Glendale mayor looks forward to hosting second Super Bowl while in office

PHOENIX — As the world gears up for the Super Bowl on Sunday, Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers is thrilled to be hosting the big game for the second time while in office. 

“Bottom line, yeah, there’s stuff going on over in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Mesa, but we got the game in our town,” Weiers told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Friday.

“That’s right, and everybody wants to be here on Sunday.”

Weiers, who has been Glendale’s mayor since 2013, said he has been able to worry less the second time around the city is hosting the game.

“The first one I got to do all the worrying and I really didn’t have much time to enjoy what was happening,” Weiers said.

“This time, I literally have had a chance to understand more of all the behind the scenes stuff.”

For the mayor, one of the many highlights of the game is the impact it has on nearby cities.

“The best part about that is not only my city, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe, but virtually every town, every village, every city in Arizona will benefit from that state-shared revenue,” he said.

Weiers, along with economic experts, anticipates more than $1 billion in state-local revenue from the event.

Outside of the Super Bowl, Weiers said the city has a “hometown feeling” that visitors should see.

“We’re not a hickville anymore. That’s how we’ve been portrayed for years,” he said. “The last decade or so the city has grown into its own. We’re a population pushing 260,000 people.”

Weiers was in attendance at the last Super Bowl held in Glendale in 2015.

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