Residents of San Tan Valley in Pinal County have collected enough signatures to put the question of whether or not the community should incorporate on the ballot The county recorder’s office has verified those signatures and now there’s a window for potential challenges to them Assuming the effort survives any challenges the Pinal County Board of Supervisors will call for an election in early August This is not the first effort for San Tan Valley incorporation but it is the first time it’ll make it as far as the ballot chairman of the San Tan Valley Incorporation effort joined The Show to discuss why San Tan Valley should become its own city San Tan Valley has been overlooked for a number of years and incorporation is an important path forward for us want to be a place where we can gather together So many people don’t know each other just because of the nature of the way the community is set up And we believe that incorporation is the way to move that forward We want to be able to have proper representation And so we have one supervisor who represents us at the county level we want to have seven representatives who live in our neighborhood And you have elected officials who we have no accountability to them We can’t vote to change their leadership in our community because they don’t live here And so want people who are in our community MARK BRODIE: I want to ask you about the gathering and sort of knowing your neighbors aspect of it What would incorporation do that you kind of can’t do now Because it seems like that’s something that would be able to happen even if you’re unincorporated And so to be able to have economic development to start to develop commercial centers that can draw people together and create a sense of community having community sponsored events to bring everyone together — those sort of things that we can do through having a municipal government that can localize our community BRODIE: What have you heard from folks as you were out collecting signatures and talking to people about this What is sort of the conversation about this that’s actually been the most encouraging part of all this getting out and talking to people in our community And the reason for that is people innately feel the complex issues that are facing San Tan Valley They know what it’s like to drive on these roads having only a couple arteries in and out of San Tan Valley Most people are commuting outside of Santiam Valley to work all at the same time So there’s stress and anger on the roadways fire department can’t get to where they’re going They know what it’s like to not have restaurants to be able to go and dine with their family They know it’s like not to have parks and those kinds of things And then just the lack of cohesion in our community And so we don’t have an overarching master plan or something that’s pushing things forward We have 20 car washes on every corner and dental offices and storage units They want to attract other things to make this more of a community that incorporation would lead to those other amenities things like restaurants and shops that you want and parks and libraries and things It’s as simple as looking at all the communities around us and looking at what they’ve been able to do because they have a local government that can attract those sort of things and develop those sort of amenities And so we believe that this would be the pathway forward to provide those things for our community BRODIE: I want to ask you about any concerns you might have about adding another layer of government and potentially another layer of taxes to pay for some of those amenities Is that something that you worry about or something that any of your neighbors are worried about and I understand that on the federal level But we’re talking about the lowest level of government We’re talking about people who handle our trash who handle our public safety — things that are extremely important for our everyday impact of our lives And so I think government closest to the people works the best and the most efficiently I think unincorporated is the most inefficient and wasteful use of taxpayer money estimate that goes in the Arizona State shared revenue fund $51.3 million to probably about $70 million — somewhere in there — that’s going to fund other cities and the county and it’s not necessarily coming back to San Tan Valley So that’s tens of millions of dollars every single year that are going elsewhere And so we want those dollars to stay in San Tan Valley to fund our roads to fund the things that San Tan Valley residents want instead of paying for everyone else to be able to enjoy that BRODIE: So this is an effort that has been going on for at least a couple of decades now Why are you optimistic that this one will succeed where all of the others have not And I think what’s different about this is the roads have been cleared — if I could say that There were some laws in place that prevented San Tan Valley from being able to move forward communities within six miles of an incorporating community all had the power to veto that And that’s happened based on what we just talked about Because the cities know that they will lose tax money that is San Tan Valley residents’ money if we incorporate And I think what’s also been great about this effort is the team that we’ve assembled And I think that’s the conviction that I feel more than anything I’m just excited for San Tan Valley to have a better future to be able to really take ownership of this community for ourselves it was never set up to manage a city of over 