Top Chandler 2024 stories: focus on local government
Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks
Christine Ellis speaks at a Chandler Chamber of Commerce event in September. Ellis’ city council race, and the bios and Q & A the Chandler Independent published ahead of the July 30 primaries, was among the top Chandler stories of 2024.
Council had some fairly routine purchase items on its agendas for its only week of public meetings in November. However, the preview included much detail about the planned Frye Road bike lanes project.
Many development stories were among the top-read Chandler items this year, and this uncommon request and council focus on a project aspect had the most views of those stories.
After some minor changes by developers, the Chandler City Council unanimously approved the preliminary development plan Sept. 12 for a restaurant and drive-thru in north Chandler.
The location will be on a 0.83-acre, undeveloped part of Cooper Park Marketplace on the northwest corner of Cooper Road and Chandler Boulevard, just east of the Walmart building.
Mayor Kevin Hartke called attorney Brennan Ray to the podium at the Sept. 9 study session to discuss pedestrian safety in the project, which is around the corner from a Chandler BASIS campus.
The “no” option on the Chandler Unified School District’s proposed $487 million bond earned 68,487 votes while the “yes” option only received 59,251 votes.
That’s about a 54-46 percentage defeat for a bond that would have paid for hundreds of items, ranging from new or updgraded sports facilities to new roofs to kitchen remodels and technology purchases.
There are about 180,000 active voters who live within CUSD election and taxation boundaries. The 84.32% voter turnout was slightly more than Maricopa County turnout for the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The board voted 4-1 to place the bond on the ballot. Board member Kurt Rohrs voted against placing it on the ballot, saying it will keep the tax burden high for district property owners.
The $290 million bond put onto a 2019 ballot passed by a 63-37% margin, though only about 46,000 voters participated in that special election.
The results didn’t really mirror political leanings voters voiced in the Chandler Unified Governing Board election, as only one “parents’ rights” candidate, Ryan Heap, was elected.
Challenger Claudia Mendoza and longtime incumbent Barb Mozdzen grabbed the other two seats up for election Nov. 5. Challenger Zeyna Pruzhanovsky, who collected the most signatures in the spring collection period and who campaigned on a ticket with Mendoza and Mozdzen, finished fifth in the race.
The Chandler Independent’s second-most read story of 2024 included short bios of six of the seven Chandler City Council candidates, including both incumbents.
Those two incumbents — Christine Ellis and O.D. Harris — each earned new 4-year terms on the council. Jennifer Hawkins won the third and final seat up for election this cycle; council member Mark Stewart finished his second and final permitted term this year.
Harris and Hawkins advanced in the July 30 primary. Ellis, because she didn’t earn enough votes in the primary per a state-mandated formula, was forced into a Nov. 5 runoff against Joseph Yang; Ellis triumphed in the runoff by a small margin.
“Ramp-up” will be one of many elements of what ADOT’s calling the Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) Loop 101 to Val Vista Drive project.
Adding lanes, drainage and rebuilding all or most of the ramps between Chandler’s main north-south freeway and on into the town of Gilbert, the project will be among the biggest freeway projects in Chandler in recent years.
The Arizona State Transportation Board awarded a nearly $200 million contract to Sundt Construction Inc. and C.S. Construction Inc., whose low bid was a joint venture.
After several weekends of full Loop 202 closures in one direction and various short-term ramp closures, the 30-month project appears to largely still be on schedule.
The work includes adding two general-purpose lanes in each direction from Loop 101 to Gilbert Road, and one general-purpose lane between Gilbert Road and Val Vista Drive, widening exit ramps from one to two lanes, adding noise walls in some locations, widening overpass bridges, reconstructing the eastbound Arizona Avenue on-ramp and bridge and replacing the Loop 202 existing asphalt.
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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