Both candidates in November's runoff election for a Chandler City Council seat consider experience their biggest asset.
Kevin Hartke and Donna Wallace have previous Council service - Hartke in 2008 as an appointee after Martin Sepulveda was deployed to Iraq, and Wallace from 1998 until term-limited in 2006.
"I'm of the philosophy that if you don't care who gets the credit, you can do a lot of great things," said Hartke, a pastor who has served as commissioner of Chandler's planning
and zoning committee.
"I'm a forward thinker who will be diligent in attending to the needs of our citizens."
Said Wallace, a small-business co-owner and sales associate at Macy's: "I can't be bought or threatened, and when I was on the Council last, there were people who tried to do that. For me, it's never been about power. It's been about public service. The people who served in the city with me before know what they are getting."
In August's primary, Hartke fell about 500 votes short of being elected outright, triggering a runoff against Wallace. Hartke received 10,290 votes, Wallace 9,318.
The runoff winner will join a Council that will spend much time dealing with financial challenges. Chandler is aiming to cut $74 million from its budget in the coming years, and projects around the city have been delayed.
The Council must also hire a permanent city manager.
Both candidates said that Chandler overspent on a $73 million new City Hall and $10 million Arizona Avenue improvement project.
Both also cited the necessity of attracting business and jobs downtown and to the area surrounding Chandler Airpark and the Price Corridor.
GetAGripEVTrib posted at 3:54 pm on Tue, Oct 26, 2010.
Thank God for term limits - but too bad for all of us that the limits don't last a lifetime. I shudder to think of what things will be like if she gets elected again.