Editor’s note: This article appears differently in the July 2024 print edition of InMaricopa. In the print edition, some answers were condensed for brevity. In this online version, answers appear in their original, unedited and unabridged formats.

Five people are competing for three seats on the Maricopa City Council. Eric Goettl, Amber Liermann and Bob Marsh seek reelection. They face two challengers, neither of whom has held elected office.

Mayor Nancy Smith seeks her first elected term against one challenger who previously served as a city councilman before quitting halfway through his term.

City council and mayoral candidates will appear in a Town Hall debate July 11 at the Maricopa Library and Cultural Center. The primary election is July 30.

Pinal County candidates for all offices will or want to appear on the Nov. 5 ballot. Some face opponents in the primary election.

Here are the candidates by race. Candidates are presented in alphabetical order with incumbents first.

 

Maricopa Mayor

Nancy Smith

Age: I’m timeless.

Political affiliation: The Mayor position is nonpartisan, which is important in my leadership for serving all people, however, I am a registered Conservative Republican.

Hometown: I call home where I currently live.

Years in Maricopa: 21

Residence: Homestead

Occupation: Project Management pre-retirement, now mayor.

Religious affiliation: Christian

Most important issue affecting Maricopa: The most important issue in Maricopa is 100% SR347. I’ve been extremely busy advocating and influencing both for funds and getting construction started and we have successfully received commitments for nearly half of the funding needs!

Community organizations:

• Boys and Girls Club of Sun Corridor (previous Board Member)
• Be Awesome (previous Board Member)
• Relay for Life – Cancer (previous Board Member)
• FOR Maricopa Food Bank (co-founder and previous Board Member)
• Maricopa Senior Lunch and Learn (co-founder)
• Maricopa Rocket Challenge (Middle School Blended Learning)
• Maricopa Friends of the Arts (co-founder)
• Pinal Partnership (previous Board Member)
• Lower Santa Cruz River Alliance (Board Member)
• Greater Phoenix Economic Council (Board Member)
• Maricopa Association of Governments Bboard Member)
• Arizona League of Cities and Towns (Executive Board Member)

I enjoy supporting many of our local organizations. My focus, as mayor, for board membership, are those organizations where I work hard to keep the City of Maricopa at the forefront of their missions.

Presidential vote: Since I’m fiscally conservative, whoever is the Republican nominee will get my vote.

Maricopa or Copa? Maricopa

Food truck: It depends on my taste buds at the moment of hunger! They are truly all delicious!

Bingeworthy Netflix show: The Tourist

Favorite place to visit in Arizona: Alpine

 

Leon Potter 

Age: 53 

Political affiliation: Independent 

Hometown: Upland, Calif. 

Residence: The Villages at Rancho El Dorado 

Years in Maricopa: 19 

Occupation: Tax professional 

Religious affiliation: Christian 

Most important issue affecting Maricopa: Infrastructure 

Community organizations: American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Maricopa Chamber of Commerce, Maricopa Community Coalition 

Presidential vote: Undecided 

Maricopa or Copa? Maricopa 

Food truck: Would not disclose 

Bingeworthy Netflix show: Cobra Kai 

Favorite place to visit in Arizona: Sedona 

 

Maricopa City Council

Eric Goettl 

Age: 50 

Political affiliation: Constitutional conservative 

Hometown: Mesa 

Residence: The Villages at Rancho El Dorado 

Years in Maricopa: 20 

Occupation: Religious educator  

Religious affiliation: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 

Most important issue affecting Maricopa: Infrastructure 

Community organizations: Maricopa Community Coalition, Community Emergency Response Team, Economic Development Committee of Pinal Partnership, Arizona League of Cities and Towns 

Presidential vote: Would not disclose 

Maricopa or Copa? Maricopa 

Food truck: Roots Eatery’s Culinary Mafia 

Bingeworthy Netflix show: The Chosen 

Favorite place to visit in Arizona: White Mountains 

 

Amber Liermann

Community organizations:

• I currently serve as your Vice Mayor
• Cultural and Arts Advisory Committee Liaison 2020 -2022, current
• Member of Maricopa Chamber of Commerce
• Pinal Partnership Subcommittee Liaison for Business & Education, Open Spaces & Trails
• Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Chair 2020-2022
• League of Arizona Cities and Towns Neighborhood, Sustainability, Quality of Life Committee Member
• Blue Star Mother – My son is a sophomore at the U.S. Air Force Academy. My great grandfather, my fther, my uncle and my two brothers are all veterans.
• Zonta Club Member
• Veteran Care Center Board Member
• Founder of the Maricopa Power of $100 Women’s Club
• American Cancer Society Maricopa Relay for Life Volunteer
• Boys & Girls Club Board Member 2021
• Founder of CopaCloset
• Maricopa Chamber of Commerce Sonny Dunn Citizen of the Year Recipient 2022

 

Bob Marsh 

Age: 80 

Political affiliation: Independent 

Hometown: Poultney, Vt. 

