’No Kings’ protest, layoffs among 2025's top Chandler stories
Independent Newsmedia file/Jason W. Brooks
Protestors hold up signs at downtown Chandler’s version of the national “No Kings” demonstrations held across the U.S. on June 14. A preview of the second of two major “No Kings” protests held in Chandler was the top-read story on the Chandler Independent’s website this year.
An Aug. 4 Chandler City Council work session produced a consensus on what proposed rate increase plan council would send out for a public input cycle, with the hopes of making final decisions in advance of a March 2, 2026 effective date for new utility rates.
Council member O.D. Harris was out of town and wasn’t at a July 14 work session that addressed many of the same elements of utility rates covered Aug. 4. On July 14, in the informal poll Mayor Kevin Hartke takes at the end of a work session, council members deadlocked, 3-3, on which of two strategies to choose.
At the end of the Aug. 4 work session, Hartke told the council he’s directing staff to take an “across-the-board” 15% rate increase plan to the public for input in the months ahead, with no objections.
Chandler’s Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously recomended two items for approval Jan. 15 that advanced the construction plans for a Costco Business Center on the southwest corner of Alma School and Pecos roads.
The Chandler City Council later approved the two items, greenlighting the plan, after grilling staff on spacing, traffic flow and parking.
The type of Costco built on South Galleria Way, near the Chandler Fashion Center, is a Costco Wholesale. The Costco Business Center includes a 144,000-square-foot, 34-foot-tall building and a gas station on an 18.6-acre site, and has different hours than a Wholesale store, including being closed on Sundays.
Republicans who control the Arizona Legislature were looking to enact more tax cuts four years after the largest tax cut in state history.
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs says she's willing to negotiate on tax relief measures, but was not interested in signing off on one big cut passed by the Senate last week that would automatically cut income tax rates anytime the state has a “structural surplus.”
Those cuts would essentially be locked in because while cutting taxes takes only a majority vote, lawmakers must approve increases by a two-thirds vote.
The proposal, by Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, was accompanied by a companion piece of legislation that would go to the voters for approval if the House goes along with the Senate and approves it.
Chandler-area voters approved or helped approve several things in Nov. 4 special elections.
Not only did both city charter propositions easily pass, voters also easily passed four Chandler city bond questions that add up to $475 in total bonds.
Voters also approved the Chandler Unified School District’s $271.5 million bond and its 7-year override authorization in the Nov. 4 elections.
Maricopa County voters narrowly approved a measure to fund new construction of mental-health facilities, while county voters in the Sun Lakes area easily passed a fire district bond.
A national protest event held in June is set to be repeated Saturday, Oct. 18, with Chandler being in on the effort. A preview of the October protest was the top-read story on the Chandler Independent’s website this year.
As part of a nationwide day of nonviolent protest, according to a news release, the second No Kings Day of
Action took place along Arizona Avenue in downtown Chandler on Saturday mornings.
Ajlan Kurdoglu, of Chandler Gilbert Indivisible, said the protest, with a similar one planned in Phoenix and other Arizona cities, was an effort to put more fairness and increased rights into government policy.
A contentious set of proposals for a county island in the south Chandler area will result in no construction, as a developer confirmed in April that it would sell the land.
Dominium had tried to gain approvals for at least two major iterations of developments for 25 infill acres along Ocotillo Road, just east of Arizona Avenue. But a 2022 proposal for senior and regular-use apartments never even made it to a public hearing, and a 2024 Sonoran Landings senior apartments and mixed-use plan was sent back to Planning and Zoning by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Actions taken later in the year moved toward the city annexing the land, using an agreement that accounts for the land being in the Chandler water service area.
Applied Materials, Inc. announced its expansion plans Aug. 6 that include its Chandler facility — though it wasn’t clear exactly to what extent.
The semiconductor industry support manufacturer announced that it’s “working with Apple and Texas Instruments to bolster the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain in the U.S.”
Applied is supporting Apple’s partnership with TI, announcing that in addition to creating chipmaking equipment at its Austin, Texas facilities, it plans to invest more than $200 million “in Arizona to establish a state-of-the-art facility for manufacturing critical components for semiconductor equipment.”
Five educators told the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board about the same problem.
The educators, speaking during public input at the board’s April 9 meeting, said a new schedule, to be used for at least a handful of CUSD’s 32 elementary schools, has an eight-section school day that isn’t workable.
Among the problems, they said, is how little time it leaves for transitions, how little preparation time it leaves for teachers and how a rotation makes for an uneven schedule for “specials,” such as music, P.E., art and technology.
District officials never commented on the uproar, nor was it ever clarified if the schedule plan was altered or used as first presented.
Three businesses with employees in the Chandler area — represented by three companies — filed WARN notices in late April and early May with the Arizona Department of Economic Security that involve possibly more than 200 jobs lost.
Two of the layoffs are tied together. Clothing supplier Stahl’s has started layoffs at its decorating fulfillment center, shown as “DFC” on state documents. The center, which lists a West Morelos Place adddress, let go 33 employees on April 29, a state website states.
Transfer Express Inc. is a brand of Stahl’s’ that manufactures garment decoration materials and equipment. Transfer Express told the state it will be eliminating as many as 53 positions by July 3.
Tilson Technology Management Inc. is a technology and communications equipment business in wireless tech, electric vehicles and even construction. The 17-location company told the state on May 5 that it would let go as many as 117 employees from its West Allison Road facility.
A semiconductor plant in Chandler is set to downsize as it’s closing a major production line. But it isn’t clear exactly how many employees will lose their jobs.
NXP Semiconductor confirmed a Dec. 7 report by an industry analyst about the chipmaker planning to shut down at least part of its north Chandler facility, located on Alma School Road.
Earl Lum, president of EJL Wireless Research, posted a LinkedIn article stating his firm had confirmed “via our channel checks” that NXP is exiting the RF power transistor market and shutting down its 150mm GaN/SiC wafer fab in Chandler.
NXP, in response to questions from Independent Newsmedia, refused to mention any hard numbers in terms of how many employees will be let go, reassigned or other. However, the company did confirm the closure of the particular production line doesn’t necessarily mean closure of NXP’s Alma School Road plant.
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.
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