The Apache Junction City Clerk’s office is accepting arguments supporting or opposing Proposition 442, the 2020 General Plan of the City of Apache Junction.

The arguments will be included in the publicity pamphlet that will be distributed prior to the Aug. 4 city primary election, according to a release.

The filing deadline is 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 6. The argument must be submitted electronically to cityclerks@ajcity.net.

Arguments are limited to 300 words and must be accompanied by a filing fee of $60 per argument. The filing fee constitutes sponsorship of the argument.

Each argument filed must include a sworn statement of each person sponsoring it. If the argument is sponsored by an organization, it shall contain the sworn statement of two executive officers of the organization or, if sponsored by a political committee, it shall contain the sworn statement of the committee’s chairman or treasurer.

Examples of the wording of this sworn statement are available from the city clerk. Sworn statements do not need to be notarized, the release states.

The person or persons signing the argument shall complete a separate form which must include their residence or post office address and a telephone number. This information will not appear in the publicity pamphlet.

City offices are staffed 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and closed on Fridays and holidays. For additional information, contact the City Clerk’s office at 480-982-8002.

General Plan

State law requires that municipalities with more than 2,500 residents update their respective general plan every 10 years. The City Council approved the 2010 General Plan on Sept. 7, 2010; and voters approved the 2010 General Plan at the March 8, 2011, election.

The term “general plan” describes a general, comprehensive, long-range statement of goals, and related policies to guide future growth and development within a community, according to the plan.

Download the 119-page 2020 General Plan here.

Hardcopies of the plan are available upon request. If you have any questions, please contact Sidney Urias, senior planner at 480-474-5087, according to ajcity.net/518/2020-General-Plan.

Plan elements include environmental planning --- such as conservation, natural resources and energy; parks, recreation and open space; neighborhood preservation; revitalization and housing; downtown Apache Junction --- conservation, rehabilitation and redevelopment; economic development; public safety, services and facilities; circulation; water resources; growth area; cost of development; capital improvements; land use; and intergovernmental cooperation.

The General Plan is comprehensive because it seeks to coordinate all of the interrelated systems and land uses within the City of Apache Junction. While it guides the physical development, it also deals indirectly with social and political issues. The General Plan is not intended to be a rigid or static document, nor meant to replace the zoning ordinance, the plan states.