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Chandler mayor Dunn handily tops Westbrooks
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Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn, with his wife Nancy, takes congratulatory phone calls from supporters at his at his Chandler home following his re-election to office.
Ralph Freso, Tribune
Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn handily defeated Vice Mayor Phill Westbrooks Tuesday for the city's top elected job. "It was a tough campaign," said Dunn, 53. "I think if it wasn't for my family and my faith that I wouldn't have gotten through this with a positive attitude."
To many, the mayor's race boiled down to a battle between two voting factions on the council. Boyd Dunn has traditionally been lumped in with cCouncilmen Lowell Huggins and Bob Caccamo, who also won re-election Tuesday.
Westbrooks has generally been identified with Councilwoman Donna Wallace and cCouncilmen Martin Sepulveda and Matt Orlando.
During the campaign, Westbrooks, 44, has blamed the rift on Dunn's leadership style, claiming the mayor did not communicate with all council members.
Dunn, who will begin his third two-year term as mayor June 8, said Tuesday he'll be looking for the council to start putting "personal agendas" aside and start doing "the work of the city."
"I think the council needs to certainly look toward the future," he said. "And look toward the fact that we will have two new council members on this council."
During the campaign, both candidates put Chandler's future economic viability as the city's top priority. City officials expect Chandler to reach residential buildout in the next four years, leaving the city without the lucrative development impact fees that have fueled growth over the years.
Dunn seemed to run on his record during the campaign, citing milestones such as Intel's announcement of a $2 billion expansion in Chandler and completion of his city's section of the Loop 202 Santan Freeway.
But Westbrooks often pointed out during candidate forums that the entire City Council had played a hand in such accomplishments.
Dunn called his victory a message from voters that they're "very pleased with the direction the city has gone in the past four years."
Voters contacted at a Chandler polling place seemed to agree.
"I think he will be able to handle the challenges that face Chandler as it approaches buildout," said Chandler resident Valerie Elliott, 36.
Westbrooks, now in the final months of his second term as a councilman, was ineligible to run again under the city's term limitations.
"Obviously I'm out of city government for four years," he Westbrooks said. "I have plenty of time to think to decide what I want to do."
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