Poll: In close vote, readers say they prefer rural lifestyle, not growth

It was tight, but a slim majority of voters in our weekly InMaricopa reader poll still favor a rural lifestyle and believe the city’s pre-annexation of 5,700 acres south and west of town will threaten that way of life.

More than 41 percent – 209 of our 504 total votes this week – favored the response, “Hate it because I came here for a rural lifestyle without the hubbub of a city.”

On the flip side, 37.1 percent, or 184 voters, agreed with the response, “It’s great because it will be an economic engine for Maricopa.”

There were 90 voters, or 17.9 percent of respondents, who agreed with the statement, “Not crazy about it, but continuing growth here is inevitable.” And the fence-sitters with no opinion tallied 18 votes and 3.6 percent.

The new acreage would expand Maricopa’s land mass by about 19 percent, or the equivalent of 4,310.6 football fields.