City Government
Council Race Off to Slow Start
September 18, 2005 
With the City Council election less than six weeks off, the city is awash with intense disinterest in the people we allow to decide how more than $150,000,000 is spent each year.
The only non-incumbent to register as a candidate is former acting police chief Jim Tibbs. He has been attending city council and neighborhood association meetings, the Chamber of Commerce benefit concert starring his old boss, Mayor Dave Bieter, and some festivals. He is a serious contender opposing senior councilor Jerome Mapp and so far we have not seen nor heard any swords crossed in this low interest duel.
With less than two weeks to the filing deadline, councilors Vern Bisterfeldt and Maryanne Jordan are unopposed.
Here are some issues the GUARDIAN offers for anyone wishing to run:
–Ten commandments. Council moved a rock from the park without a public hearing. Some folks say sneaky, others say justified.
–City has not performed audits or oversight on Public Works Dept., resulting in personnel and criminal questions at the Twenty Mile South Farm. Council has been reluctant and slow to act.
–Council continues to endorse annexation against the will of the people–except Bisterfeldt and Shealy who voted against forced annexation in October 2004.
–Council endorsed new parking garage at Airport without vote of the citizens. Supreme court decision pending. Could show they wasted lots of money on lawyers in effort to avoid an election.
–CCDC continues to operate unhindered, forcing taxpayers outside the downtown area to subsidize development that yields no property tax and costs more to protect and service.
–Fire Department continues to respond outside the city on routine basis protecting homes in the desert that pay no taxes.
–Neighborhoods have not gotten much of what they asked for during the past two years.
–City continues to be in the land speculation business with the “railroad to nowhere” east of town in the desert. They also have land at 25th and Fairview for a police station and another parcel at 2900 Fairview for the same police station. We hear there is more land destined for “future parks” than actually being used as parks–prove us wrong please!
–Council approved a 50 year lease to a Rock Climbing gym in the 25th Street area and promptly declared the surrounding land as “excess land not in the public interest.” Voted to sell it a year ago and still haven’t gotten it done.
–Council has created a slush fund “intended” to go toward a badly needed police station, but future councils may spend it in any manner they wish. The idea is to get around a vote of the citizens and MAYBE begin building at a location and size not considered by a public vote in 2007.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Sep 20, 2005, 9:49 pm
In this article you state that Vern Bisterfeldt is
the only council member against forced annexation.
I must take issue with that statement, at the October 2004 hearing/meeting council member Alan Shealy also voted no on the question of annexation of a southwest Ada neighborhood. We must give credit where credit is due.
Ed note–Councilor Shealy deserves an “attaboy.” The story has been corrected as well.