Martinez has clear legislative priority: a safer 347

If you think transportation is the number one issue facing Maricopa, state Rep. Teresa Martinez of Casa Grande has your back.

In an exclusive interview with InMaricopa, Martinez, talked about her work in the most recent legislative session and shared her priorities for the coming year, as well as areas she will look to influence should she win re-election in a new district.

She currently represents LD-11, which includes Maricopa. After last year’s redistricting, she is now running in LD-16, which includes the northern sections of Pinal County, including Maricopa. She will face Rob Hudelson in the Republican primary on Aug. 2; Democrat Keith Seaman is unopposed in the primary and will face the winner of the GOP contest in November.

Martinez said she has made a lot of progress since her appointment to replace Bret Roberts after his resignation last September.

“I thought I could do it, now I know I can do it,” she said during her legislative update to the city council of her time in the legislature. “It’s time to show the council how we can move forward together.”

She learned quickly, and at the start of the legislative session in January had to work up a list of budget priorities.

“I had just been appointed in October,” she said. “The only thing (former Maricopa Mayor) Christian (Price) liked about what I asked for was funding for the 347. I told the supervisors we needed I-10, (and State Routes) 347 and 24. They came back and said you got almost $1 billion for I-10.

“But with the RTA (Regional Transportation Authority) going away (due to an Arizona Supreme Court ruling), I didn’t think they’d get money for 347. So, I went out and asked for money for (State Route) 238. We got $19 million for 347, and then we got another $800k for 238.”

Projects that the legislature has provided at least some funding for include the widening of SR 347 from I-10 to Maricopa’s northern border, a Riggs Road overpass and a diamond interchange at 347 and I-10 to improve traffic flows.

Prospective improvements to SR 238 include widening the highway west of John Wayne Parkway and adding roundabouts to accommodate new development west of the city.

Those funding fights provided another lesson: what appropriations are for, depends upon whom you ask.

“The Governor and legislature say it’s for a Tier 1 study, the design of project,” she said. “But ADOT doesn’t want to fund that $800,000 for that, they want some of it to go to their fees, some to an assessment and leave just $250,000 for the project. So, they’re kind of jerking us around; they’re starting to nickel and dime us on the money. I don’t want to advocate for $800,000 and only get $250,000.”

That straight talk has endeared her to Maricopa city leaders since her appointment. And local politicians knew she had big shoes to fill stepping into Roberts’ seat.

“Rep. Martinez stepped in when Bret Roberts resigned his seat and she was able to be quite effective at the legislature for us,” said Interim Mayor Vincent Manfredi at last week’s City Council meeting. “I’ve always known you to be someone who’s no nonsense, you take no crap from anyone…You were dropped in, and you were able to make things happen. You had a plan, you got to work, and you spoke with cities and really absorbed the information. That’s what we need, and that’s what is lacking in so many legislators – the ability to understand why they’re there. They go there with a philosophy, and not a way to make that impact.”

Responsiveness is another trait councilmember admire in Martinez.

“I want to vouch for the fact that she does take telephone calls, she does call you back and she does answer questions,” Councilmember Nancy Smith said. “Lots of us fought very, very hard to make sure (Roberts) was replaced with a representative who was going to focus on the northern part of our District, Pinal County, mainly Casa Grande, Maricopa and the surrounding area.

“She is a freshman and we’re amazed and very, very full of gratitude for what she’s been able to acquire for the city of Maricopa to this point,” Smith continued. “You are a bold spokesperson but a very polite politician and working well with our state legislation, so I just want to congratulate you for the success in what you did obtain for the City of Maricopa and Pinal County as a whole.”

Martinez has some colorful ways of describing herself and how she works.

“I am a very exaggerated person,” she said. “I am not what you would call shy. I am delicate – not like a flower, more like a bomb. I’ve got a lot of passion.”

But she tempers that passion with the knowledge of what she is doing and who she is serving.

“Why am I there?” she asked. “Is it the Teresa Martinez show? Although that would be great on Netflix, I’m betting like seven seasons easy. But the reality is, it’s not about me. It’s about Maricopa, Casa Grande, Florence, Eloy, Ak-Chin, Gila River; it’s about roads.”

Martinez said she will request to sit on three committees in the coming legislative session, all of which have direct impact on life in Pinal County – Transportation, Appropriations, and Natural Resources, Water and Energy, a current committee assignment. The latter is hugely important to her because it’s essential to Pinal County, with drought in the Southwest already cutting water to farmers and ranchers.

“I have to get tutored on water every week,” she said. “That’s a difficult committee for me. But in Pinal County, we go thirsty first, out of the whole state. Somebody needs to be fighting for Pinal and that’s me.”

Despite working on other issues important to the county, transportation is what gets her the most fired up, she said.

“I want to widen 347 now,” she said. “That’s priority number one. The traffic is insane on that road going in and out of Maricopa and we need to do something to alleviate that traffic. We need to do it whether or not that Proposition 469 even passes. I’ve heard that there is going to be some opposition to that tax due to inflation. If not, we need to know what Plan B is. The 347 is inadequate, as simple as that. It’s a safety hazard, we need to widen it come hell or high water. Do I have to peel funding from somewhere else to address that from the state? If I have to, I will.

“But before anything can start, we need to see what happens with that Proposition.”

Editor’s note: Vincent Manfredi is co-owner of InMaricopa.