Local leaders sound off on proposed redistricting 

Monday’s open house to present Pinal County’s preliminary borders for the new supervisory districts elicited some strong opinions from local leaders about the proposed district boundaries. Here is a sampling of the opinions:  

Councilmember Nancy Smith:

“The district that has the fastest growing city (Maricopa) should have the lowest population average in order to provide room for growth and the best representation. Again, the final district maps will be in place for 10 years. It makes no sense to start a fast-growing district with the highest population from the start.” 

“It’s possible that Stanfield area could be moved to District 4 if that helps average the population appropriately. Saddlebrooke should be moved to District 1 because Saddlebrooke is more ‘like’ the rural areas significant to District 1.” 

District 4 Supervisor Jeff McClure:

“We’ve had certain parameters set for us, and it’s basically start with what you’ve got and work around that. That’s really it. If we do some total radical thing it starts screwing up all the precincts.” 

Mayor Christian Price 

“It’s silly that we’re still coupled with Saddlebrooke when we are not communities of interest, they are not aligned. And to then have a supervisor that has to be torn between totally separate interests doesn’t make a lot of sense. We’re all Pinal County, we’re all in this together, but at the same time, we’re an incorporated city and we have needs and growth issues that we have to deal with that they don’t have to, the county deals with it.” 

“I know they need to make the numbers work, and that’s the tricky part but again, I think keeping us all closer together is a better idea.” 

Vice Mayor Vincent Manfredi

 “I believe that with Maricopa being the largest incorporated city in Pinal County, it is important that we are all represented by one supervisor and not split between two.” 

Councilmember Bob Marsh 

“Part of the objective is to have the smallest area possible. They lopped

off Tortosa and then Stanfield, it’s part of Maricopa, culturally, investor-wise, farm-wise. This is one of the arguments (about having Maricopa and Saddlebrooke in the same district) – speaking about political representation, they are a retirement community, a suburb of Tucson. We are a suburb of Phoenix, and we are a bell-shaped curve of humanity, we’re not a retirement community.” 

“Our planning district covers town to four miles south of Interstate 8. We should have all this area in our domain. It doesn’t make sense to have a planning district in one supervisory district and the supervisor for that city in another district.” 

Councilmember Henry Wade  

“I think that’s another kind of a slap in the face to the folks out there in Tortosa, that we haven’t provided anything for you and oh, by the way, it may be another few years before you get anything out that way.”

“I don’t see a change coming (to the proposed borders). Very rarely do you see a change in the redistricting process. They believe they have what’s best and decisions are made. But I think everything east of I-10 should be in District 1, due to proximity.” 

“The interests of Maricopa and Saddlebrooke are just different. The constituent bases are just different. Like minds think alike.”