Residence: Desert Cedars 

Years in Maricopa: 14 

Occupation: Engineer 

Religious affiliation: Unitarian 

Most important issue affecting Maricopa: Transportation 

Community organizations: Senior Advisory Committee, Pinal County Water Augmentation Authority, Pinal County Board of Adjustments and Appeals, Pinal Partnership, Hope Women’s Center, MIT Alumni Club of Phoenix, Microsoft Alumni Club of Arizona, Desert Cedars HOA 

Presidential vote: Undecided 

Maricopa or Copa? Maricopa 

Food truck: SV Gourmet Kitchen 

Bingeworthy Netflix show: Would not disclose 

Favorite place to visit in Arizona: Sedona, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, Grand Canyon

 

Chrystal Allen-O’Jon 

Age: 62 

Political affiliation: Would not disclose 

Hometown: Los Angeles 

Residence: Senita 

Years in Maricopa: 13 

Occupation: Retired 

Religious affiliation: Would not disclose 

Most important issue affecting Maricopa: Education, workforce development 

Community organizations: Maricopa Pantry, Maricopa Friends of the Arts, Kids Day, Maricopa Veteran Care, Maricopa Debutante Organization, Maricopa Black Chamber of Commerce, Seeds of Change Gala 

Presidential vote: Would not disclose 

Maricopa or Copa? Maricopa 

Food truck: Asian Seoul 

Bingeworthy Netflix show: Fargo 

Favorite place to visit in Arizona: Grand Canyon 

 

Le’on Willis 

Age: 75 

Political affiliation: Independent 

Hometown: Falcon, Miss. 

Residence: Senita 

Years in Maricopa: Seven

Occupation: Retired 

Religious affiliation: Methodist 

Most important issue affecting Maricopa: Infrastructure 

Community organizations: Arizona Black Coalition 

Presidential vote: Would not disclose 

Maricopa or Copa? Maricopa 

Food truck: Poor Sam’s Italian Beef 

Bingeworthy Netflix show: Frontier 

Favorite place to visit in Arizona: Casa Grande Ruins, Mobile 

 

Pinal County Board of Supervisors – District 1

Rich Vitiello  

Age: 59 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: New York City

Residence: Maricopa 

Years in Pinal County: 19 

Biggest issue in Pinal County:

• There is no single “biggest issue” in Pinal County. There’s an assortment of
  issues – from the state attempting to take away local control over zoning, to water
  management and conservation, to traffic management, road and highway
  infrastructure (including the 347), public safety, challenges in economic
  development, preservation of the rural lifestyle versus zoning changes, and more.
• Pinal County is growing as a place to live, work and play. There are about
  460,000 residents in the county. The district is diverse in its rural versus urban
  lifestyles, consisting of Maricopa, as well as residents and businesses in the
  surrounding unincorporated areas and adjoining parts of Coolidge, Queen Creek,
  San Tan Valley, as well as the Ak-Chin and Gila River communities.
• My hope is to find a balance between challenges and issues in the rural setting
  that are not necessarily present in city living. It’s finding a balance that leads to a
  solution. I will sit, listen, learn, and think out of the box to help the people in this
  district.
• People need housing and jobs. There are ways to bring businesses, create more
  local jobs and housing choices into areas of the county that don’t threaten the
  lifestyle and current home ownership of others. We just have to find them and
  create a balance.
• With an increase in population comes an increase in the need for services. I’m not
  in favor of raising taxes, at all. Tax revenue does not necessarily increase with
  tax increases. The tax base needs to be widened, but not increased, so more funds
  can be appropriated to public safety and other essential government functions. I
  believe the government has a fiduciary duty to care for the taxpayer dollar. After
  all, government is responsible to the people, not the other way around

How you plan to handle it:

