Apache Junction annexing portion of Meridian Drive maintained by Maricopa County

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

The city of Apache Junction has started the process to annex the Meridian Drive right of way on the west side of the county line from Elliot to Ray roads so it has jurisdiction over the road.

The Apache Junction City Council voted unanimously Nov. 18 on a consent agenda with other items to approve an intergovernmental agreement with Maricopa County to initiate the annexation process.

The approximately 55-foot-wide Meridian Drive right of way has historically been split between the cities of Apache Junction and Mesa, and Maricopa County, Senior Planner Nicholas Leftwich said at the council’s Nov. 4 meeting.

It is not the city’s plan to annex all of Meridian from McKellips to State Route 24. If the annexation is approved, the city would become responsible for the maintenance of Meridian Drive from Elliot to Ray, not including underground utilities; and the Apache Junction Police Department will patrol and enforce laws on that section, he said.

“Development of the road is something that is currently paid for by the developers. So when we have a new traffic light getting built or we have the entire east side of Meridian getting built as part of the Radiance subdivision, that is something that is currently all funded by the developer — they are paying for it themselves as they are the ones creating that impact,” Leftwich said. “However, the city then accepts the construction in the right of way — the road itself — and then our public works department maintains it. And that is of course an ongoing cost that is involved in this annexation and this decision.”

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.