Mesa voters in November aimed to improve quality of life by approving two bond measures totaling $260 million for projects including road improvements, two new aquatic centers and a modernized 911 communications center. will be asked if they would like to pay more taxes.
Voters in City Council District 1 will then choose the city’s next mayor while deciding the two winners of a four-way primary.
These questions are just some of the decisions awaiting voters as early votes for the Nov. 5 general election begin arriving in Mesa mailboxes later this week. Ballots will be mailed to applicants on Wednesday, October 9th.
You must register to vote by Monday, October 7th, and those who are registered must request a mail-in ballot by October 25th. For more information, visit elections.maricopa.gov.
City Plaza and the Mesa Central Library will not be available as drop boxes or voting locations this year, Mesa said. Voters can find out where they can drop off their ballots or vote in person on the county elections website.
Together, the two municipal bonds will fund 12 projects. $90 million of that would go to public safety and $170 million to recreational, educational and cultural facilities.
General obligation bond debt is paid off with secondary property taxes. The city estimates the bond would cost the owner of a home valued at $177,213 about $49 a year.
The largest public safety bond request is $54 million for the city’s emergency 911 center. The proposed project includes upgrading the center to next-generation 911, which will allow the public to share more detailed data with the 911 call center, including video, images and text.
The bond will also fund a new fire station to improve response times and allow the department to replace and add trucks and equipment. The city will also be able to expand its fiber network and make streets, streets and intersections safer for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.
In the Parks, Recreation and Culture package, the largest projects are a $66 million new indoor recreation center in downtown Mesa, $67.2 million for two new aquatic facilities, and a $20 million renovation of the Museum of Ideas.
The city also included funds in the bond to build pickleball courts at four city parks: Evergreen, Rancho Del Mar, Countryside, and Skyline.
Possible bond funding includes renovations to the park’s playground, expansion of the Northeast Regional Trail System and upgrades to downtown’s historic Shireen House, operated by the Arizona Museum of Natural History.
Voters will also be asked to approve two other ballot measures: Permanent Base Adjustment and the 2050 Comprehensive Plan.
If approved by voters, the public safety bonds will be used to:
(Mesa City)
The adjustment asks voters to approve a $148 million increase in Mesa’s spending limit. The base limit is a formula based on spending in 1979-1980.
The city says the adjustment will not increase taxes and prevent Mesa from spending more than it takes in revenue. If anything, Mesa said, the approval will allow the city to better predict and plan future funding for important city functions such as public safety.
The General Plan, the blueprint for Mesa development, is created with stakeholder and public input and updated every 10 years as required by the state.
The space shared between the front and back of the two-page ballot is for the Mesa mayoral and District 1 council seat elections. This year’s voting is one of the longest in recent history and includes presidential, federal and state races and proposals, according to Maricopa County Elections.
The November mayoral race will pit City Councilman Mark Freeman and former Mesa Mayor Scott Smith vying to replace John Giles, whose term has expired. (See related article on page 3). They were the top two vote-getters in the primary election.
Voters in northwest Mesa will choose between Rich Adams and Ron Williams to fill the District 1 council seat vacated by Freeman when his term expired.
Incumbents in Wards 2 and 3, Julie Spilsbury and Francisco Heredia, respectively, easily won re-election in the July primary.
Adams, who grew up in Mesa and is president and CEO of the regional trade association, said his priorities are public safety, citizens first, fiscal responsibility and transparency.
“Public safety should always come first,” he said. “Employers aren’t going to consider relocating or bringing jobs to a city that isn’t safe, and tourists aren’t going to come to Mesa and spend their money locally if Mesa isn’t safe.”
Mr. Williams is a U.S. Air Force veteran and businessman.
His priorities include maintaining quality of life, supporting public safety efforts and addressing the city’s housing needs.
“Not enough housing is being built,” he says. “We need to create additional housing opportunities and look at underutilized real estate.”
The next mayor and city council members elected this year will take office in January 2025 for a four-year term.
