4 candidates running for 3 Apache Junction City Council seats. What to know

The time for early voting has started for Arizona's July election, and Apache Junction voters have to choose among four candidates seeking to fill three City Council seats.

Each candidate has promoted their platforms through campaign websites and candidate forums specifically stating their vision for the city, mentioning issues such as economic development, property taxes, and water retention.

Voters will be choosing between candidates who have experience being on council and one who has not been on council but offered services to the community through his business.

Apache Junction incumbents Peter Heck, Bambi Johnson, and Tess Nesser hope to retain their seats. Newcomer Mo Mohiuddin hopes to replace one of his incumbent competitors for a seat on the council.

Mohiuddin is the only council candidate who did not respond to The Arizona Republic's questionnaire.

Arizona local elections: Read our full coverage of the Apache Junction 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. Those who choose to vote by mail are advised to mail their ballot by July 23 or drop it off at a ballot drop-off location or voting location by July 30.

Who’s running for Apache Junction City Council?

Heck, 69, was raised in Philadelphia. He served as a licensed executive director for senior living communities for 11 years in Apache Junction.

He was appointed to the City Council in May 2022 and has served for the past two years. He has also worked on the planning and zoning commission, served on the board of the Chamber of Commerce, and served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club.

Heck has also served as the captain for the AJ Mounted Rangers.

Johnson, 66, moved to Arizona 30 years ago from Pennsylvania. She has worked in business for 40 years consulting for small to multimillion-dollar businesses.

She has also worked in manufacturing, retail, land development, and with Washington County for development in Pennsylvania. She is an Army advocate and a U.S. Army veteran.

Nesser, 75, was voted to serve on the council in 2020. She has been involved with Apache Junction since 1997 and attends every council meeting.

She was the chairman for planning and zoning, a part of parks and recreation, and on the library board for more than 20 years.

She also volunteered for the Police Department for 18 years and worked with the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce for about five years.

Mohiuddin, 63, is the owner of The Hitching Post saloon. He has not served on any boards but serves the community in different ways by participating in fundraisers to help the community. He ran for Apache Junction mayor in 2022.

Mohiuddin has clashed with the city in the past. In 2010 he faced a criminal charge for placing an 8-foot rooster statue on the roof of his saloon without a permit and the city deemed the statue to be a public safety hazard. A judge decided to drop the charge and levied a $250 fine on Mohiuddin.

In 2018 he filed a lawsuit against the city where he claimed his 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law was violated. He also claimed himself as a victim of racial discrimination by city officials.

What issues do the Apache Junction hopefuls plan to focus on?

All of the candidates expressed their concerns on how the city needs to grow economically and their support in helping local businesses.

Aside from economic development, Heck also wants to address the homeless situation in the city. He states there needs to be a human and strategic approach to dealing with homelessness.

Johnson believes there must be a focused master plan if there is going to be more sales tax and business.

Her plan is for the city to develop part of its team to be devoted to providing more assistance to private residents and small-business owners.

Mohiuddin plans to focus on the city’s need for commercial business to generate revenue while also improving the permit process for businesses to build or expand. He hopes this will attract more people to come to Apache Junction.

He states how a lot of commercial property is being converted to residential. According to him, only 7% of commercial property makes up Apache Junction. Mohiuddin plan is to bring businesses into the city and by putting a stop to the rezoning of commercial properties to high-density residential.

Nesser also mentioned most of the city's revenue comes from sales tax. She states the city does not have a property tax and when residents pay this tax the money only goes to Pinal County and the state of Arizona.

She questions how the city is supposed to run if taxes are eliminated. City services such as the Police Department, the library, and the parks and recreation would not be able to thrive if the state eliminates taxes.

She also wants to prioritize looking at education in Apache Junction. Nesser states how Apache Junction needs a trade school not only educating high school kids but also adults who need retraining for a job. She wants to encourage the high school in the city to step up and develop a trade school approach.

All of the candidates are in support of the bond as they believe the schools in the city need to be upgraded and modernized for kids to get a better education.

What measures are candidates taking to help businesses in the area with tax inflation?

When it comes to running a business Mohiuddini believes if you are a smart business owner you won’t need help from the city and should not be concerned with issues such as tax inflation.

He said losing a business due to a bad economy is not the government or city's fault, the owner of that business should know how to properly manage it in order to gain support from their community.

Heck recognizes how the rise in inflation has affected small businesses. He believes the city can help by offering a business resource directory giving business owners training on budgeting, employment, payroll and taxes.

Johnson understands how important it is for businesses to survive to better the city. She also said how the city, the chamber, and the library have resources to help small businesses. She believes the library system is one of the best tools a small business can use to educate themselves on how to run a business.

Nesser also speaks highly of the resources available to small business owners. She states as a City Council member she wants to work with the library system and the chamber in helping owners manage their small business.

Who is endorsing the candidates?

Heck does not seek any endorsements and his campaign is self-funded.

Johnson has received an endorsement from WeSERV Pinal County Realtors and has raised $500 in campaign contributions.

Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers has thrown her support to Mohiuddin. He has not raised any money in campaign contributions.

Nesser does not seek any endorsements or campaign contributions.

Reach the reporter at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Apache City Council election 2024: Meet the candidates