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Apache Junction City Council, mayoral candidates discuss projects they would like funded

Municipal musing run gamut of new vision for the community

Posted 4/28/20

 

 

 

 

 

By Richard H. Dyer

Independent Newsmedia

Safety equipment for police officers, purchasing the rodeo grounds and Prospector Park land, getting …

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Apache Junction City Council, mayoral candidates discuss projects they would like funded

Municipal musing run gamut of new vision for the community

Posted

Safety equipment for police officers, purchasing the rodeo grounds and Prospector Park land, getting rid of blight in the city and adding reliable public transportation are projects that need to be funded in Apache Junction, according to candidates for mayor and City Council.

Five Apache Junction residents have qualified to run for mayor and five others for three seats on City Council.

Running for mayor are Charles Austin, Robin Barker, Jeff Barlett, John Insalaco and Chip Wilson. Vying for council are Braden Biggs, Darryl Cross, Kelly Gremmel, Tess Nesser and Jeff Struble.

The mayor and the seats of three members of council --- Vice Mayor Wilson and Councilmembers Barker and Struble --- all who were elected in November 2016, are up for re-election. Incumbent Mayor Jeff Serdy is not running as he is seeking office on the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.

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 mayoral and council candidate seeking answers to a variety of questions, which will be detailed at yourvalley.net/apache-junction-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 City Council and why.

Council candidate Jeff Struble

Apache Junction Police Department needs safety and protective equipment, Mr. Struble, 57, said.

“I have been and will continue to push to move budgeted money from some unneeded line items to fund our police department’s safety and protective equipment budget line items,” he said.

Mr. Struble owns both Padgett Business Services and Fatmans Pizza.

He is on Facebook at Jeff Struble for Apache Junction City Council and has a website, www.letsbuildourfuture.com. He can be reached at jeff@rhinodreams.com and 480-694-5100

Council candidate Tess Nesser

A higher-education college or trade school is needed and should be funded in the City of Apache Junction, Ms. Nesser, 71, said.

“AJ desperately needs a better education system. Not only our AJUSD; but, also higher-education provided by a community college or a trade school. Larger potential employers and technology, who will pay better wages, will not consider coming to AJ unless and until we provide them with a skilled and educated work force,” she said.

“Our present community college --- Central Arizona College --- offers only limited programs in technology and very few programs where students can take all the classes required for their program on a consistent and regular schedule every semester. As to the trades, what is offered at CAC is limited,” she said.

“AJ needs a better education system to keep our residents in AJ to attend school here and a better education system that concentrates on educating and training students to prepare them for well-paying, long-term employment here in our community,” Ms. Nesser said.

She retired from the Pinal County Attorney’s Office as a unit supervisor in Florence, where she worked 1986-2010. Part-time employment includes:

  • Apache Junction Unified School District, part-time sub-para --- 2017 to present;
  • Goldfield Ghost Town Museum, --- 2019 to present;
  • Arizona Renaissance Festival entertainer --- 1999 to present; and
  • Pinal County Elections Department, as a poll worker.

Ms. Nesser is on Facebook at Tess Nesser – Apache Junction City Council. She can be reached at TessNesser-AJCityCouncil@yahoo.com and 480-540-9680.

Council candidate Kelly Gremmel

The city must be fiscally responsible with any underfunded project, Ms. Gremmel said.

“While all programs that help support our community should receive funding of some sort, I hesitate and ask, where do we draw the line? Therefore, as a member of the City Council, I would work hard to ensure the city is being fiscally responsible while disseminating any such funding,” she said.

Ms. Gremmel is a retired administrator for the City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office, a licensed real estate agent and co-owner of Successful Options.

She can be reached at kellygremmel114@gmail.com.

Council candidate Darryl Cross

The City of Apache Junction should work to purchase the land at Prospector Park and the Apache Junction Rodeo Grounds, Mr. Cross, 55, said.

“Both Prospector Park and the rodeo grounds are currently leased from the Bureau of Land Management,” he said.

“I would love to see Apache Junction continue to proceed with trying to purchase these two areas from the BLM. This would allow the city to generate additional funds by holding more events at these locations. Currently we are very limited as to what we can do at these facilities,” Mr. Cross said.

He has worked at Summit Fire Protection since August 2018 to present; and for Nu-Way Fire Protection --- 1998-2018.

He is on Facebook at Darryl Cross. He can be reached at CrossforAJcouncil@gmail.com and 602-820-9583.

