Petitions submitted; mayoral and city council races begin

It’s official. Wednesday at 5 p.m. was the deadline for submitting nomination petitions to City Hall in order for municipal office candidates to have their names appear on the Primary Election ballot.

Mayor Kelly Anderson is running unopposed for in the mayoral race. A longtime Maricopa resident and a graduate of Maricopa High School, Anderson was the only one of 13 candidates to be elected with a majority vote in the March 2004 primary election. Due largely to that overwhelming show of support, his fellow council members elected him mayor on June 1, 2004.

Mayor Kelly Anderson expressed his thanks to his reelection committee, Rebecca Molus (left) and Jane Henig. Not pictured are Theresa Nesbihal and Dan Ashton.

In the May 2004 election, voters approved a measure to directly elect the mayor in future elections rather than allowing the council to elect a person for that office. The measure passed 86% to 14%. Anderson will very likely be the first Maricopa mayor to be chosen by the electorate.

Councilman Edward Farrell (left) Vice-Mayor Brent Murphree and Mayor Anderson submit their nomination petitions to Deputy Clerk Vanessa Bueras.

Four candidates are running for the three vacancies on the Maricopa City Council. They are Vice-Mayor Brent Murphree, current councilmen Edward Farrell and Joseph Estes as well as newcomer Ron Hollingsworth. Murphree, Farrell and Estes are all completing two-year terms of office. Estes recently was appointed to replace Phyllis Von Fleckinger, who resigned for health reasons. Council members Steve Baker, Kelly Haddad and Will Dunn will not be up for reelection until 2008, since council terms of office are staggered.

Councilman Joseph Estes is running for election.

New to the municipal stage, Ron Hollingsworth submitted his paperwork on Tuesday to Deputy Clerk Bueras.

The Primary Election will be held on March 14, 2006. Any candidate or candidates receiving a majority of the votes cast at that election will be declared elected without running in the General Election scheduled for May 16, 2006.

In the 2004 General Election 35% of Maricopa’s registered voters cast ballots. Only 30% voted in the primary. In order to be qualified to vote in the March primary, you must be registered to vote by February 13, 2006.

As of this September the City of Maricopa had only 3,369 registered voters, according to Pinal County Elections Director Gilbert Hoyos. This is Pinal County, so you must be registered to vote here.

Voter registration forms are available at City Hall, Stage Stop, the library and the post office. They are also included in the city’s New Resident Handbook and may be requested by calling the Pinal County Recorder’s Office at (520) 866-7101. Individuals with a valid Arizona driver’s license can register online.

The municipal race is on. Make certain that you are eligible to vote for your favorite council candidate as well as the mayor.