9 now in running for 3 positions
CASA GRANDE — Three more candidates have filed paperwork in the last week, showing an interest in one of the three City Council seats open this election year.
A total of nine candidates, including the three present council members hoping to reclaim their seats, have submitted paperwork with the city to announce their City Council campaign.
The city clerk handed out petitions last week to interested candidates, and they will have until June 1 to collect the necessary number of signatures from registered voters to get their name on the ballot.
Marty Schmidt, 46, is one of the three candidates to enter the race last week. He’s lived in Casa Grande since 2007 and currently works at the Frito-Lay plant.
He said present council members have done a thorough job, but he thinks it may be time to rotate in some new members who are willing to disrupt the status quo.
Schmidt’s priority is keeping residents from venturing outside city limits for recreation and shopping. He supports constructing amenities such as the community recreation center, which is now in the planning stage, and wants to see more local, small businesses thrive.
A native of California, Schmidt enlisted in the Navy after graduating high school. He relocated to Casa Grande to be near his extended family and said he’s grown to truly love the city.
The anniversary of his father’s untimely death earlier this month, Schmidt said, partly inspired him to seek elected office in local government. His father, he said, was one who always encouraged a strong work ethic. Schmidt said he realized there was more he could be doing to benefit the community.
Small business owner Gary Wood, 55, is also a novice when it comes to elected office. He is now semiretired from American Family Insurance and wants to promote further growth for a city he’s lived in most of his life.
Wood graduated from Casa Grande Union High School and later taught several subjects at the school years later. He’s been active with the Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce and his neighborhood homeowners association board.
Like Schmidt, Wood believes the establishment of recreational amenities is crucial for recouping and attracting residents. He would also like to limit barriers for new businesses to enter the city by decreasing permitting and impact fees.
Maricopa and San Tan Valley have seen rapid growth in recent years, Wood said, and he wants to keep Casa Grande ahead of the game so it will remain the focal point for Pinal County.
Arizona State University student Gilberto Mendez, 21, is another prospective candidate to recently file committee paperwork with the city. In a brief interview with the Casa Grande Dispatch, Mendez said he wanted to enter the race to prove that young people were capable of occupying public office.
Having more candidates enter the race is not a concern for David Snider, a retired Casa Grande library director and former county supervisor, who declared his candidacy earlier this year. He said it is the sign of a healthy democracy to have more residents interested in running for the council.
Retired Casa Grande Police Chief Bob Huddleston, who’s also seeking a council seat, echoed Snider’s comments, saying more candidates in the campaign was a positive sign that the community cares about local government.
Former Students Against Destructive Decisions leader Donna McBride joins current council members Karl Montoya, Mary Kortsen and Lisa Fitzgibbons as the remaining prospective candidates vying for one of the three open seats.
Retired businessman Craig McFarland remains the only candidate to actively seek the mayoral office. Mayor Bob Jackson cannot run again because of term limits.