Council candidate Braden Biggs

Beautifying Apache Junction to rid the city of blight is underfunded, Mr. Biggs, 27, said.

“I believe that blight/beautification is underfunded. The community talks a lot about our image and while Apache Junction has come a long way, we still have a long way to go,” he said.

“I think it is amazing to see organizations like the Community Development Corporation and others helping to beautify Apache Trail and our community, but I would also like to see us find ways to help out some of our businesses and help them bring the exteriors of their buildings into the new decade. We have a lot of history here and rather than tearing a building down to rebuild it, we should work to protect them; otherwise, we will lose our history,” Mr. Biggs said.

“We have seen some buildings begin to paint murals on them and become a form of art, I would love to see this expanded and work with our newly formed Arts Commission on bringing more art to the community in various forms. Naturally, this will beautify the city and improve its image,” he said.

Mr. Biggs is director of communications and program development at Empowerment Systems Inc., an Apache Junction non-profit organization.

He is on Twitter @BradenBiggs, Facebook @Biggs4AJCityCouncil and has a website at www.Bradenbiggs.com. He can be reached at Biggs4AJ@gmail.com and 573-586-8787.

Mayor candidate Chip Wilson

Adding infrastructure in the industrial-employment area and a city-wide study on public transportation need to be funded, Mr. Wilson, 72.

“This study and survey of the citizens of Apache Junction for public transportation and/or establishing the funding needed for the infrastructure requirements for the industrial area of our community,” he said.

“This would allow the city to promote this area to different industries to attract them to our community,” Mr. Wilson said.

He retired from Boeing as a calibration and repair of electronic test equipment technician, and retired from the military after more than 22 years of service.

He is on Facebook at Chip Wilson for City Mayor. He can be reached at walterchip@aol.com or 602 361-6135.

Mayor candidate John Insalaco

The city’s roadways need to be better maintained, Mr. Insalaco, 82, said.

“Unfunded or under-funded programs: street repair --- many streets are still in need of repair,” he said.

Mr. Insalaco retired from Insalaco’s Music and Upholstery in December 2013 after 42 years ownership and now plays in the four-piece band “Country Soul.”

He can be reached at jsinsalaco@gmail.com and 480-323-6752.

Mayor candidate Jeff Barlett

It would be easier for Apache Junction residents to seek jobs with the addition of reliable public transportation, Mr. Barlett, 24, said.

“Public transportation, because I feel that we need to make it easier for people to be able to get around easier and I feel that it would be a lot easier for people who have no reliable means of transportation to find jobs,” he said.

“I feel that this is something we as citizens need to be talking about,’ Mr. Barlett said.

He works as a call-center representative and has experience working as a correctional officer, as a semi-truck driver and has also worked in security and other occupations, he said.

Mr. Barlett is on Twitter @barlettjeff and Facebook @Barlett4Mayor2020. He can be reached at vote4jeffbarlett@gmail.com.

Mayor candidate Robin Barker

Senior services are underfunded in the City of Apache Junction, Ms. Barker, 77, said.

“One underfunded program within the city is the senior center at the Multi-generational Center. At this time, it is funded through the Parks and Recreation budget and a Health and Human Services allocation,” she said.

“The program is very important to a large segment of our population and, since the city was forced to take it over, it has had many struggles to keep up with the need. In the past, the program was supported by county funding and was able to offer rides to and from doctors, meals to the homebound and other much-needed services. Those services have now been cut back due to lack of funding,” Ms. Barker said.

“The staff of Parks and Recreation have done a wonderful job of filling in, but more funding is needed in order to keep up with maintenance and necessary services and to reinstate services that had to be cut,” she said.

Ms. Barker is a retired English teacher (21 years); and is owner of the AJ News.

She is on Facebook at Robin Barker for Mayor 2020. She can be reached at barkerr43@yahoo.com and 480-980-0880.

Mayor candidate Charles Austin

Expansion of Valley Metro transit, a larger hospital and a center for people who are homeless need to be funded in the City of Apache Junction, Mr. Austin, 58, said.

“As mayor to the City Council. I would support Valley Metro system’s expansion, with buses, with light rail future; a large hospital; and homeless community center,” he said.

Mr. Austin has worked with a lawn service, with various employment assignments; Botta’s Concrete Construction; and for D Bradshaw and other contractors.

He can be reached at ctecaustin@msn.com or 602-309-8226.