Council, school board races head to the wire

Nov. 6—Candidates for Mesa's local races are competing for attention on a crowded General Election ballot that includes several high-profile state and federal races as well as four local and 10 state propositions.

Money has flowed in the battle for the lone Mesa City Council seat up for grabs Tuesday, pitting downtown District 4 incumbent Jenn Duff and challenger Trista Guzman Glover. Duff raised significantly more cash than Guzman Glover following the August primary.

Meanwhile, seven candidates are vying for two seats on the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board.

Here's a local at what's at stake locally this week.

City Council race

Duff, a small business owner elected to council in 2018, told the Tribune in a candidate questionnaire in May that her 10-year vision for her district is a "walkable, contemporary downtown that Mesans are proud of.

She envisionit "with housing choices, quality jobs, thriving local businesses and entrepreneurs, education options, multi-modal transit options and beautiful public spaces — all brought together by the arts and a commitment to sustainability."

Guzman Glover, a former constituent services director in the Arizona governor's office, said in her questionnaire, "I want to see the Council's priorities for the district/city change. I've seen the city punish the entire business community in response to one situation and not properly fund public safety. There's no way for our community to continue to thrive unless things change."

Post-primary election campaign finance reports show Duff leading the money race.

In the third quarter, Duff reported raising $19,240. In the same period, Guzman Glover's fundraising virtually ground to a halt, with the campaign reporting just $25.

In the final stretch from Oct. 1-22, Guzman Glover raised an additional $500; Duff reported another $1,600.

Duff's campaign has used her relatively robust fundraising after the primary in part to continue digital media ad buys, including a $6,000 investment after the primary. This brought her total investment in digital advertising this cycle to $14,200.

Forty-five individuals contributed $100 or more to Duff's campaign in the post-primary reporting period. Of the 10 who gave $500 or more, seven are involved in the real estate development industry.

Political action committees gave Duff's campaign $5,500 after the primary election. The largest post-primary donors were Realtors of Arizona with $2,500 and Gilbert Firefighters with $1,500. Boeing, Salt River Project and the Arizona List each gave $500.

By Sept. 30, Duff had raised a total of $54,490 this election cycle to Guzman Glover's $17,873.

Local ballot questions

Three of the four Mesa ballot questions for Mesa, have garnered vocal support from city leaders, including the public safety community.

The Citizens for a Safer Mesa PAC, chaired by United Mesa Firefighters President Scott Figgins, spent $43,568 through Sept. 30 to champion Question 1, Question 2 and Prop. 476.

The group had another $40,000 left in the coffer going into October.

Two of the ballot questions Safer Mesa is backing would protect or enhance funds for public safety projects. The third would allow direct wage and benefits discussions between the city and sworn public safety groups — a change United Mesa Firefighters advocated to put on the ballot.

Three-quarters of Safer Mesa's contributions, or $60,000, came from other Arizona public safety PACs, including $10,000 from the Mesa Police Association PAC and $60,000 from the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona.

The other 27% of Safer Mesa's funds came from businesses involved in the construction of public safety facilities like fire and police stations.

The largest donor of this group was Perlman Architects of Arizona, which gave $10,000 to Safer Mesa. Perlman's portfolio of completed projects includes over 25 fire stations in Arizona, among which are Mesa Fire Station 218 and Mesa Fire Station 219.

The next largest donation was $8,000 from CORE Construction, which has built numerous public safety facilities across the country, including the Regional 911 Dispatch Facility in Mesa.

Question 1 asks voters to approve the Home Rule option for city budget's rather than the State Expenditure Limit, which restricts the city budget based on a formula using inflation and population growth created in 1980.

Voters must vote on Home Rule every four years.

Not allowing Home Rule would require the city to slash its budget by an estimated $825 million. The city says its budget exceeds the State Expenditure Limit because the formula doesn't take into account bonds or voter approved taxes, like Mesa's Public Safety Sales Tax increase passed in 2018.

Public safety leaders and City Council members argue that without the Home Rule option, many city services could be on the chopping block.

Question 2 asks voters to approve a $157 million bond issue for public safety infrastructure, including the building or rebuilding of three fire stations, a revamp of the Police Department headquarters, renovation of a police evidence building and upgrades to the public safety training facility.

According to the financial analysis of the bond sale published by the city, the tax impact over the term of the bonds on an owner-occupied residence valued by the County Assessor at $250,000 is estimated to be $54.31 per year for 25 years.

Prop 476 would allow the city to meet, confer and sign memorandums of understanding with sworn public safety employees.

Currently, the city charter contains a prohibition on collective bargaining with employees or employee groups, and Prop 476 would exempt sworn police and firefighters groups from this ban.

Prop 477 would amend the City Charter to allow the council to set the dollar amount above which city expenditures require council approval, currently set at $25,000.

It would keep the $25,000 threshold, but allow future councils to change it via vote rather than ballot proposition. The proposition also updates the language in the procurement section of the city charter to reflect the widespread use of technology.

MPS Governing Board

Seven candidates are vying for two seats on the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board. Board President Jenny Richardson is stepping down at the end of her term, and the seat held by current member Marcie Hutchinson is up for election.

Hutchinson is running for a second term, and the other candidates are Ray Deer, Chris Hamlet, Jacob Martinez, Ed Steele, Rachel Walden and J. R. Wright.

