Mesa council candidates outline stands

Besides the presidential election buzz nationally and the city’s mayoral runoff closer to home, east Mesa residents still have a vote to cast for a City Council seat.

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For the first time since the city’s March 11 primary, District 5 council candidates Dina Higgins and Phil Austin debated Wednesday night at Red Mountain High School on property rights versus city and neighborhood interests, law enforcement’s role in tackling illegal immigration, development and a secondary property tax.

Higgins said she would push for a “stronger sales pitch” to attract high-tech companies instead of seeing companies such as Motorola move out of Mesa. Austin said his focus would be on providing public safety and balancing the budget.

Austin, a lawyer and former state prosecutor, said Mesa needs to look into the impact of illegal immigration on the city’s schools and hospitals “and develop a comprehensive approach to provide service to all citizens.”

He also favors law enforcement agencies working together instead of fighting over jurisdictional issues, in reference to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s sweeps into Valley communities.

Higgins would like the city to put pressure on Gov. Janet Napolitano to secure additional federal funding for communities to offset the costs of illegal immigration.

“Cities shouldn’t have to pay for something that’s not their fault,” Higgins said.

She also wouldn’t want Mesa to become a place where residents, legal or otherwise, are scared to report a crime.

“If someone calls for help, please don’t check their immigration status,” Higgins said.

Discussion weighed strongly on a 51-acre parcel near the Las Sendas community in the district that has pitted neighbors against the developer and the city. Austin said there needs to be a balance between property rights, the need for development and neighbors’ concerns.

If the developer has conformed with zoning regulations and done modifications addressing neighbors’ concerns, the council has to vote according to the law for the property owner, Austin said.

But Austin emphasized the need for a proactive process where all stakeholders are brought together to discuss proposed projects to thrash out contentious issues.

“We need to start discussions early on so we’re not reacting to plans at the 11th hour,” he said.

“Council needs to be in contact with the community and not just rely on staff for their recommendations,” he added, on a question about how much weight to be given to what could be seen as the city’s agenda.

Higgins said the city needs to give more solid reasons to push for projects to have certain specifications, such as more office space, as Bill Jabjiniak, the city’s economic development director asked for in the Las Sendas case.

Higgins said the city would have to give solid data on the economic impact of such demands.

“When you (the city) say ‘we just want it,’ well that’s not good enough,” Higgins said.

With vast land swaths ripe for development in east Mesa, both candidates agreed on the need to attract high-end jobs. Higgins said bringing companies to Mesa would help escalate its quality of life. She envisions the area along Loop 202 between Recker and Higley roads replicating the three-to-four-story office buildings that hug Loop 101 in Scottsdale and north Phoenix.

Austin said the city also has to balance the need to develop the Falcon Field and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway airports, while at the same time mitigating noise and air pollution concerns.

“It would help the city grow to a first-class city, but not at the expense of the neighbors,” Austin said.

Higgins, a resident of the citrus sub-area near Falcon Field, said she’s always fought for it to be low-density. She noted she was unhappy about the city’s plans to replace orchards with strip malls.

Both candidates differed on their approach to Councilman-elect Alex Finter’s recent suggestions the current council impose an immediate secondary property tax to help a cash-strapped fire department.

Higgins agreed the present council needs to tackle that issue before new members come in June 2. She said she would not impose a secondary property tax right away, adding that there was plenty of confusion on what bonds the secondary taxes would pay for.

Austin noted that government needs to work like a business, keep expenses in check and look for finances other than taxes. For instance, collaborations between the city and Mesa Unified School District and community colleges. Or getting federal funding and outreach through businesses and nonprofits.

Higgins faces Austin in a May 20 runoff that also decides the mayoral contest between Scott Smith and Rex Griswold.