• It will use my business background to solve conflicts and help resolve
  issues. As I have done in the past, I will listen to constituents, learning
  about their needs and how I can best be able to serve them. My personal
  mantra is to sit, listen, and learn.
• I plan on bringing every bit of knowledge and experience I gained as a
  Maricopa City Council Representative into District 1 as a Supervisor. I will
  continue to develop relationships between our local, state, and federal elected
  officials to help our citizens. I will work to keep local control over local issues. I
  will continue to push for solutions to improving the 347, including widening and
  making the Riggs Road intersection better.
• The most important part of my role as a Supervisor is to be transparent and
  honest. One of the changes I will make is to improve transparency, visibility, and
  access to the office of Supervisor in this district. I want people to know I will be
  honest, and for them to feel comfortable asking questions and getting answers. As
  a city council representative, I made myself available to the people in Maricopa.
  I’ll do the same for our district. The processes of county government should be
  accessible to our residents and taxpayers. I plan on holding town hall type
  meetings at various locations in the district to get a better idea of the issues people
  face.
• I will be responsive to the people I serve, including answering telephone calls and
  following up. I’ll be listening to people, not just glossing over their needs nor
  passing the buck. This is not a job where I make demands on the people who elect
  me, but I am beholden to the people who live and work in this district, whether
  they vote for me or not.
• While working on the Maricopa City Council, I developed relationships with our
  state and federal representatives and senators. I will continue working with them
  for the betterment of Pinal County, especially on the 347 issues. I will also work
  with the city councils for the various incorporated cities within Pinal County as
  well.
• I am a problem solver. I want people to know that when I am presented with a
  problem, my goal is to help solve it

 

George Arredondo Sr.  

Age: 59 

Political affiliation: Democrat 

Hometown: Coolidge 

Residence: Coolidge 

Years in Pinal County: 53 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: Threat to Democracy and lack of strategic response to county growth. I will enforce the rule of law and due process, by holding people accountable. We need to be proactive to the needs of the county infrastructure such as roads, while being frugal with our increased tax base.

 

Ron Weber 

Age: 60 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Summerland, British Columbia 

Residence: San Tan Mountains 

Years in Pinal County: Three

Biggest issue in Pinal County: I want to see a county that is an even better place to live than it already is — safer, wealthier, more desirable, more secure, with low taxes and responsive and transparent county government, fair and transparent election process, more jobs and job opportunities, better roads making it easier to get around, better quality of life, and better education options. 

 

County Attorney

Kent Volkmer, incumbent 

Age: 42 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Galion, Ohio 

Residence: Casa Grande 

Years in Pinal County: 17 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: Approximately 85% of all felony crime in Pinal County can be traced back to Substance Use and Abuse. Our criminal justice system must attack the supply side through properly prosecuting dealers and the demand side through simultaneously holding offenders accountable and also focusing on restoring and rehabilitating those suffering from addiction.

 

Brad Miller 

Age: 43 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Rocklin, Calif. 

Residence: Florence 

Years in Pinal County: Four

Biggest issue in Pinal County: Crime. In 2021, Maricopa was one of the safest cities in Arizona. Now it isn’t even in the top 25. In fact, crime is up over 30% from the previous year. Some of this has to do with the increase in the population but much of it has to do with the soft-on-crime approach by the county attorney. He gives probation when some offenders deserve to go to prison. My approach will be to hold offenders accountable and protect the rights of victims. I have worked as a prosecutor since 2008 in both the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and in the U.S. Marine Corps. I plan to bring this experience to Pinal County so that people can feel safe again.

 

County Sheriff

Charles Austin Jr.  

Age: 62 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Chandler 

Residence: Apache Junction 

Years in Pinal County: 34 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: Understaffed Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, which I plan to fully staff. This should help with deputy responses and help keep Pinal County safe.

 

Kevin Cavanaugh

Age: 56 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Coolidge 

Years in Pinal County: 11 

Residence: Coolidge 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: As an elected County Supervisor I have had a front-row seat in observing the tapestry of corruption and mismangement inside Pinal County Government, particularly the Pinal County Attorney’s Office. Additionally, the influx of criminal illegal aliens realeased from prisons elsewhere has impacted the entire country, and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office must be ready to ensure the safety of citizens. Finally, better utilization of resources to reduce response times to calls for service, and reduce traffic injuries and fatalities. Having a Sheriff in place who will appropriately stand against instances of corruption and abuse of power, just I as I have done as a County Supervisor, will discourage these acts from continuing and referrals to outside agencies for independent investigation will occur in response to complaints. Reduction in crime and traffic crashes will be achieved through better management of resources, such as increasing the number of patrol districts and minimum staffing counts. As Sheriff, I will use every lawful tool available to apprehend and deport criminal illegal aliens.

