Our View: Smith emerges as leader for Mesa

New Mesa Mayor Scott Smith took a dismal study of Mesa’s economic conditions and turned it into a rallying point for transforming the city from a bedroom community to a future employment powerhouse.

Lack of economic base hurting Mesa, Mayor says

The mayor refused to be bowed by a dreadful economy and a study commissioned by the Mesa Chamber of Commerce that put Mesa at near the bottom among Valley cities in a number of economic indicators, including household income, educational levels and employment opportunities.

The mayor’s comments and the study were presented Wednesday. The study was conducted by Arizona State University’s Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness.

Smith said he is often asked, “What is wrong with Mesa’s being a bedroom community?”

His answer is that “bedroom communities die. They are not sustainable.”

“The sad truth is many of our children are not coming back to Mesa,” Smith said. That’s because Mesa does not have well-paying jobs for them.

Smith and other speakers emphasized that with rising gas prices, the work force will move to cities in which there are jobs to save on commute costs.

“We have a brain drain,” Smith said. “We have to stop that.”

After establishing the importance of Mesa’s moving beyond bedroom community status.

Smith sounded very much like the leader many have longed for by declaring, “We are at the point of opportunity.”

He cited a growing list of assets, including the Falcon Field area and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport area. In addition, he sees the opening of the final leg of the Loop 202 in mid-July as a critical factor in Mesa’s future development.

He later explained that business investment decisions are often made in Scottsdale, and Scottsdale business leaders are discovering Falcon Field. Completion of the final freeway segment will even further open access to and investment opportunity for Gateway in southeast Mesa, he said.

Mesa has been the “cul de sac of economic development,” Smith said.

“Now we are the next boom town,” he continued, citing undeveloped commercial and industrial real estate.

While clearly establishing his commitment to economic development, Smith distanced himself from quick fixes and government incentives. You can’t force economic development, he said, with a nod to giving free market forces the time to work.

During the mayor’s race, Smith often seemed vague and uncertain about his priorities and the issues. But his assessment on Tuesday of the challenges facing Mesa’s economy and the opportunities was the stuff of strong leadership.

And just as important, he did a better job of shaping a message that is so critical to giving business development decision makers confidence in Mesa.