A group called the San Tan Valley Advisory Council will be holding an educational session to provide area residents with information about the proposed incorporation effort.

In a press release, the council announced that the session was in “response to the grass roots effort currently underway by a nonprofit organization, STV Inc. 2024, to get the incorporation question on the ballot in 2024 for the residents of San Tan Valley.”

STV Inc. 2024 is trying to place the question of incorporation on the Nov. 7, 2024, ballot. On April 12, STV Inc. 2024 finished the first phase of its efforts when it filed a notice of intention to seek incorporation with the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.

The San Tan Valley Advisory Council has enlisted representatives from various Arizona governmental entities to provide information regarding incorporation. The scheduled panelists are state Rep. Neal Carter, Director of Arizona League of Towns and Cities Tom Belshe, former Gilbert Mayor Jenn Daniels, and Pinal County Deputy Manager Himanshu Patel.

“The individuals on the panel will be able to provide information and insights that will be beneficial to the San Tan Valley residents in coming to their own conclusions on incorporation,” Jeanne Stockton, chair of San Tan Valley Advisory Council, stated in a press release. “Among other items, the panelists will be able to explain how a community becomes a municipality, what funding is provided by the state of Arizona to offset the cost of providing required services, what additional funds are available from other government entities, and what role Pinal County can play when transitioning services from a county support model to a municipality.

“These are the people we want to garner information from, not the rumor mills, so we can all make an informed decision at the polls when the time comes.”

The council plans to air the session on Facebook Live and on YouTube for those who are unable to attend in person. Links to the meeting will be provided at a later date.

In its press release, the San Tan Valley Advisory Council stated that the council “remains neutral on incorporation but feels that it is important the residents are armed with facts before they go to the polls.”

The session is set for 6:30-8:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 17 at Central Arizona College’s San Tan Campus, 3736 E. Bella Vista Road.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.