Mesa voters in 3 districts will see council races on their ballot. What to know

Eight Mesa City Council candidates are vying to take three seats up for election this July.

Voters in District 1 will have to choose a new council member between four candidates. The four-way race is between candidates Rich Adams, Zachary Hichez, Tim Meyer and Ron Williams. If no candidate gets 50% plus one of the votes, the two highest voter-getters will move forward to a run-off election in November.

District 2, in the east-central area of the city, has two candidates vying for the seat, including incumbent Councilmember Julie Spilsbury and Melody Whetstone.

Whetstone was the only candidate who did not respond to The Arizona Republic’s questionnaire.

District 3, which includes Sloan Park and the Asian District in west Mesa, is a two-way race with incumbent Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia and Marc Lavender.

Mesa voters in each district have the chance to keep the status quo and choose candidates who have been involved with city politics for several years or choose a newcomer who could shake up the council's dynamic.

Early voting began on 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.

Arizona local elections: Read our full coverage of the Mesa council race

Mesa's District 1 City Council race

Nestled in the north-central area of Mesa, District 1 is an older and more historic area of the city. It is unique because of its agricultural roots dating back to pioneer times in the Lehi Neighborhood. Redevelopment is also a top concern for the district.

Rich Adams said he wants to be District 1’s council member to serve and ensure the city stays a place “where people can walk down the street, enjoy our great parks, and move about the city without fear.”

Adams previously served on various city boards including the Planning and Zoning Board, Economic Development Advisory Board and Falcon Area Visioning Commission among other community-related boards. He comes from a business management background.

He told The Republic his time on the Planning and Zoning Board has taught him “how to balance highest and best use with the character of neighborhoods and the rights of people living there.”

Adams received an endorsement from the Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

Hichez, 28, is a young political newcomer to the scene. He is running for council with two main priorities: increasing access to public transit and addressing the housing crisis. He’s a paramedic for a private ambulance company and is an alumnus of Mesa Community College.

He said he will not “encroach upon” the agricultural community in the north parts of the city and focus on policies that would “increase housing elsewhere.”

Meyer, 62, recently retired from Mesa where he worked as an Assistant Business Services Department Director managing staff who assisted residents with payment processing, city licensing and enforcement as well as a city call center. His first priority includes a dive into the budget to “scrutinize, reallocate and reduce” its expenditures.

He said he will work with Lehi residents to “ensure their voice is heard and their neighborhood remains the way they want it to be” as well as with other neighborhoods in the district. Residents move to an area for what it offers, Meyers said. As a council member, he said he will work to "ensure future changes are in line with their wishes."

Williams, 63, has served on various city and community boards including the 2050 General Plan Advisory Committee and the Arizona MLK Celebration Committee. He’s an Air Force veteran who served during the Gulf War era.

His top priorities include addressing housing needs, ensuring financial stability and supporting public safety.

As a 26-year resident of the Lehi neighborhood, Williams said he will “balance the priorities of the two distinct areas” of his district. Williams received a $200 donation from U.S. Rep Greg Stanton, according to campaign finance reports.

Mesa's District 2 City Council race

Voters in District 2, which encompasses the central east area of the city, will choose between incumbent city Councilmember Julie Spilsbury and newcomer Melody Whetstone.

Spilsbury, 46, was first elected to the seat in 2020. She and her husband ran a small tree care company for more than 20 years. She has received endorsements from public safety groups, the Mesa Police Association, the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police and United Mesa Fire Fighters including a $3,000 campaign donation from the group. She also received the endorsement from the Mesa Chamber of Commerce. She has also received the endorsement from Mayor John Giles.

She said one of her main priorities going into a second term is to focus on the redevelopment of the aging portion of Main Street in District 2.

“I would also like to contact property owners and see how we could partner with them to help,” she wrote in The Republic questionnaire.

In April, Spilsbury filed an election challenge against her opponent, Whetstone, demanding the courts to weigh in on a clerical error and questioned her home address as a qualification for her candidacy. The judge ruled in favor of Whetstone saying she “substantially complied” with the requirements on her petition paperwork.

Whetstone, 56, is seeking to unseat Spilsbury. She has lived in Mesa since 2009 and has worked for 15 years in the telecommunications industry, with experience ranging from land acquisition to design and construction. She has lived in Mesa since 2009.

She states on her campaign website she has seen “significant erosion of Mesa’s conservative values as well as questionable zoning and purchase decisions by the Mesa City Council.”

The city has “left its lane and ventured into areas outside the City’s Charter,” she writes on her campaign website. As an example, she wrote about her opposition to the city’s purchase of a hotel for homeless services saying it's not Mesa's responsibility to ensure homeless people have shelter. Rather, it should be on the non-profit and religious communities to address the issue, she wrote.

She is also running as a write-in candidate to be a Republican committeeman for Legislative District 10 in the Gene Autry precinct.

She’s received endorsements from Republican State Representative Barbara Parker and former city Councilmember Kevin Thompson.

Mesa's District 3 City Council race

Sitting along the western border of the city, District 3 has significant areas of the city including Sloan Park, the Asian District and the former Fiesta Mall site.

Now called Fiesta Redefined, the project will be a top priority in the future. The next council member will have a large hand in how to develop the 80-acre site.

Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia is seeking a second full-term City Council. He was appointed to the council in 2017 to replace Ryan Winkle, who was removed after his arrest for a DUI.

Heredia, 42, owns a local print shop and previously worked for civic-engagement organizations Mi Familia Vota and One Arizona and in community relations at the Maricopa County Recorder's Office. He moved to Mesa in 2015.

He said it's critical to develop the Fiesta Mall site for the area's longevity for both residents and travelers.

“Ensuring that we build a quality development that integrates the current neighborhood and places with future casting on what can make this a destination has been my feedback on this project to the developers,” he wrote in The Republic’s questionnaire.

He's received endorsements from Giles, United Mesa Fire Fighters Local 2260 and the United Food & Commercial Workers Union 99, including a $3,000 campaign donation from the group.

Lavender, 53, previously made a bid to the City Council in 2018. He moved to Mesa more than 20 years ago and lived in the Dobson Ranch Community.

He has served as a precinct committeeman for Legislative District 9 as a Republican and was selected as the precinct captain for Dobson Ranch. Professionally, he works as a mortgage broker.

Lavender’s key reason for running is because he feels” that Mesa has a spending problem as a result of a bloated municipal government.” He points to electric vehicle purchases and non-essential improvements to buildings, such as landscaping or new paint, as areas of overspending. His “first priority would be to institute a city-wide hiring freeze with the exception of front-line public safety personnel.”

For the Fiesta Redefined development, Lavender said he does not want to see high-density apartments unless it's incorporated with a “mixture of restaurants, some offices, and high-end apartment/condos, and a lot of nightlife.” He said a project like that would be a big draw for Mesa

Lavender has gotten the support from Parker as well.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mesa City Council election 2024: Meet the candidates