Six people are running for three seats on Maricopa City Council – Linette Caroselli, Julia Gusse, Andre LaFond, Amber Liermann, Bob Marsh and Nancy Smith. InMaricopa asked each their take on a short series of questions. Learn more about all the candidates here.
ANDRE LaFOND
What makes you the best candidate for council?
I am a different generation from our current council. With that I have experiences and knowledge that other candidates may not. I carry the experiences of my Army service, my career partnering with public law enforcement, and as a small business owner and Realtor.
What is the current council doing well?
We have been blessed to have a very capable council. They have shown a great ability to work together and leave partisan issues at the door.
What is the current council not doing well?
There is always room for opportunities. I believe that also follows with our amazing council. I am looking to be a needed bridge for both our young families and our senior citizens.
What is your biggest concern about Maricopa’s future and why?
Growth without reinvestment. We are a fast growing community. And our council and city manager have made sure we are on strong financial footing. However there are opportunities to improve our infrastructure, and upgrade to a 21st century city. I would like to see more investment in these smart growth opportunities. Our growth is also putting a strain on our emergency services. We are at a point we could outgrow their capacity. I want to see smart investment in manpower and infrastructure aimed at this issue.
How has COVID-19 affected your campaign?
I love meeting people, talking with strangers and trading stories. My wife and I would engage strangers in a restaurant in conversation all the time. I brought that love to my campaign. I love to door knock, or wear one of my campaign shirts out shopping to spark conversation. With the pandemic that has stopped, although I still wear the shirts, its hard to have a social distance conversation! I am countering that with my online presence. I still want to reach out to people. I also try to make sure to share valuable information whenever I can to help my community.
6 run for 3 seats on city council
Meet the candidates: Why these 6 are running for city council
Meet the candidate: Linette Caroselli
Meet the candidate: Julia Gusse
Meet the candidate: Amber Liermann
Meet the candidate: Bob Marsh
Meet the candidate: Nancy Smith
This item appears in the May issue of InMaricopa.
![Vice Mayor Amber Liermann and Councilmember Eric Goettl review parts of the city's 2024 operational budget with Mayor Nancy Smith on April 24, 2024. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/spencer-042424-preliminary-budget-meeting-web-218x150.jpg "3 things to know about the new city budget")
![An image of one of 56 elevation renderings submitted to Maricopa's planning department for the Elena Trails subdivison. The developer plans to construct 14 different floor plans, with four elevation styles per plan. [City of Maricopa]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/city-041724-elena-trails-rendering-218x150.jpg "Elena Trails releases home renderings")
![A blue square highlights the area of the proposed affordable housing development and "Restaurant Row" sitting south of city hall and the Maricopa Police Department. Preliminary architectural drawings were not yet available. [City of Maricopa]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/041724-affordable-housing-project-restaurant-row-218x150.jpg "Affordable apartments planned near ‘Restaurant Row’")
![City Manager Ben Bitter speaks during a Chamber of Commerce event at Global Water Resources on April 11, 2024. Bitter discussed the current state of economic development in Maricopa, as well as hinting at lowering property tax rates again. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/spencer-041124-ben-bitter-chamber-property-taxes-web-218x150.jpg "City looks to lower property taxes again")
![Phoenix police stop a stolen vehicle on April 20, 2024. [Facebook]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_5040-218x150.jpg "Alleged car thief released without charges")
![Vice Mayor Amber Liermann and Councilmember Eric Goettl review parts of the city's 2024 operational budget with Mayor Nancy Smith on April 24, 2024. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/spencer-042424-preliminary-budget-meeting-web-100x70.jpg "3 things to know about the new city budget")