100,000 people the complex issues that we face will continue to get worse They’re going to have to raise taxes to be able to pay and be able to sustain this community These issues are going to get worse unless they get addressed And the county is just not set up to do that And we believe a municipal government is the best way to do it Is it safe to say that you don’t see incorporation and setting up a city government as sort of a panacea for everything Because you don’t have to look too far to see city governments that don’t function maybe as well as they could when we look at a lot of the municipalities around us a good example of how these communities have been able to develop the community and the cohesion they have between each other I have faith in the voters to be able to hold their representatives accountable I think that’s harder when you have to go all the way to Florence to be able to do that and you only have one representative who represents you and you can’t hold the other four representatives accountable I would much rather see that we have direct access to seven people who live in our community and know our community Pinal County has verified the signatures submitted by the San Tan Valley incorporation committee marking the last major step for the group needed to get the question on the ballot The committee filed more than 10,500 signatures and the county found 7,531 of those signatures were valid The group was required to file at least 6,107 to the county to qualify and put the question to the voters No member of the public filed a complaint to challenge the signatures nor has anyone filed campaign finance paperwork for an anti-incorporation campaign San Tan Valley voters will get the chance to answer the question: Do they want to become an official town Residents within the 34.6 square miles defining the area to be incorporated are expected to cast their decision on Aug The Pinal County Board of Supervisors will vote to call the election at a May 2 special meeting It's expected to be held like a regular election with mail-in early voting and election day in-person voting The San Tan Valley area has nearly 100,000 residents.  In 2018, the county projected the area's population — including areas not within the proposed town boundaries — could reach about 310,000 The effort is a turning point for the community that has been in the works for nearly 15 years and has never gotten this far Buchanan Davis is a member of the incorporation committee and told The Arizona Republic he’s excited to give voters the opportunity to decide their future “We’re tired of sending our taxes to neighboring cities We’re tired of the lack of vision and the hodgepodge growth in our area,” Davis said He said residents are tired of playing catch-up on building roads and infrastructure An issue that has brought a lot of attention from community members and elected officials the committee plans to host public meetings to answer questions about the incorporation Like this story? Get more East Valley news straight into your email inbox by signing up for our free weekly East Valley Newsletter Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom ARIZONA HEALTH NEWS 12:05 PM | Updated: 4:04 pm BY KEVIN STONE PHOENIX – Construction is underway on a five-building health care office complex in San Tan Valley called Terraza Medical Village Kraus-Anderson Construction started work on the $45 million project on March 10 An official groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Aug An estimated 340,000 people live within a 10-mile radius of the location which is 2 miles north of Banner Ironwood Medical Center in Queen Creek “San Tan Valley and the surrounding areas have been some of the fastest growing neighborhoods in the state for the last four years and there is no sign of it slowing down,” Jaki Scott director of operations in Kraus-Anderson’s Phoenix regional office The first two Terraza Medical Village buildings are expected to open in May 2026 Tri-City Cardiology an established East Valley cardiology and vascular care practice with 27 board-certified physicians The practice will occupy the first floor of Building 3 “All of the space in Terraza Medical Village will be occupied by specialty medical groups with providers and services to take care of Valley residents,” Gregg Florentin patients will have an all-encompassing facility with specialists TCCC Real Estate Holding Company is developing the project, with TriArc Design and Architectural Services handling the design Follow @kstonezone Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here The members of the San Tan Valley incorporation committee rolled out 10 locked black cases filled with signature paperwork into the lobby of Pinal County’s elections office marking its next steps to become a town on Tuesday A group of San Tan Valley residents submitted more than 10,500 signatures vying to make the unincorporated county island into a municipality The group was required to file at least 6,107 signatures Deborah Grett has lived in the Johnson Ranch neighborhood for 25 years and has seen how the community has exploded She said she was excited to get to Tuesday’s milestone so that voters get to choose incorporation “Then we’ll get to take control and decide our own future,” Grett said Although it wasn’t official on Tuesday whether the effort would get on the ballot San Tan Valley’s incorporation area encompasses approximately 34.6 square miles. The area has nearly 100,000 residents.  In 2018, the county projected the area's population — including areas not within the proposed town boundaries — could reach about 310,000 The effort is a turning point for the community that has been in the works for nearly 15 years stated it could take about a week to review the petition sheets and after which the recorder’s office will do signature verification for 5% of the petitions The Pinal County Board of Supervisors will then have to officially call the election for Aug Lewis said this is the state’s largest incorporation effort ever the largest known incorporation effort was in 1978 when Lake Havasu became a city with about 15,000 residents San Tan Valley has over an estimated 100,000 residents The city of Maricopa in Pinal County was the last place to incorporate the area in 2003 and at the time had just over 1,000 and didn’t need to go to an election because the community gathered support from more than two-thirds of the total population The San Tan Valley incorporation efforts were supported by various other neighboring communities at Tuesday’s event Queen Creek Town Councilmember Jeff Brown was in Florence to support the San Tan Valley incorporation committee along with Boardmember Mike Goodman and Gilbert Councilmember Bobbi Buchli Brown told The Arizona Republic both communities have “significant issues that impact both” communities, such as transportation “The idea of having a partner to be able to lobby at the state legislature for additional transportation projects and road construction projects is crucial,” Brown said He said it's critical to have San Tan Valley be that “regional partner to go and approach the legislature about very regional issues.” Buchli said Gilbert is there to support San Tan Valley if it were to incorporate as people there begin to develop the town’s government Goodman is the only board member who lives in San Tan Valley and has supported their efforts from the beginning He said this effort will help stop the town from “retail leakage” going into Maricopa County add park amenities and address the lack of fire protection residents must subscribe and pay for fire service “Only 33% actually have fire protection because they pay for it … so that’s another gap that needs to be filled,” Goodman said the answer to those problems is incorporation “They need to take control of their own destiny and not leave it to five board members and only one of them lives in the area,” he said The incorporation committee will now shift its focus towards getting the word out to residents about the election once the board of supervisors calls the election told The Republic that his next steps are to “not slow down to pick up speed and get this thing done.” Hudgins noted this is the furthest a San Tan Valley incorporation has gotten Other efforts in the past have been stopped by “outside interests,” he said There will be a brief period where individuals or groups can file a challenge questioning the validity of signatures and remove the effort from the ballot There have been individuals who’ve stated they may challenge the signatures but that he is confident what the group turned in Tuesday would “sustain a challenge.” “We want seven representatives who all live here who all know this area (and) advocate for this area,” he said Contact the reporter. Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom if voters in a Pinal County community say yes The head of the San Tan Valley incorporation effort how two dogs helped rescue an endangered Arizona orchid Pinal County gave a green light to a plan that would create a commercial core in San Tan Valley a move that could have broad economic impact on the area and bolster efforts to formalize it as an incorporated city The Pinal County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last week to create a special district encompassing a vast vacant tract of state land on either side of Gantzel Road near Poston Butte High School Supervisors also rezoned it to allow future development which sits between Hash Knife Draw Road and Bella Vista Road is expected to be developed into new suburban neighborhoods But about 1,250 acres — about 40% of the full parcel — is currently slated for commercial and mixed-use development Details of how the land will be used are liable to change But the current plan underscores how much San Tan Valley has grown in recent years as housing prices have soared in metro Phoenix What once were massive chunks of desert have now transitioned to stucco-beige suburbia San Tan Valley’s population was nearly 100,000 residents, according to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau. In 2018, the county projected the area's population — including areas not within the proposed town boundaries — could reach about 310,000 The unincorporated area is currently dependent on Pinal County government and services residents and county officials have long expressed concerns that it's outgrown its roads public safety services and unincorporated status resident complaints about the lack of local dining shopping and entertainment options have increasingly come to the forefront That has led to several incorporation efforts — all of which have been so far unsuccessful All failed before even making it onto voters' ballots because of opposition from neighboring cities local homeowner associations and some residents some of the provisions in state law that served as barriers to incorporation have been revised or removed the proposed municipality needs to figure out how to fund itself Several residents voiced concerns at a community meeting in 2023 that San Tan Valley currently doesn't