3 candidates are running for Litchfield Park City Council's 3 open seats. What to know
Litchfield Park will see two new faces on its City Council after its summer election. It will be the city's first election under its new charter.
Three candidates will be running for three open seats. Incumbent Ron Clair will be running for his second term alongside newcomers Suzanne Allen and Andrew Fraser.
The new candidates will be the first ones to have implemented term limits under the city's new charter. Earlier this year, voters approved Litchfield Park to become the first charter city in Arizona in four decades. All candidates who were in office at the time are eligible for one more term limit if they have reached their maximum of four terms.
Clair is only in his second term, which means he will be eligible for two more.
Litchfield Park is one of the wealthier cities in Arizona: in 2022, the median household income was $117,600, compared to nearby Avondale's $76,500 and Goodyear's $97,300.
Like other West Valley cities, some of the issues facing Litchfield Park include development— such as the city's $26 million Litchfield Square — and traffic and transportation.
The Arizona Republic sent the three candidates a series of questions. Fraser and Clair didn't respond.
The campaign has been a relatively uneventful one, with none of the candidates operating active campaign websites or social media pages.
Arizona elections: Read our full coverage of the Litchfield Park council race
Early voting began July 3. Voters can check on the status of their mailed-in ballot on Maricopa County’s website at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/voter-dashboard-login. Those who choose to vote by mail are advised to mail their ballot by July 23 or drop it off at a ballot drop-off location or voting location by July 30.
Who are the Litchfield Park candidates?
Fraser and Clair have waged very low-key campaigns.
Allen, 45, was raised in the West Valley and has been a resident of Litchfield Park for over 15 years. She is a certified public accountant.
She worked for the state in the general accounting office before becoming a special agent in the FBI’s Phoenix Division, where she investigated securities and investment fraud. She operates a direct primary care practice, the Pilot Clinic, with her husband.
Allen's first priority will be getting involved in the city's development projects. She has also said that she has witnessed the growth in the West Valley over the past four decades and wants to ensure that the city can sustain the needed infrastructure to support the growth. That includes attracting businesses and also ensuring that the city has the needed water, transportation, housing, and schools to support a growing population.
Although also a newcomer, Fraser, 39, is already familiar with some of the workings of Litchfield Park. He currently serves on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission.
He works for the Maricopa Water District as the district engineer.
Incumbent Clair, 57, was appointed in 2019 and re-elected in 2020. He is currently the regional operations manager of All My Sons Moving & Storage and has worked with the company for 20 years.
Reach the reporter at ahardle@gannett.com or by phone at 480-259-8545. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @AlexandraHardle.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Litchfield Park City Council election 2024: Meet the candidates
