Chandler Council appoints charter advisory committee
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Rene Lopez, former Chandler City Council member and current Arizona Corporation Commissioner, was named the chair of a special resident advisory committee asked to come up with proposed changes to the city’s charter.
After taking some recent criticism for not resolving misalignments in its charter more quickly, the Chandler City Council voted unanimously to take action.
Or at least, to appoint a committee to come up with proposed actions.
Council approved an ordinance at its June 12 meeting that appoints nine people to the Charter Amendment Resident Advisory Committee.
Rene Lopez, will chair the committee. He’ll be accompanied by Pastor Brad Davis, Heather Anguiano, Ursula Gordwin, Sherida McMullan, Lisa Askey, Jim Jurnak, Jennifer Pawlik and Terry Locke.
Preliminary ordinance approval was granted by council at a special June 2 meeting. That meeting was called specifically to discuss resolving a misalignment that impacts whether the mayor or members of council can run for each others’ position in the eighth and final year of a second consecutive term.
Council voted to put a charter amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot this year that will hopefully clarify eligibility with, among other changes, adding a 16-consecutive-year council-and-mayor service limit.
In May, council decided to put a charter amendment on that same Nov. 4 ballot that would create more council discretion in how much a city manager is paid out if terminated.
Both proposed amendments were only added to the ballot after lengthy discussion and some public opposition.
A staff report about the committee appointment states that the Chandler charter serves as the foundational governing document for the city and that it outlines the structure, powers, and functions of the local government.
“Periodic review of the charter ensures it remains relevant, efficient, and reflective of the community’s needs and evolving best practices in municipal governance,” the report states.
The report states the nine Chandler residents should “have diverse experience and expertise.”
The work of the committee is entirely separate from the two charter amendments that are on this November’s ballot. The deadline for asking the Maricopa County Recorder to put items on the Nov. 4 ballot was in early June.
The committee is tasked with reviewing the existing charter — first created in 1965 — along with identifying areas for clarification or improvement and providing recommendations to council for possible referral to city voters.
In addition to terms of office and eligibility, areas the committee is likely going to examine include inconsistencies — i.e., a change was made, but a conflicting provision elsewhere in the charter conflicts or no longer applies.
There were also proposed charter amendments specifically brought to council by staff in an April 10 work session, though council decided to not pursue voter approval of those proposals in 2025. Those address publication and adoption of leases and of ordinances and residency requirements for the city manager and all department heads.
There is also likely language that’s either no longer used in government or has been made moot or outdated by technology used in modern city operations. Both Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke and City Attorney Kelly Schwab have pointed out that some charter language has remained unchanged for decades — perhaps since 1965.
Lopez, the committee chair, is a former Chandler City Council member who was elected last fall to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Brad Davis and his wife, Becky, are pastors at Desert Springs Church in Chandler. Anguiano works for Chandler Unified as a regional elementary schools director.
Gordwin is a longtime attorney who specializes in criminal defense and personal injury cases.
McMullan is a sales and marketing executive with an engineering degree who serves on the Chandler Cultural Foundation Managing Board.
Askey is the owner of RocketChics Marketing Co. and a 40-year city resident who has spoken publicly at some recent council meetings.
Jurnak is a retired, longtime Chandler resident who served on a charter review commission in the 1990s.
Pawlik is a school teacher by trade and former Arizona state representative. Locke, who’s retired, was Chandler Unified’s director of community relations for most of his 27 years with the school district.
Jason W. Brooks News Editor | Chandler Independent
Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.
Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.
Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.
Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here