The five candidates vying for three seats on the Florence Town Council took part in a forum last night to discuss the issues facing Florence, as well as their visions for the town’s future.
The forum was co-sponsored by the Florence Independent and the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.
With current Council Member John Anderson not running for reelection, Vice Mayor Michelle Cordes and Council Member Judy Hughes are looking to keep their seats on the council.
They face candidates Nicole Buccellato, Jose “Mo” Maldonado and Cassandra Scherm.
In jovial exchanges among the candidates, it was clear that all of them loved Florence and want to see it prosper.
When asked why she should be re-elected, Cordes said she wanted to continue to help guide the town.
“When I first ran four years ago, I came in ready to ruffle some feathers,” she said.
She added that going “behind the curtain” of town government, gave her a greater understanding of how things are done and why they must be done a certain way. She added that she still has the same determination and will continue to fight for the residents of the town.
Hughes echoed Cordes’ statement, adding that now that she has been behind the curtain, she would like to take that knowledge to keep serving the town.
A current topic of contention among many residents is the proposed increase in the primary tax levy. Council will vote on the increased levy on July 5.
The rate this current fiscal year is $1.06 per $100 of a home’s net assessed valuation. The proposed property tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year would increase to $1.0743 per $100 of a home’s net assessed valuation. This is a 2.65% increase in the primary property tax levy.
At a city council meeting, some members of the public voiced their disapproval of increasing the tax levy during a time of rising inflation.
Not surprisingly, all the candidates said they were against raising taxes, but they know something has to give to keep the town running effectively.
On June 19, the Florence Town Council unanimously approved the town’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget of almost $59.9 million, down from the current fiscal year’s budget of approximately $65.7 million.
Under the new budget, the expenditure limitation is $30.6 million, down from this fiscal year’s limit of almost $31.7 million. The remainder of the budget goes to fund voter-approved projects.
The reason for the drop in non-excludable expenditures was primarily due to the declining number of prisoners in the Arizona State Prison Complex as the state government begins to close the facility, That is bringing down the town’s population,
Scherm acknowledged that more money for infrastructure would be needed as the town grows. She agreed with the other candidates that building a larger business base that brings in property taxes as well as sales taxes would help in lowering primary property taxes.
Cordes said the town is working toward attracting more new businesses and stores to Florence. Hughes said until that happened the town would not be able to compete with the salaries offered by other towns, losing good employees throughout Florence’s government.
Recently, a Florence police officer was successfully recruited by the Queen Creek Police Department.
Maldonado said that with smaller budgets it would take longer to build various projects. He pointed to one that has been kicking around Florence for years called Territory Square. The town describes this as a “multi-faceted, multi-owner project [that] strategically crafts a variety of economic, planning, and engineering enhancements on 623 acres along the Gila River.”
The forum also included a quick town presentation to explain Proposition 459, which is asking voters to OK raising the limit of the current base adjustment so the town can spend the money it has in its coffers. For example, under the current base adjustment the town could not use the cash it had on hand to buy a new fire truck. The town was forced to borrow money to pay for the truck. Proposition 459 does not raise taxes.
Buccellato, Maldonado and Scherm asked residents to vote yes on Proposition 459. Because they are currently holding office, Cordes and Hughes were prohibited from endorsing the proposition.
The primary election is Aug. 2. The general election, if needed, will be held on Nov. 8.
Janet Perez News Editor | Queen Creek &
San Tan Valley @AzNewsmedia
Meet Janet Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.
Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.
Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science.
Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.
Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.
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