Profile: City council candidate Rosalin Sanhadja

InMaricopa: Who are you?

Sanhadja: I am 39 years old, and have been a resident of Maricopa since 2007. I am a proud mother of two sons, and three daughters, and a grandmother of one, who strongly believes that education, starts at home. I am the lucky wife of a supportive husband, who retired from the police force after 20 years of public service. I am honored and privileged to have served in the Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) as a solider and legal specialist; a program with a 60 percent graduating class. Finally, I am a resident of Maricopa wanting to make a real difference in the lives of people we all call our neighbors, friends and family.

InMaricopa: Why are you the best candidate?

Sanhadja: I am a public advocate for struggling families who brings a passionate sense of fairness, accountability and transparency. I engage the residents to care with me and make a stand for what is sometimes the morally right thing to do not always the politically right thing to do. Too often I hear our city councilmembers refer to what is good for “the community” as a whole and not just “the selected few.” I do not believe in separating the two because we all need to matter in this community. The Census Office would agree that every one person matters to a community seeking funds and grants, to the tune of $1,809 per person. If this is true, the city cannot afford to leave “anyone” behind. I believe when we lift up our residents out of their struggles we are creating the “proud history” we often speak of. This city will only continue to prosper if we have the collaborative efforts of an entire community.

InMaricopa: What specific experience would you bring to this office?

Sanhadja: I bring the experience of helping city residents improve their quality of life. As the director and accounting manager of child care information systems, in Pennsylvania, one of the many duties I had, involved identifying and signing new providers in areas with the most need.  This not only provided choices for parents but it provided jobs to many community residents. As a guardian of taxpayer money, I provided a well balanced budget of state and federal funds awarded to the agency, in order to serve the most families as possible. When families did not qualify for our program, it was equally important that I made sure to find ways to help those struggling families by referring them to our sister community agencies. If the service did not exist, I went to work on initiatives and outreach programs that extended the agency’s hand in areas where residents needed it most. I conducted audits on more than 200 providers annually to ensure proper compliance of state regulations. I also conducted internal audits of files deemed ineligible and implemented a fraud division program with the assistance of the district attorneys office, to assist in the prevention of ineligible use of state funds. Furthermore, 15 years of legal experience brings a dedication to perform the proper due diligence needed before implementing programs and services. This will help prevent mistakes that will prove to be costly later on to the city and its taxpayers.

InMaricopa: If elected what is the first thing you would change on council?

Sanhadja:  If elected, the first change would have come from the voters wanting to change the status quo of our city council. However, one of the immediate changes I would like to implement is the location of the city council meetings. It is my opinion that city council meetings should be held on a location that fosters impartiality and sends a message that, “here is where we make the decisions that strengthen our community.”

InMaricopa: What are the three most important issues facing your Maricopa area constituents and what would you do to address each?

Sanhadja: The residents of Maricopa are faced with many issues. All of which, provide either a direct or indirect effect on their lives. Some of these are:

Economic growth: The lack of job creation and the decrease in revenue caused by the economic downturn impacts every level of the city’s service to the public as well as a family’s ability to provide an acceptable quality of life for them. Our footprints show us that we can no longer depend on the housing market to increase the city’s revenue nor can we sit waiting for big companies to come knocking on our city’s doors when they to have tightened their belts and have laid off many of their employees. It is because of this that I would be looking to diversify our local economy with a comprehensive plan for new initiatives that focus on small businesses, schools, antipoverty programs and the food industry, so that we may put the control of economic growth back in the hands of this city.

High property taxes and utilities rates: Foreclosures and utility rates are at an all time high resulting in higher HOA fees, lower property values and higher utility bills for our residents. Struggling families are having to decide between, air conditioning their homes, putting food on the table or to keep paying the mortgage on property that, in some cases, has lost over half its value. I strongly believe this is where the city council needs to step up its efforts in residential retention to help reduce not just the bank foreclosures, but for those that see no hope of relief in sight and are volunteering moving. As with any business, competition has proven to keep rates competitive. I would look to find ways to start providing the residents with choices. Healthy competition of utility companies helps to deter the price gauging you see here today.

Civil suits involving the city: Lawsuits come at a high price to the city’s employees, businesses and its residents. Not just in attorneys’ fees, but in settlement agreements, judgments and the city’s reputation. It is because we live in a litigious society, it is of the utmost importance that city officials conduct themselves in the most professional manner possible and enforce policy in a non bias manner. A city that residents are not proud to work and live in is a city soon to be a ghost town. I strongly believe in checks and balances, prevention and immediate intervention. Concerns of impropriety, bias, favoritism, racism, improper conduct, retaliation, and conflicts of interest should be investigated immediately for the benefit of all parties involved. I believe that allowing issues to go unresolved and uninvestigated sends the public the wrong message. A few years, months or even a day of a scandal on the front page of our city’s paper, is publicity that can overshadow the city’s achievements. It is those achievements that provide us with the constant reminder that, we have made the right choice to raise our families in Maricopa.

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