Three seats are up for grabs on the Goodyear City Council when voters go to the polls on July 30. Six candidates are competing for them.
Councilmembers Bill Stipp and Sheri Lauritano have reached their term limits and are ineligible to run for another term. That means the City Council will have at least two new members.
Incumbent Laura Kaino is seeking re-election. She'll be facing off against newcomers Angie Amarillas, Benita Beckles, Tamara Floyd, Teri Roberts and Trey Terry.
The new City Council members will help decide the direction of development and transportation in the city, the biggest issues facing Goodyear.
Beckles and Floyd were the only two candidates who did not respond to The Arizona Republic's questionnaire.
Arizona election:Read our full coverage of the Goodyear council race
Early voting began July 3. Voters can check on the status of their mailed-in ballot on Maricopa County’s website at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/voter-dashboard-login. Thosewho choose to voteby mail areadvised to mailtheir ballotbyJuly 23 or drop it off at aballot drop-off location or voting location by July 30.
Who are the Goodyear City Council candidates?
Amarillas, 70, currently works as the founder and CEO of Amarillas Consulting Group. She is the former Vice President of Membership at the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Beckles, 74, achieved the rank of Colonel in the Air Force, serving 30years as a commissioned officer. She also spent 20years working in city government for the cities of Detroit and Phoenix.
Floyd, 60, who has been a resident of Goodyear since1999, currently works as the outreach director for the University of Arizona’s Roosevelt Early Childhood Family Resource Center. Floyd previously served on Goodyear's Bond Commission and the Goodyear Police Community Action Network.
Incumbent Kaino, 67, was first appointed to City Council in July 2018 to complete the term of former Councilmember Joanne Osborne. She was elected in March of 2019. Kaino previously worked for the city of Phoenix in a variety of departments, including law, water services and parks and recreation.
Roberts, 46, who has been a resident of Goodyear for nearly 20 years, operates Arizona Orthopedic Physical Therapy and Kids Place Pediatric Therapy with her husband Ryann.
Terry, 37, a Goodyear native, is a U.S. Army combat veteran and school board president. He currently works for a nonprofit organization and has previously worked for the United States House of Representatives and in media relations and communications.
Who supports Goodyear's candidates and what do they stand for?
While the candidates don't have any major disagreements, their priorities vary slightly.
Amarillas' campaign website states that her priorities are providing quality neighborhoods, advancing city infrastructure and strengthening the economy by attracting new businesses to Goodyear.
She said she is the first Latina to run for City Council in the city.
Amarillas is endorsed by former state representative Marcelino Quinonez and former state representative Lorenzo Sierra.
Beckles said on her campaign website her priorities include expanding the downtown area, ensuring the financial stability of the city, and expanding public safety.
Beckles, Kaino and Terry are endorsed by the United Goodyear Firefighters Local 4005.
Floyd's campaign website lists her priorities as supporting small businesses, human services and resources and transportation.
According to Kaino's campaign website, her priorities are improving quality of life, economic development and public safety. That includes ensuring that neighborhoods are safe, response times remain low, and Goodyear sees the restaurants and retail that its residents are asking for.
Kaino is also endorsed by current Goodyear mayor Joe Pizzillo and the Goodyear Police Officers Association.
Roberts lists her priorities as public safety, economic development, community health and wellness, fiscal responsibility, government transparency and government efficiency. Some of that includes support for first responders, safe communities and more health care workers locally.
Terry's campaign website has his priorities listed as supporting and strengthening public safety department, fiscal responsibility, protecting the city's water supply, being responsive as a city government and preserving Goodyear's high quality of life. That includes ensuring that response times are low and public safety officers and well-equipped and well-trained, Terry said.
In addition to being endorsed by United Goodyear Firefighters Local 4005, Terry is also endorsed by the Goodyear Police Officers Association.
What the Goodyear candidates think about raising taxes
Amarillas, Kaino, Roberts and Terry all said they would find other avenues to address a budget shortfall before raising taxes.
Goodyear may see a slight budget shortfall due to activity last year at the state level. One bill, for example, will prevent all Arizona cities from implementing a rental tax starting in 2025.
While some cities are projected to lose tens of millions of dollars due to the ban, Goodyear only brought in about $5 million annually, with about 22% of households being occupied by renters.
Amarillas said she would first explore all other options, with cutting programs being a last resort. For example, public-private partnerships could be an additional option for revenue as the city avoids cutting programs, she said.
Kaino similarly said she would explore other options before raising taxes or cutting services. For example, Kaino said the city can evaluate its internal processes to figure out where it can be more efficient or implement a hiring freeze or hiring justification process to further check the necessity of hiring new employees.
Goodyear candidates on transportation
In her campaign, Beckles has said that roadway improvements would be a priority when it makes sense financially for the city.
One of Amarillas' priorities would be to strengthen the transportation infrastructure in Goodyear. She supports having continual discussions with Maricopa County, Maricopa Association of Governments and the Arizona Department of Transportation to ensure residents' transportation needs are met.
Some of those might include improving major roadways and intersections by widening roads, upgrading traffic signals and enhancing traffic signals, Amarillas said.
Terry and Kaino are both supporters of Proposition 479, which voters will see on their ballots in November. The half-cent sales countywide tax could fund the construction of State Route 30, which would serve as a reliever to some of the traffic on Interstate 10.
Kaino also supports WeRide, which is a shared ride system that gives rides for $2 or less. Both Avondale and Surprise have implemented WeRide programs.
Roberts thinks the most important transportation projects in Goodyear are the widening of the underpass under Interstate 10 on Pebble Creek Parkway and the widening of the bridge near Estrella Mountain Ranch. Both of those projects will be funded by Goodyear's bond, which was approved by voters earlier this year.
Job creation in Goodyear
The average commute time for Goodyear residents is around 30 minutes, meaning most residents are traveling outside of the city for work. The city has been vocal about its efforts to create more jobs within the city, and some of the candidates shared their thoughts.
Amarillas said the city can support startups, entrepreneurs and small businesses through incubators, co-working spaces and grants. The city can also collaborate with local schools and universities to offer training programs and apprenticeships for industries in the area.
According to the city's economic development team, over 13,000 jobs have been created in the city in the last four years, Kaino said. She will continue to support the growth of the city, with new employment centers and multi-family housing attracting more restaurants and retailers.
At Arizona Orthopedic Physical Therapy and Kids Place Pediatric Therapy, which Roberts owns and operates with her husband, Roberts said they researched the area's demographics, taxes, permitting, safety, proximity to highways and major intersections, commercial building costs, and affordable housing before deciding to come to Goodyear. Opening a business is a strategic decision and people have to want to live in the city in order to maintain employee retention, Roberts said.
That means the city needs to attract residents first. The city can do that by being safe and having diverse housing options, Roberts said.
Terry also said that the city policies can have an impact on the economic development of the city, although city officials cannot create jobs. Terry said one of his priorities would be seeing more commercial businesses and shops in the city.
Reach the reporter atahardle@gannett.comor by phone at 480-259-8545. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter:@AlexandraHardle.
