A primary election is Aug. 2 for candidates in Mesa City Council districts 4, 5 and 6, with terms expiring in January 2027.
Candidates filing for a seat in each district are:
District 4: Jenn Duff (incumbent), Trista Guzman Glover and Nathaniel Ross;
District 5: Alicia Goforth;
District 6: Scott Somers and Darla Trendler.
As the primary election nears, the Independent is conducting Q&As with each council candidate to get their opinion on various topics having to do with the city of Mesa. In this installment are the answers to “If elected, what are the top five priorities in your council district?”
Other installments from the Q&A series are at yourvalley.net/mesa-independent and the print edition of the Mesa Independent.
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Scott Somers
Scott Somers, 54, is a firefighter, paramedic and professor of practice. He has lived 27 years in Mesa District 6.
If elected, what are the top five priorities in your council district?: “My top priority is to ensure the shared vision we created for our district of an internationally recognized destination for those looking for a sustainable place to live, work, learn and play. We must capitalize on the momentum to create a regional employment hub with a mix of high-value jobs and signature communities. As part of that we must:
Invest in public safety: As a public safety professional, I understand firsthand the need to invest in public safety and keep response times low — particularly in growing areas. Our priority must be to determine future needs for public safety in our district and identify partnerships for innovative, cost-effective delivery.
Ensure our fair share of transportation investment: As the fastest growing district in the city, I will fight to ensure that District 6 receives its fair share when it comes to new transportation investment, road widening and intersection improvements. Our priority must be to expedite infrastructure development to relieve congestion and foster an inter-connected transportation system.
Maximize our assets: Our district is home to amazing assets such as Phoenix Mesa Gateway and ASU Polytechnic which are regional economic drivers and critical to our long-term success. Our priority should be growing Gateway to serve many destinations for leisure and business travel while connecting global markets making Mesa a hub for jobs and entrepreneurial opportunity. In addition, we should support our excellent local public, charter and private schools as well as our higher education such as ASU Polytechnic to foster innovative education and workforce development.
Serve our residents: District 6 is an amazing place to live, but there are still many amenities and services that our residents see in other communities that they would like to have closer to home. We must prioritize and work relentlessly to foster thriving commercial centers that are destinations offering unique retail, dining and entertainment. Our residents shouldn’t have to drive across town or leave Mesa to get the things they want.
Preserve our quality of life: Our quality of life is determined by a number of things including our public safety, our education, proximity to jobs and other considerations. One key factor, however, is the unique character and the vibrancy of our community. Our priority must be to preserve that character by continuing to improve the quality and aesthetic of new developments. We must also enforce design guidelines as well as engage with people to identify and address neighborhood needs.”
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Nathaniel Ross
Nathaniel Ross, 21, is a biology graduate student at ASU. He is a lifelong Mesa resident.
If elected, what are the top five priorities in your council district?:
• “Revitalizing downtown Mesa: Downtown Mesa is the heartbeat of District 4 and the city at large. Not only must we rebuild the communities and businesses impacted by the pandemic, but we should also support new business owners bringing their companies downtown to help Main Street flourish once again.
• Improving local government transparency and accountability: City government must be transparent and responsible to the people they serve. As councilman, I would refuse to vote for any more pay increases for the council and recommend policy changes to send all future council salary proposals to the voters.
• Increasing sustainability: Future generations of Mesa residents deserve the same access to clean air and water that we enjoy. Mesa has the opportunity to lead by example by increasing the availability and affordability of renewable energy resources and achieving carbon neutrality on a faster timeline. Additionally, improving the accessibility of public transportation and promoting dedicated bike lanes would help reduce pollution in our communities.
• “Addressing housing: Homeownership is part of the American dream. However, Mesa is quickly becoming an unaffordable place to live. We must promote affordable housing development to ensure working families and young people are not forced out of the city. New, inexpensive housing options also give the city more opportunities to improve conditions for people experiencing homelessness.
• “Expanding public safety: Improving relationships between law enforcement and citizens will make Mesa a better place to live. Instituting a civilian review board for public safety accountability will strengthen community buy-in and allow for safer and more positive law-enforcement interactions. Ensuring that Mesa police and fire departments have adequate funding will decrease response times in all parts of the city and increase peace of mind.”
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Alicia Goforth
Alicia Goforth, 48, works as an attorney, She has lived in Mesa for 14 years.
If elected, what are the top five priorities in your council district?: “Supporting and attracting high quality businesses which provide well-paying jobs for Mesa residents. Ensuring our local education systems continue to provide an educated and skilled workforce is central to economic growth and job creation. Streamlining the development process makes it easier for businesses to choose Mesa.
“Investing resources in areas that enable our first responders to be the most effective in their primary jobs. Acquiring new technologies and creating efficiency plans to reduce response times. Supporting and encouraging innovative solutions to manage cost without sacrificing safety.
“Continuing to balance growth and quality of life. Preserving our beautiful scenery and open spaces with low traffic and accessibility. We should be intentional and thoughtful in developing spaces that bring the public together for recreation, relaxation and entertainment. Let’s be creative with the design of these spaces; make them attractive, interesting and serve the surrounding community. Prioritize an increase to our trail system to connect these spaces, making them walkable and encouraging communities to come together.
“We are a citizen-engaged community where our residents have a voice in the function and future of our city. Let’s build on our diversity of ideas, character and culture.”
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Trista Guzman Glover
Trista Guzman Glover, 33, works as a faculty associate. She has lived in Mesa for six years.
If elected, what are the top five priorities in your council district?: “I would work for a community-centered approach to decision-making and being responsive to residents. I’ll ensure well-funded and well-equipped public safety departments to meet the district’s needs, maintain public parks in the district, look for opportunities for pocket parks in neighborhoods and create a business-friendly environment in downtown Mesa.”
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Jenn Duff
Jenn Duff, 62, is vice mayor of Mesa and a small business owner. She has lived in Mesa for 62 years.
If elected, what are the top five priorities in your council district?:
“Preserving Mesa’s history while amplifying our growing downtown: Mesa is growing and while this is exciting, it’s important that our growth is strategic and economically beneficial for all residents. Not all growth is smart growth, especially projects that endanger our long-term water security. That’s why my mission is to complete projects like our ‘Arts & Innovation District’ which will create a place where opportunity, entrepreneurship and housing choices allow for an excellent quality of life for everyone living there and benefits like free public art for all Mesa residents.
“Homelessness: We can and must do more to get people off our streets and into services that break the cycle of homelessness.
“Quality housing choices for all incomes and lifestyles.
“Workforce development and small business support as described in my economic development plan.
“Community engagement is very important to me and how I began my journey to city council. I’ll make sure the people’s voice and our community values drive development decisions and policy direction.”
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Darla Trendler
Darla Trendler, 49, is a small business owner. She has lived in Mesa for 22 years.
If elected, what are the top five priorities in your council district?: “My priorities in District 6 will be responsible growth including economic development that makes sense for our economy but also continues the great way of life we enjoy in Mesa. My other priorities include innovative solutions to meet public safety demands, prioritizing infrastructure projects like roads to keep ahead of growth, a variety of quality housing options to stay ahead of current demand and ensuring District 6 residents always feel heard.”
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
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.
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