Candidates up for south central Mesa challenges

The next City Council member representing south central Mesa will inherit a dwindling supply of money for neighborhood services, a high concentration of day laborers and the area's reputation for crime. The two candidates for District 2, Alex Finter and Manny Cortez, both say they are well-equipped to deal with those problems; Each has years of experience in community service and enthusiasm for public involvement.

However, they differ on key issues such as a secondary property tax to pay for bond measures - Cortez is for it and Finter is not - and where the city should spend its money.

Current District 2 Councilman Mike Whalen, not seeking re-election because of term limits, said the biggest problems for the area will stem from its dire financial situation.

"We have quite a mix of people and some pretty serious crime," Whalen said. "Code compliance has made some progress in the neighborhoods, and we hope to stay on top of that."

Cortez, 70, grew up in a city that segregated whites and Hispanics in school, seemed safe enough to unlock the doors at night and taught him a trade through the local electric company.

Cortez lost two prior council bids, in 1990 and 1996. He said he ran again this year to give people a choice. He filed in early December, about a week before the deadline to get placed on the ballot.

"When people run for office they should have a little competition," he said.

With two adolescent sons, Cortez said his interest lies in keeping the city safe and providing children with plenty of parks.

"These are quality of life issues - parks, streets, nightlife and walking around Pioneer Park without having a drug dealer come up to you," he said.

Cortez also has been active with the Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens, the Mesa Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee and the city's Day Labor Task Force.

"For so many years, the Hispanic community has not been represented," he said, "but I don't want people to vote for me just because I'm Hispanic. People should vote for what I think and what I say."

Cortez' other ideas include taking a closer look at how the city grants financial incentives. He says it's unfair for stores relocating to Mesa Riverview to benefit from sales tax incentives while longtime businesses get nothing.

And Cortez supports the bond projects slated for the November ballot, including the plan to fund them with the city's first property tax in more than 50 years.

The two bond measures slated for Mesa's November election, totaling $408 million, would fund transportation and public safety projects and would be funded entirely with a secondary property tax.

The property tax is where the two candidates really differ.

Finter supports building more fire and police stations, but he thinks voters will reject the bond measure in its current form so soon after a proposed primary property tax "went down in flames" in 2006.

Finter believes the proposed capital improvements are too important to risk defeat because of the way they would be funded. He would prefer paying for them with an additional sales tax.

"First, we have to re-establish credibility with the citizens of Mesa," he said.

Finter's stance on the property tax has made some waves. Although the Mesa Chamber of Commerce endorsed him, it said they had reservations about his views.

"I'm not very happy with Mr. Finter not supporting the secondary property tax, but I like Alex and think he's a good man, so hopefully he'll come around," Whalen said.

It's no surprise Finter's focus is on public safety, as he spent about 20 years with the Mesa Fire Department.

After testing among the top 12 out of 1,200, Finter joined the fire department at 21 and made fire captain at 29. He also served as fire department spokesman for several years and regularly dealt with the media.

He said the budget crisis is nothing new for Mesa - he saw similar times in the 1980s and 1990s.

But the city always found a way to get things done, including setting up temporary fire stations to maintain quick response times.

That idea has not yet been suggested to meet the current challenges, he said.

Finter also suggests using technology to solve city problems, such as using surveillance cameras that stream video on the Internet to keep an eye on high-crime areas.

"It would have a direct, positive effect on their neighborhood," he said. "Neighbors could monitor the area and call in."

Finter retired at 40 from the fire department to join his wife's family business, Worldwide Investments.

He ran for the council in 2000, but Whalen and Kathy Tolman beat him to the runoffs.

In the meantime, Finter served on the Mesa Planning and Zoning Board, which he says gave him a thick skin.

"We would get rooms filled with angry and upset people," he said. "Usually the right answer to any issue that works best is going to leave everybody a little unhappy but it gets the job done."

TALKING POINTS
Finter:
Make public safety a priority.
Revisit past recommendations on how to fund city services.
Finance proposed bond projects a different way such as via a sales tax increase.
Find creative ways to maintain city services such as using temporary fire stations.

Cortez:
Support the proposed bond issues and associated property tax.
Do not sell the city electric department.
Use incentives fairly.
Focus on quality of life - parks, streets, safety.

Manny Cortez
Age: 70
Occupation: Owner, Cortez Electric.
Community involvement: Youth coach - 49 years; Irving School PTO and classroom/events volunteer; Community Bridges (formerly EVAC); Mesa Mayor's Advisory Group; Mesa Day Labor Task Force, Crime Prevention and Gang Prevention Board; Mesa Citizen Police Academy; Mesa Parks and Recreation Board; Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens; Martin Luther King Committee.

Alex Finter
Age: 47
Education: Mesa Community College, University of Phoenix, no degree.
Occupation: Worldwide Investments.
Community involvement: Planning and Zoning Board vice chairman; Mesa Public Safety Foundation vice president; Human Relations advisory board; chairman of Disabilities Committee.