By Richard Dyer
Twitter: @RHDyer

Constructing a multi-generational center, increasing residents’ safety and building more roadways are a few of the ideas Queen Creek Town Council candidates have for unfunded or under-funded programs.

Queen Creek residents Leah Martineau, Jason Gad, Jeff Brown, Jeremy Benson and Robin Benning have filed petitions to run for Town Council.

The seats of three members of council --- Mr. Benning, Mr. Brown and Councilmember Jake Hoffman --- all who were elected in 2016, are up for re-election. Mr. Hoffman is not running as he is seeking office at the Arizona House of Representatives.

The deadline to register to vote in the Aug. 4 primary election is July 6. If needed, the general election will be Nov. 3.

Independent Newsmedia reached out to each council candidate seeking answers to a variety of questions, which will be detailed at yourvalley.net/queen-creek-independent in the coming weeks. Below are their answers on naming one unfunded or under-funded program or project he or she would promote as a member of the Town Council and why:

Council candidate Leah Martineau

Instead of coming up with additional items to be funded, the town should stop wasteful spending, Ms. Martineau, 38, said.

“I disagree with the premise of the question. I would instead suggest that as a Town Council we need to restructure our spending priorities to focus on the most important functions of our town like public safety, debt repayment and meeting our full pension obligations to ensure that these critical priorities are funded first,” she said.

“If elected, I will fight to find ways to re-prioritize our spending and stop wasteful spending, so that we can eliminate the additional property tax and sales taxes that Queen Creek citizens pay to the town. To be fair, the current council over the last three years has done a great job moving towards better spending priorities, but there is more work to be done and I will work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish this goal,” Ms. Martineau said.

She teaches 11th and 12th grade government and economics at East Valley High School. She previously taught preschool, kindergarten and first grade for 13 years combined.

She is on Facebook at Leah Martineau for Town Council and has a website at leahmartineau.com. She can be reached at voteleahmartineau@gmail.com and 480-343-1489.

Council candidate Jason Gad

The town’s transportation infrastructure needs to be upgraded to keep up with the area’s population growth, Mr. Gad, 46, said.

“Through my recent discussions with literally hundreds and hundreds of our Queen Creek neighbors and residents, absolutely the No. 1 concern I have heard and I share is the fact that our infrastructure --- specifically our roads and our intersections --- is falling behind compared with the rapid population growth we are seeing in Queen Creek and our surrounding neighbors such as San Tan Valley,” he said.

“One of my key campaign issues --- responsible and smart economic growth and development --- calls for us to look for ways to accelerate our transportation development, look for ways to increase focus and funding in this area to better meet the needs of our residents now and into the future,” Mr. Gad said. He works as a strategic supply chain manager in the financial services industry.

Mr. Gad is on Twitter @jason_gad, on Facebook @jasongadqc and has a website at votejasongad.com. He can be reached at jasongadforqc@gmail.com and 623-217-7697.

Council candidate Jeff Brown

Constructing a multi-generational center in the Town of Queen Creek is one unfunded project residents have asked for, Mr. Brown, 53, said.

“The residents’ tax dollars are very much to be protected from my viewpoint and they are of course finite. Keeping that in mind, I don’t constantly seek out new ways to spend more of their money,” he said.

“That said, residents ask me frequently for additional parks and recreation programs and facilities --- most frequently and specifically a ‘multi-generational’ facility and more developed park land,” Mr. Brown said.

“My response has been that if they’ll let the town get a bit further ahead on roads and transportation projects, we can then move some of those same dollars we were historically using for roads onto the more fun stuff like additional developed park land and a multi-gen facility. People I’ve spoken with have largely supported that approach,” he said.

Mr. Brown is self-employed in consultant services --- since 2007.

He is on Twitter @JeffBrownQC, on Facebook @JBQCTownCouncil and has a website at https://www.friendsofjeffbrown.com. He can be reached at jbforqc@gmail.com and 480-442-8127.

Council candidate Jeremy Benson

The Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce should be supported by the town, Mr. Benson, 37, said.

“As a small-business owner I think the chamber of commerce could use more support from the town,” he said.

“I am a champion of small business and entrepreneurship. Someone willing to take a chance on themselves should be supported in their endeavors,” Mr. Benson said.

He owns iFixem Phone Repairs in Queen Creek Marketplace; and Light Your Garage.

Mr. Benson is on Facebook @VoteForBenson and has a website at www.VoteJeremyBenson.com. He can be reached at jbensonpro@gmail.com and 480-619-0600.

Council candidate Robin Benning

For Mr. Benning, 60, public safety is the top area he would fund in Queen Creek.

“The center of my platform is ensuring adequate funding is available for public safety including police, fire and emergency medical response. The funding for public safety must always be the first and most important budgetary line item for our town,” he said.

“Other areas are important such as transportation and public works however safety must always be the priority for our council,” Mr. Benning said.

He is on Twitter @RobinBenningQC and on Facebook @ReelectRobin.

Mr. Benning can be reached at bennarch@msn.com or 602-762-1496.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley
@RHDyer

rdyer@iniusa.org

Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia, Inc.. USA, since 1987. 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. He also is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows