Candidates get ready for Chandler council runoff

Chandler City Council candidates are gearing up for the Nov. 4 runoff election after a primary in which no one won any of the three available seats.

All Chandler council candidates headed to runoff

Chandler council race remains unsettled

The six candidates in this year's election will have challenges of overcoming ballot fatigue and reaching a higher number of voters. Previous elections have always been in the spring and didn't include voter initiatives as well as presidential, congressional, state and county races.

Also, whoever wins will likely face the challenge of developing a budget as revenues shrink.

Most of the candidates tend to agree on a host of issues.

For instance, most agree that delaying capital projects in order to avoid their operational costs is one way to maintain the services of the police and fire department.

Cutting public safety funds is not negotiable, said Kevin Hartke, an interim councilman running for election.

Candidate Rick Heumann takes it a step further by saying that quality public safety is part of the domino effect that starts with good neighborhoods, which in turn helps to drive economic development and increase tax revenues.

In creating this year's budget, the City Council delayed $30 million in public projects, sold off unused vehicles and drastically cut back on overtime for police officers.

None of the candidates would commit to which cuts they would suggest.

"It's too premature," five-time incumbent Matt Orlando said. The economy could slow down more or pick up in the months before the new council members are sworn in, Orlando said.

Heumann and Hartke said they would rely heavily on city department managers and employees to determine what should be cut.

Tracy Buelna said it will take common sense and good judgment.

Jack Sellers said determining which cuts to make depends on understanding the difference between spending and investing.

Getting the chance to make those decisions will take finishing first, second or third in the runoff election, unlike the primary, where winning a seat required not only getting the most votes, but a majority of the ballots cast.

Orlando was the top vote-getter but came up 151 votes shy of the required number.

If the Sept. 2 primary election accomplished anything, it showed that the race is close.Fewer than 700 votes separated Orlando and Hartke, who finished fourth. He finished 19 votes behind Sellers.

"I'd say one, two and three are all wide open," Hartke said. "There is no candidate who is surely in or surely out."

He is concerned, though, that voters might pass on the City Council race.

Orlando said candidates can expect a larger turnout, so they are trying to figure out how best to spend their money to reach a larger number of voters.

Sellers said the results of the runoff will depend on who gets the message out, and he feels confident in securing a seat if he accomplishes that.

"I feel really good about the support I get from the people I talk to," Sellers said.

Heumann said his confidence is bolstered by his strong second-place finish - 333 votes behind Orlando - but he's not taking anything for granted.

"We're going to go out and work real hard," he said.

Buelna and Dorsha Hale were significantly out of the running in the primary, but they said the runoff is a new game and to not count them out.

"The harder I work, the luckier I'll get," Buelna said.

Candidate positions

Kevin Hartke
Where do you stand on tax incentives to lure business?
Tax incentives are worth it if they bring good jobs to the city.
What steps should Chandler take to lure good businesses?
Cultivate relationships with organizations like the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, have infrastructure in place and streamline processes so businesses can move in smoothly.
Where do you stand on eminent domain?
It is a necessary function that a city needs to exercise very cautiously and fairly.
Should Chandler police follow other municipalities and be trained to enforce immigration law?
Still watching how the immigration issue is unfolding.


Jack Sellers
Where do you stand on tax incentives to lure business?
Incentives are appropriate if they bring revenues the city wouldn’t get otherwise.
What steps should Chandler take to lure good businesses?
Maintain connections with organizations such as the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and know the strengths of the city in marketing it.
Where do you stand on eminent domain?
Should be used on a limited basis and make it less painful by doing a good job of planning and communicating the plan.
Should Chandler police follow other municipalities and be trained to enforce immigration law?
The police department should be on the forefront of whatever immigration enforcement training is available.

Matt Orlando:
Where do you stand on tax incentives to lure business?
They must be used judiciously and provide a payback in the short term.
What steps should Chandler take to lure good businesses?
Keep doing what Chandler has been doing, which is provide a well-educated work force, good public safety, good infrastructure in place and good planning.  
Where do you stand on eminent domain?
Must be done on a case-by-case basis in which the project was voter-approved and benefits the community.  
Should Chandler police follow other municipalities and be trained to enforce immigration law?
The Chandler Police Department is researching the policies of other departments in the Valley and is in the process of re-evaluating its policies.

Rick Heumann
Where do you stand on tax incentives to lure business?
Not in favor of incentives for retail, but favors them for businesses that bring quality jobs and make long-term commitments to the city.  
What steps should Chandler take to lure good businesses?
Have a quality economic development staff, work with legislators to give the city tools such as enterprise zones and other incentives.  
Where do you stand on eminent domain?
To be used as a last resort and for a true public purpose.
Should Chandler police follow other municipalities and be trained to enforce immigration law?
If the police chief wants to enhance training to include immigration enforcement, it is up to her.

Tracy Buelna
Where do you stand on tax incentives to lure business?
Favors them for large companies that bring many good jobs.
What steps should Chandler take to lure good businesses?
Keep a well-maintained city with a quality police department, quality parks and neighborhoods and quality services.
Where do you stand on eminent domain?
Use only as a last resort.
Should Chandler police follow other municipalities and be trained to enforce immigration law?
Absolutely.

Dorsha Hale
Hale refused to provide a response to these questions.