The implementation of the new landing fees at Falcon Field is scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2026. I predict the City Council will postpone those fees after the Primary Election on July 21st. They are waiting until after the election because it favors Alicia Goforth to be able to claim she will continue the landing fees since that position will get her more votes right now. But, with the pending lawsuit by the flight schools and the FAA involvement, a better solution needs to be found.

I won't pretend to have all the answers. I am running my campaign with two unpaid volunteers and little money. So, I do not have the resources to investigate all the claims, compile evidence, consult with experts or hold town halls to gather input from the community. Those are the things I would do when I am a member of the City Council; which did not happen before the current decision to impose landing fees.

Ultimately, I would balance the economic benefits of the airport with the health, safety, and quality-of-life concerns of nearby residents. This is exactly what needs to be done and is why we need people in government who will consider all residents' concerns and do that “balancing” honestly and free from undue influence, whether by campaign contributions from the affected businesses or pressures from lobbyists, etc.

It should be obvious from my website that I will usually favor individual residents over “big” business and that I believe we need to address pollution and other environmental issues. Yet, the issue is more complicated since it involves individual residents who are homeowners, and other individual residents who are employees, students, and small business owners, all impacted by Falcon Field on both sides of the landing fees, noise and pollution dispute, so I will need to consider all the circumstances of everyone concerned and obtain input from objective experts, the FAA, the flight schools and the neighborhoods, to try to work out compromises that work for all.

In addition to a long career as a trial lawyer, I also volunteered my time as a Judge, Mediator and Arbitrator. I completed all of the mediation training but more than that, my extensive mediator experience will be useful to bring the affected people together to explore ways to compromise and work out our differences. I am confident creative ways can be found to resolve this issue to everyone's reasonable satisfaction.

I support that Falcon Field should be self-sustaining. Yet, I am troubled by the 10 free monthly landings. Why are they allowed for everyone? If the concern is for students and the schools, can we exempt them to help the schools but charge all others for all landings? Has anyone looked into alternative landing patterns or time of day restrictions or sound muffling devices or pollution filters or other ways to raise revenues, etc.? What will be the ramifications from the fees? This all needs to be studied objectively and humanely. 

All credible claims of pollution and health issues from leaded fuel must be taken with the utmost care and seriousness. This includes pushing to bring unleaded aviation fuel to Falcon Field as soon as feasibly possible.

I have a lot of questions, and I am generally sensitive to environmental issues, so I would explore all ways to protect our residents. Certainly, I will support conducting and publicly releasing air and soil testing for lead exposure in neighborhoods near Falcon Field. This needs to be a part of the thorough objective investigation we need, and I firmly believe in full disclosure to the public.

One thing I can unequivocally assure everyone is that however I may vote on any issue it will be done maturely in good faith to the best of my abilities and will never be influenced by personal gain (financial, fame, prestige, popularity, etc.) or to gain election votes.

The City Council race is “nonpartisan”, so some people question why I mention Party or my Progressive political views. But, nonpartisan simply means that anyone, regardless of how they are registered to vote, are allowed to vote for any candidate running for that office regardless of their party affiliation, and the ballot will not designate any Party for any candidates for that office. So, unless I disclose where I am coming from you won’t know.

For me, "nonpartisan" does not mean Party or political philosophy is irrelevant. That would be naive. The City Council makes decisions that directly affect its residents. Like increasing your utility rates, approving new data centers in your neighborhood, opening homeless shelters, approving affordable housing, solving noise pollution at Falcon Field, etc. A candidate's views and philosophy are important for the voters to know how the candidate will likely approach matters that arise for the Council’s decision. Will they favor business interests or working families interests? Will they approach crime merely with increased enforcement or will they seek to solve core underlying social issues causing crime? Will they approve new businesses and developments because it will make a few wealthy, and boost their social status or will they insist on concessions to provide affordable housing and housing for the homeless? Will they tend to put the less well off and marginalized groups' interests ahead of, or behind, those of the affluent? 

City Council decisions should be made without interference or intimidation by outside organizations. Councilmembers should not be pressured or threatened for acting independently in the best interests of their residents. But, politics has been injected into the process. When councilmember Julie Spilsbury (a Republican) faced a recall effort supported by Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, after she committed the unforgivable “sin” of endorsing Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, it underscored the growing influence of outside groups in local governance. Mesa’s elected officials must answer to the people of Mesa - not to national political organizations. But, the reality is that every councilmember is now looking over their shoulder to make sure they don’t do anything that a powerful outside group like Turning Point  doesn’t like. That is not true “nonpartisanship”. So, let’s be honest and transparent about where we stand and stand up to Turning Point and their ilk.

We will do everything we can to get the word out. Digital campaigns are great, but there is no substitute for a lot of yard signs, flyers and other written materials that cost money to produce and distribute, or for people to knock on doors and call voters in the neighborhoods. 

If you want to see someone with Progressive views represent you on the Mesa City Council, please donate whatever you can; and thank you. If you don't have money, you can volunteer. Something as easy and simple as calling Democrats from our database can help tremendously. Together we can and will win in July.