussing. 
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