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Wednesday, JANUARY 11, 2023
Official: Fed ozone limits could cripple Valley growth BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
AHWATUKEE.COM
INSIDE
This Week
T
he Phoenix Metro region could lose more than $100 million in economic growth if it fails to meet upgraded federal air quality standards for ozone levels by August 2024, a Valley environmental official told Phoenix City Council last week.
And those losses would steadily increase over the next 20 years to as much as $848 million if the Valley’s ozone levels are not brought under control, Tim Franquist, environmental policy director for the Maricopa Association of Governments told council’s Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee Jan. 4. Moreover, the controls necessary to meet
Ahwatukee prof prepares for MLK Day panels.
SPORTS ......................... 37 Joseph Lindsey helps fire up Pride roundball. COMMUNITY ............................. 25 BUSINESS ..................................... 30 OPINION ..................................... 34 SPORTS ........................................ 37 GETOUT ....................................... 40 CLASSIFIEDS .............................. 47
more stringent federal air quality controls will carry a substantial cost to taxpayers, he indicated. “That’s going to be a big issue for this area,” he continued. “We really haven’t put in ozone-control measures for about 20 years, so we’re definitely going to need a lot more see
AIR page 12
Election 2022 isn’t over as voters decide District 6 seat BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
COMMUNITY ............. 25
www.ahwatukee.com
A
hwatukee voters haven’t seen the end of the 2022 election cycle and have one more vote to cast. That will be to decide whether Kevin Robinson or Sam Stone will replace Sal DiCiccio as their representative on Phoenix City Council. Term limits precluded DiCiccio from running again. Because none of the eight District 6 candidates’ total votes exceeded 50%, Robinson and Stone are in the March 13 runoff election after garnering first and second place, respectively. The Ahwatukee Foothills News today is publishing in their entirety questionnaires it sent to Robinson and Stone. AFN asked the candidates to limit their responses to 75 words to each question. The questionnaires will also be available at Ahwatukee.com. The questionnaires begin on page 18. AFN also has invited both candidates to submit weekly columns that will begin running Jan. 18. With the exception of two columns for
KYRENE KIDS ARE READY FOR THE FUTURE
which AFN asked the candidates to address a specific question, the candidates were invited to write on subjects of their choice. Those columns also will be posted to Ahwatukee.com. The goal of the questionnaires and columns is to give readers an unfiltered look at the candidates. District 6, which includes Ahwatukee as well as Arcadia, Biltmore and north Central Phoenix, is one of two districts where runoff elections are scheduled. A runoff also is being held for District 8, which covers South
Phoenix and parts of the east and downtown. There, incumbent Carlos Garcia is facing off against challenger Kesha Hodge Washington. There are 123,772 active voters in District 6 – the second highest among the city’s eight districts. Of that total, 54,621 live in Ahwatukee, according to the most recent data available from the Maricopa County Recorder and the Phoenix City Clerk. According to final tallies from the Nov. 8 election, 89,688 District 6 voters cast ballots in the council race – a turnout of 73.9%. Early voting for the election begins Feb. 15 and the last day to register is Feb. 13. The city will have voting centers for in-person voting available on March 11, 13 and 14. Register: elections.maricopa.gov/voterregistration/register-to-vote.
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