Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn is running unopposed. What are his priorities?

Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn will stay in office after the July 30 primary, despite making waves over the past several years with the city's highly publicized groundwater issues.

Orsborn, 51, is running unopposed and will win his second term as mayor. Orsborn originally took office in 2020 after serving on the Buckeye City Council as the District 6 representative for a decade.

Orsborn also ran unopposed in his last election for mayor, resigning from City Council to run for the spot after longtime Buckeye mayor Jackie Meck announced he would not run again.

Orsborn, an Arizona native, has lived in Verrado with his family for 20 years. He has been heavily involved in the public eye with Buckeye's ongoing water issues. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, Orsborn is also helping to direct the city's growth.

Orsborn is the owner of OCM, a construction and maintenance company based in Buckeye. He serves on the MAG Regional Council and Greater Phoenix Economic Council boards. He has also been a board member for Valley Metro for over 10 years.

Early voting began on July 3. Those who want to participate in the election must register at https://servicearizona.com/ by July 1. Voters can also check their status or request a mail-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.

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Orsborn's priorities include water management, attracting jobs

Orsborn has said in an Arizona Republic questionnaire and elsewhere that his priorities going forward will be to secure the city's water future and build more transportation.

Buckeye currently does not have a Designation of Assured Water Supply from the Department of Water Resources, which is awarded to cities that have 100 years' worth of water. Buckeye heavily relies on groundwater, although the Department is no longer giving designations or certificates to cities based solely on groundwater.

The city is currently exploring other avenues. Last year, the City Council approved an $80 million purchase for groundwater rights in the Harquahala sub-basin. Orsborn said the city will continue to look into other water sources, such as the height expansion of the Bartlett Dam, partnering with local irrigation districts and using reclaimed water.

Orsborn said one of his other priorities will be continuing to attract jobs to the area. The city has attracted 5,000 jobs within the last four years, which will begin to be available within the next few years, Orsborn said. Some of those jobs include healthcare employers, such as Abrazo Community Health Network and Banner Health, both of which are currently in the planning process of coming to Verrado.

KORE Power is also planning to build a KOREPlex lithium-ion battery facility about a mile from downtown Buckeye. The project is expected to eventually bring about 3,000 jobs to the city.

Orsborn said a big concern among potential developers is the "speed to market," with about 80% of seeking land that is ready for vertical construction or existing buildings they can move into. Orsborn said one of his priorities will be continuing to work with the development community to create projects that are ready for construction, or buildings that are ready for tenants.

Bringing in jobs also comes with bringing in residents, and Orsborn said an adjacent priority will be continuing to bring in diverse housing options, including both affordable and luxury.

Like many other cities, Buckeye will also be faced with a budget shortfall after the Legislature passed a bill that will ban cities from implementing rental taxes beginning in 2025. But currently, only about 8% of Buckeye residents live in rental housing, as the city hasn't seen a significant increase in rental housing in nearly 20 years.

With rental taxes, the city was only taking in about $1.2 million, in comparison with other cities in the Valley that raked in tens of millions per year. However, the city had about 10,000 units in the pipeline at the time that the bill was passed.

Orsborn said protecting taxpayers is a priority, with the city potentially delaying roadway improvements or finding alternative sources of funding if possible.

Some of Orsborn's other priorities include improving public safety and keeping response times low as the city's population rapidly expands and promoting quality education to help attract jobs.

For example, Orsborn is an advocate for the Western Maricopa Education Center, or West-MEC, which has specialized programs for different industries for both high school students and adults. The Southwest Campus is located in Verrado, with some programs offered including automation, physical therapy and veterinary science.

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Reach the reporter at [email protected] or by phone at 480-259-8545. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @AlexandraHardle.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Buckeye mayoral election 2024: Eric Orsborn runs unopposed