We recently asked Five Questions to the candidates running for and the incumbents on the Town Council. Councilmember Steve Urie’s answers to our five questions is next. We do this to shine a spotlight on the people who are shaping Gilbert and to facilitate a larger conversation about governance. We thank Mr. Urie for taking the time to share with us and look forward to hearing from the other candidates and current councilmembers.

We here at Gilbert Arizona’s Homepage are fans of everyone who chooses to serve our community and nation. We encourage you to connect with them, learn about their views, and then vote. Voter and election information at the end of the article.

Five Questions for Councilmember Steve Urie, candidate for Gilbert Town Council.

What do you think is going well in Gilbert and should be continued?

The council has set and met its goals in the areas of public safety, economic development, street construction acceleration, and additional parks with recreational amenities.

What are some “lessons learned” that you would do differently?

I believe that the town council should have retained the services of a public relations firm to address the issue of the departure of the private county island fire provider.

What are the things you are doing right now to create/preserve the Gilbert of 2020?

What the council, boards, commissions, committees and staff have done.

1. Hired 71 new police officers
2. Hired 40 new firefighters
3. Built 4 new fire stations in 4 years
4. Reduced police response time by 34%
5. Decreased crime by 29%
6. Added 4 new parks for a total of 205 acres
7. Added 5 miles of new and/or improved trails
8. Widened 12 roads (most in front of county islands)
9. Seventy-five (75) new signalized intersection
10. One hundred ninety (190) miles of new street lanes built
11. Issued building permits for 10,000,000 square feet of retail, office, commercial, and industrial space

What the council, boards, commissions, committees and staff are doing or are planning to do in the next 4 years.

1. Hire 37 new police officers
2. Build a south area police substation
3. Hire 64 new firefighters
4. Build 3 new fire stations
5. Build 2 new recreations facilities
6. Build 5 new parks and expand 3 existing parks for a total of 488 acres
7. Senior/Community Center - complete the construction
8. Water Treatment Plant -complete the construction
9. Waste Water Treatment plant -complete the construction
10. South area service facility - complete the construction
11. Nineteen (19) new road projects
12. Seventeen (17) major road widening project

Why should someone move to, or start a business in Gilbert?

These are a few of the reasons whey someone would want to move to or start a business in Gilbert.

1. Gilbert is ranked the safest community in Arizona and the 22nd in the nation
2. Gilbert is ranked the 16th most livable city in the nation
3. Only one municipality in the State has lower taxes than the Town of Gilbert.
4. The Town of Gilbert has partnered with over 52 public, private and non-profit organizations in order to provide wise use of tax payer dollars.
5. Gilbert has an award winning Planning Department
6. Gilbert has an award winning Economic Development Department
7. Gilbert is revitalizing its Heritage District
8. Gilbert supports and partners with the school districts within its boundaries for joint use of facilities to save tax payer dollars
9. Gilbert does more with fewer municipal employees and budget than another other east valley municipality - it is fiscally conservative and responsible.

What is your favorite thing about Gilbert?

I enjoy the friendly people and, the small town atmosphere that everyone seems to enjoy.

Thank you for participating Mr. Urie. Good luck in the upcoming elections.

More information about Steve Urie may be found on his website:

www.steveurie.com

(begin candidate submitted accomplishments)

EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE:

AA Degree, Law Enforcement, June 1976, Ohlone Community College, Fremont, California
BS Degree, Business Management, Marketing and Finance, 1979, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
MBA Degree, Management Information Systems, 1982, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Arizona Department of Real Estate Approved Instructor. Continuing Education Instructor; GRI Instructor.

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE:

Councilman 1999–2007, Vice-Mayor 02-03
Economic Development Advisory Board Liaison
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, Liaison
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Liaison
Parks and Recreation Sub-Committee, Member
Paths, Opens Space and Trails Sub-Committee, Co-chair
Equestrian and Special Events Venue, ad hoc committee, Liaison
Redevelopment, Past Liaison,
Redevelopment Commissioner, Past
Heritage DAT Study Committee, Member
Riparian Advisory Board Member
MAG 20/25 Committee
Williams Gateway Partnering and Re-use Committee

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE:

Mesa Verde Property Management, Inc, President/Designated Broker; Business Owner 21 years.
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, Member
Gilbert Leadership Class IV
Gilbert Leadership Board of Directors
South East Valley Regional Association of REALTORS:
2003 REALTOR of the Year
SEVRAR Property Management Committee, Chair
Government Relations Committee Member
Education Committee member,
ABR and GRI designations.
National Association of Residential Property Managers, Past President and Board Member;
NARPM Arizona Chapter, Past President
RMP and MPM designations.

(end of candidate submitted accomplishments)

Elections 2007 - Gilbert Town Council

Register to vote or update your voter information here:

http://recorder.maricopa.gov/regform.aspx

Primary Election - Tuesday, 13 March 2007

General Election - Tuesday, 15 May 2007 (Please note that a General Election will occur only if needed in the case of a runoff. That said, it is important to vote for your cadidate of choice in the Primary Election.)

Vote by Mail - You may also vote by mail. Call the Gilbert Town Clerk’s Office at (480) 503-6871 or Maricopa County Elections Department at (602) 506-1511 to request a ballot. Or go online at:

https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/evbrequest.aspx.

Vote Early - The polls open for early voting on Monday, 12 February 2007 and close on Friday, 9 March 2007. Early voting polling stations are located at the Gilbert Municipal Center (50 E. Civic Center Drive - east off Gilbert Road just south of Warner Road) during regular business hours.

Vote Often - No, not in this election. We mean vote (once) in every election not just the big national elections. Every vote and every election is important.

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