Councilmember Joe Pizzillo sworn in as mayor of Goodyear

By Madeline Ackley
Twitter: @Mkayackley

Councilmember Joe Pizzillo was sworn in as mayor of Goodyear Friday following a unanimous vote from fellow city council members. 

Pizzillo, who was first elected in 2009, is the council’s most senior member. He will serve out the term left vacant by Mayor Georgia Lord, who died Dec. 12. 

“I want to thank this council for the support…I appreciate it. I will do my best,” Pizzillo said choking back tears before ending the meeting. 

Pizzillo planned to run for mayor in the city’s next election in August 2022.

Councilmember Wally Campbell spoke strongly in favor of Pizzillo serving out the term, which ends in December 2022. 

Campbell said when she visited Lord in her final days, they spoke of the possibility of a vacancy on the council.

She said Lord was adamant that her position be filled as soon as possible, concerned the council would be brought to a standstill, as it was in 2010, when Jim Cavanaugh abruptly resigned as mayor mid-term. 

Lord resigned her spot on the council to run for mayor, and she was seated in 2011 to serve the remainder of Cavanaugh’s term. She was the mayor of Goodyear until her death.

“She never wanted the city to ever have to go through that again,” Campbell said at a Friday meeting, held to appoint the new mayor from the Goodyear council. 

“Whenever there was a vacancy, she wanted someone appointed immediately to carry on the business of the city,” she said. 

“I ask the council to please support Joe Pizzillo…this is Mayor Lord’s wishes.”  

One resident, Jim Kelly, identified himself as a friend of Vice Mayor Brannon Hampton and spoke in support of Hampton being named mayor. 

“Vice mayor Hampton has a big heart for the city, and I believe he is a strong representation of the residents of Goodyear,” adding that Hampton “understands the changing dynamics of our growing city.”

Vice Mayor Hampton assumed the role of acting mayor in the week following Lord’s death. The role of vice mayor rotates on the Goodyear City Council approximately every two years.   

Several council members, including Pizzillo, thanked Vice Mayor Hampton for taking on the role as acting mayor immediately following Lord’s death. 

“Unfortunately, you happen to pick up in a very unhappy time,” Councilmember Sheri Lauritano told Hampton, whom she commended for the job he’d done in his short time as acting mayor. 

Lauritano was also in favor of appointing Pizzillo mayor, and recalled the upheaval that took place on the council in 2010 following  Cavanaugh’s departure. 

“I was part of that council. It was very acrimonious for periods. It was very destructive for periods,” she said. 

Pizzillo, who was vice mayor at the time, took over the role as acting mayor from November 2010 until March 2011 until Lord began her duties as mayor.

“Joe did an absolutely excellent job stepping in for the mayor for that period of time,” Lauritano said. 

“Councilmember Pizzillo, I support you taking over for Georgia. I wish it was in better circumstances…but the Lord had other plans I guess,” she said.

The special meeting lasted around 15 minutes.

Madeline Ackley can be reached at mackley@iniusa.org or found on Twitter @Mkayackley.