 

Patrick Melvin 

Age: 59 

Political affiliation: Democrat 

Hometown: Would not disclose 

Residence: Maricopa 

Years in Pinal County: 18 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: I feel the largest issue in Pinal County regarding public safety is ensuring that residents feel safe and secure in their respective communities. I plan to enhance the safety of residents, visitors and businesses by encouraging collaboration between Sheriff’s Office members and community members developing a mindset of proactive policing, preventing crime before it happens. Continuously building relationships with community members is absolutely essential for a high-performing professional agency that stresses professionalism among its agency members. I will stress the importance of treating all community members with dignity, decency, and respect. Our Pinal County residents deserve no less!

 

Ross Teeple 

Age: 55 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Tucson 

Residence: Florence 

Years in Pinal County: 24 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: Our biggest issue, like the rest of the country, is the drug smuggling, human trafficking invasion occurring on our southern border. I will continue to keep us the safest large Arizona county by being the same type of boots on the ground innovative leader as our current Sheriff Mark Lamb, it’s why he asked me to run.

 

Justice of the Peace – District 4

Patricia Glover 

Age: 38 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Detroit 

Residence: Maricopa 

Years in Pinal County: 14 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: While I do not consider Access to Justice to be the “biggest issue,” it is one of the pressing issues that I may be able to impact if elected to serve as Justice of the Peace. The average Joe cannot afford a fair fight in our current judicial system. 

 

Superintendent of Schools

Jill Broussard, incumbent 

Age: 45 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Westerville, Ohio 

Residence: San Tan Valley 

Years in Pinal County: 19 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: There are many challenges in education at this time, one of which is recruiting and retaining qualified teachers. As a service agency to the districts in Pinal, we have been supporting our newly hired teachers with ongoing coaching and professional development. Additionally, involving the communities and families in our education system through our Business and Education Partnership has made a direct impact on student well-being and academic success. 

 

Tara Walter  

Age: 47 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Saratoga, N.Y. 

Residence: Florence 

Years in Pinal County: 20 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: The biggest issue the Pinal County School Superintendent’s Office currently faces is a lack of fresh perspective. As the next Pinal County Superintendent, I will prioritize innovative practices, efficient management with fiscal responsibility, school safety, and teacher support and training. 

 

County Assessor

Douglas Wolf, incumbent 

Age: 68 

Political affiliation: Republican  

Hometown: Le Center, Minn. 

Residence: Saddlebrooke 

Years in Pinal County: 14 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: Dealing with the phenomenal growth. Pinal County government has successfully created a very friendly business environment and the results have been spectacular growth, putting a strain on our infrastructure. It is very challenging and exciting at the same time. 

 

December Storm Cox 

Age: 59 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Florence 

Residence: Florence 

Years in Pinal County: 49 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: As your Assessor it is my job to Locate, List, and Assess for value of your real and personal property. Pinal County is very unique with many different types of properties and their improvements. Pinal County for the past 30 years has used a computer aided software and mass appraisal technique for assessing property value. Change is needed to ensure fair taxes we must consider all the different methods approved by the AZDOR for determining property value, even if it requires more than one visit. This assures taxes to be fair for everyone whether you reside in a master planned community or subdivision, or you live in a rural area out in the desert. Boots on the ground is needed for some of our communities in order for taxes to be fair. 

 

County Treasurer

Michael McCord, incumbent 

Age: 47 

Political affiliation: Republican 

Hometown: Bradford, Penn. 

Residence: San Tan Valley 

Years in Pinal County: 17 

Biggest issue in Pinal County: One of the biggest issues facing Pinal County is having high quality infrastructure. The value that improved roadways brings to Pinal County are enormous. With upgraded roadways, you will see increased accessibility for the delivery of goods and services to Pinal County residents and visitors along with an increase in public safety across all areas of the county. Although the Treasurer’s office does not have a direct impact on infrastructure, managing the county’s financial resources is the priority of my office to ensure the cities, towns, and the county can plan for the future when developing projects to help strengthen our infrastructure needs.