It’s not every Surprise City Council meeting that brings out a standing room only crowd.
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It’s not every Surprise City Council meeting that brings out a standing room only crowd.
Then again, not every meeting unveils three new members to the seven-person board, including a new mayor.
New Mayor Kevin Sartor took the ceremonial oath of office to start the Jan. 7 meeting, along with newcomers Earle Greenberg (District 2) and Johnny V. Melton (District 4) and the reelected Patrick Duffy (District 3).
“This is our opportunity to carry the torch of progress forward,” Sartor told the crowd during remarks after his oath. “This is our moment to work together and make decisions that will create a brighter future for Surprise.”
Sartor, Greenberg and Melton were elected to the council for the first time in late July and have waited five months to take their seats.
“It felt like it took forever,” Melton said with a laugh.
Sartor planned for his term by attending a short conference last month in Massachusetts that Bloomberg Harvard produces. Called “Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days,” Sartor was one of 25 mayors from across the country — including new mayors from Scottsdale and Mesa — who learned about formulating a plan for the first 100 days in office.
In the coming weeks, the new mayor says he plans to unveil a strategic plan that he called a “streamlined common sense roadmap for Surprise” that deals with issues such as fiscal responsibility, public safety, infrastructure and community values.
“It really goes back to that strategic thinking, identifying what you’re priorities are as mayor — things you can articulate that message to the residents, to your fellow council members and the staff to make sure we’re heading in the right direction,” Sartor said.
Sartor said he believes Surprise is ready to be a force in the West Valley.
“We’ve been primed for so long with the things that are developing,” Sartor said. “I think Surprise is really uniquely positioned to be that regional star in the West Valley with where we’re at with the 303 and Grand Avenue. I think we’re just in the position that this is our time to shine in the West Valley.”
In the senior-dominated District 2, Greenberg plans to host the same meetings in Arizona Traditions and The Grand that his predecessor Aly Cline held. Except, Greenberg, who was recently president of the board at The Grand, plans to host the meetings every other month — at least at first.
“I didn’t come into this with an agenda,” Greenberg said. “I’ll just listen to my constituents and see what they want.”
Residents in the district north of Bell Road don’t have many complaints, Greenberg said, except maybe for one.
Traffic concerns are on their minds with growth in the area around it. Zoning regulations give city leaders little recourse to slow it down.
“It’s not like we can say, ‘No, you can’t build this,’” Greenberg said.
At 67, Greenberg immediately became the oldest member of the council, which has trended younger in the past few years. In fact, he’s the only retired member on the council now.
Sartor is 42 years old. He replaces a mayor who was in his late 70s and joins a council that has a member in his early 30s and one in his late 20s. It’s part of a larger trend where Surprise’s median age has dipped to 38 in recent U.S. Census totals.
“I think the residents wanted to see leadership that reflected that and reflected, you know, what direction we wanted to go,” Sartor said.
Melton, who is 48, is taking over for the late Ken Remley, who died at 80 two days before Christmas and eight days before his term was to end.
Melton ran unopposed in the district that heavily encompasses the Original Town Site in the southeastern parts of Surprise. He wants to fight to end a $20 surcharge on water customers in the OTS, which is served by the city of El Mirage.
“Twenty bucks a month is not nothing,” Melton said. “We will see what options we have. It’s going to require cooperation with our cities.”
Melton said he will have “special affection” for the residents of the OTS, thanks to Remley’s urging.
He was very sensitive of the original square mile,” Melton said. “I’m going to look after them, make sure they know I’m representing them as well. As the city grows and expands out, they’re still with us.”
Jason Stone can be reached at jstone@iniusa.org. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
Jason Stone
Senior News Editor | Surprise
Meet Jason
Jason Stone joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2019, after a distinguished three decade media career that included stops at the Arizona Republic, iHeart Media/Clear Channel and Beckett Sports Card magazine. He remembers when airports sold newspapers.
Community: He is a big supporter of the Valley's original sports team: The Phoenix Suns.
Education: Northern Arizona University with a BS in broadcast journalism and a minor in sports coaching.
Random Fact: The capital of Nebraska is Lincoln.
Hobbies: Surfing, backgammon and men who aren't afraid to cry.
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