The disruptions to schools during the pandemic put increased scrutiny on school system leadership across the country, and locally some have been inspired to get more involved in the board.

Against this backdrop, a few of the school board candidates have raised big sums for their campaigns, according to campaign finance reports. While the school board race is non-partisan, partisan groups have weighed in with endorsements of some of the school board candidates.

The candidates introduced themselves and answered questions about school safety and growing achievement at two forums available for viewing on the district's YouTube channel.

Ray Deer is a former MPS teacher at Fremont and Taylor Junior Highs and previously served as vice chair and secretary of the education board for Salt River Schools. He is running for the governing board because "I believe experience matters."

A campaign finance report for Deer could not be located on the County Elections Department website. Candidates are not required to file campaign finance reports if their donations and expenditures fall below certain thresholds — $500 for city and town candidates.

Hamlet is a former airborne medic in the U.S. Army. He is a single parent to two children who have attended MPS and said he is running because "I want to protect my son and all the children in this community from being indoctrinated."

Chris Hamlet reported raising $3,685 as of Oct. 22. Hamlet gave his campaign $1,300 early in the race. Hutchinson is a retired MPS teacher who taught American and European history in New York and Arizona for 31 years.

She said she is running for reelection because, "I believe that every student deserves a great public education in a safe and healthy school, and that every student must be engaged in meaningful, real life learning that meets their strengths and needs."

Hutchinson raised $15,650 in the third quarter for a total of $28,915 this election cycle through Oct. 22.

In the third quarter Hutchinson's top individual donors, who each contributed $500, were Cheryl Stone, of Mesa, Kathleen Paquet, of Mesa, Deborah Elliott, of Mesa, Andrea Tevlin, of San Diego, and John Tevlin, of Phoenix.

Three PACs have also helped to swell Hutchinson's campaign chest, including the Arizona List, which gave a total of $1,000, United Mesa Firefighters gave $500, and Arizona Pipe Trades gave $5,000 in early October.

Marcie Hutchinson has picked up numerous endorsements, including the mayor and entire city council except Kevin Thompson. She also has endorsements from the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Save Our Schools Arizona and the Mesa Education Association.

Jacob Martinez is an MPS graduate and Mesa native who owns a small business and studies political science at Arizona State University.

Martinez said he is running for the board "because we need to put service over anything else in Mesa and make sure that Mesa Public Schools is the premier place to be no matter what walk of life."

Martinez, the youngest of the school board candidates, has established a strong fundraising operation, raising a total of $40,040 through Oct. 22.

Jacob Martinez's top individual donors are Ian Jones of Mesa, $1,022, Erik Olsson of Paradise Valley, $1,000, Peter Culin, $730, Yvonne Martinez, of Mesa, $525, Tom Pittman of Gilbert, $500 and Roberto Reveles of Gold Canyon, $500.

PACs have also made large infusions to Martinez' campaign. Arizona Pipe Trades 469 and Future Democrats PAC each gave $5,000, and United Mesa Firefighters gave $500.

Martinez has picked up endorsements from the Mesa Education Association, the East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Save Our Schools Arizona, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, Mesa Vice Mayor Jenn Duff, council members Francisco Heredia and David Luna, and current MPS board member and East Valley NCAA President Kiana Sears.

Ed Steele is a retired manufacturing business owner who is running because "It's time for a new perspective and new problem-solving skills on this board."

Steele has so far reported raising $9,789. His top individual donors are Jim Lamon of Paradise Valley, who gave $2,000, Erik Twist and Doug Connolly, who each gave $520.51, and Cono Vertuccio, $390.25

The Freedom Club PAC contributed $1,000.

Steele's endorsements include Purple for Parents, Kari Lake, the Free Enterprise Club and the Republican Liberty Caucus.

Rachel Walden is a "Mesa mom" with work experience in finance. She said she decided to run last year because "I was really concerned about what I was seeing with the kids in my community, the learning loss that we experienced. We had so many students that were not performing at their grade level."

Walden has raised $17,402 this election cycle. Top individual donors are Jim Lamon, $2,000, Nancy Fleming, $550 and Broc Hiatt, $500. The Freedom Club PAC gave $1,000, and in October, Councilman Kevin Thompson's council campaign committee gave $6,050.

Walden has endorsements from Purple for Parents, Kari Lake, council member Kevin Thompson, the Free Enterprise Club and the Republican Liberty Caucus.

J.R. Wright, a Mesa business owner and father of seven kids in or graduated from MPS, said he is running because "I had an amazing experience in the public school system that shaped my life" and serving on the board would be a "great way to give public service and to make Mesa Public Schools the best that they can be."

Wright has raised a total of $24,625. Top individual donors include Beth Coons of Mesa, $3,000, Dale Huish of Gilbert, $1,000, Wayne Syrek of Mesa, $1,000, Rick Warren of Mesa, $1,000, Spence Arnett of Mesa, $1,000, and Rick Biederbeck of Mesa, $800.

Wright has used the relatively robust fundraising on digital ads and $8,000 for mailers, among other expenditures.

Wright has picked up a slew of endorsements, including current board president Richardson, Mesa Mayor John Giles, and Mesa council members Mark Freeman and Julie Spilsbury.