have the corporate tax base to afford incorporation Planning documents mention potential incorporation numerous times noting that the proposed commercial corridor would create new economic opportunities and support the effort It would feature a concentrated hub of commercial activity in the heart of the vacant tract centered around Gantzel Road a 32-year-old resident of Wayne Ranch and chairman of the local incorporation committee said the land was “critical to the future of San Tan Valley.” Hudgins said the area was largely a bedroom community He said it was necessary to take a step back from its previous incorporation efforts to add that land to its planning area and help San Tan Valley have a “diversified tax base.” the community could initially capture state-shared revenues Arizona shares a portion of the money it collects from sales taxes and state income tax with established municipalities Hudgins’ estimates show the area could receive between $51.3 and $70 million each year from the fund That would allow the town to “pay its bills” and fulfill the services it's legally required to provide That includes providing its own police protection either by contract or creating its own public safety force Maintenance of public streets within its boundaries would be turned over to San Tan Valley The town would be required to hire a town manager retain legal representation and have a physical location residents can go to It could also choose to levy local sales and property taxes Hudgins said that decision will rest with a future town council he said it's unlikely San Tan Valley residents would incur a primary property tax because the voter base is unlikely to approve one He said residents are already paying sales taxes — just toward other cities "If we can develop a commercial tax base at least those dollars will come here," he said San Tan Valley’s incorporation area encompasses approximately 34.6 square miles and from the Central Arizona Project Canal to Thompson Road Hudgins said the town's population within the proposed boundary was 91,000 residents based on 2020 numbers from the U.S Hudgins is sure the area has grown past that estimate we will be the largest municipality in Pinal County overnight,” he said Hudgins said he and others want to “preserve the charm the identity” of what drew residents in the first place those in favor of incorporation see it as a path toward “purposeful planning.” Hudgins said San Tan Valley will “erode” over the next few decades Road and traffic issues are already top priority for residents — particularly because the vast majority of people in San Tan Valley commute west to Maricopa County for work "It's going to get really difficult,” Hudgins said What’s next for San Tan Valley?Last week's vote was just the first step toward creating a commercial core in the area — and toward incorporation Supervisors said it could take decades to fully develop the land where they envision a bustling commercial corridor the incorporation committee needs to submit a minimum of 6,500 signatures to get the question on the ballot in August the county will hand over the responsibility of city services on July 1 That's the start of the next fiscal year and the reason behind the August vote Hudgins said the incorporation committee wanted to give the community almost a full year to organize the town's government and policies Like this story? Get more East Valley news straight into your email inbox by signing up for our free weekly East Valley Newsletter the largest privately owned homebuilder in North America is excited to announce the purchase of our next large-scale planned community spanning 118 acres planned for 443 homesites along the Hunt Highway Corridor in San Tan Valley The deal closed on Friday for a purchase price of $18 million This new community will be Mattamy's newest sizable acquisition to be developed and built solely by the builder offering a variety of floorplans across three distinct home collections and master planned-caliber amenities for residents making it an attractive destination for homebuyers Rosewood Heights will offer single-story and two-story homes in 35' These homes will showcase Mattamy's newly designed floorplans which have been well-received across the Valley for their thoughtful and open floorplans flexible architectural options and distinctive community design Rosewood Heights will feature a high-level of amenities including a resort-style outdoor pool area With walking paths and gathering areas scattered throughout the community residents will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the beautiful Arizona weather "We are thrilled to expand our reach in the San Tan Valley with Rosewood Heights," says Don Barrineau "We have seen incredible success in this region already and we look forward to continuing to provide homebuyers with Mattamy's high quality homes thoughtful floorplans and outdoor amenities One of the most desirable aspects of Rosewood Heights is its diverse mix of single-family home designs which will attract a wide range of homebuyers from first-time buyers to move-up families and empty nesters With its prime location in the highest producing submarket in the Phoenix metropolitan area Rosewood Heights is sure to be a sought-after community for those looking to buy a new home In addition to its carefully crafted designs and amenities Mattamy Homes is committed to providing energy-efficient and quality-built homes Rosewood Heights homes will qualify for ENERGY STAR 3.2 certification and will feature tankless water heaters dual pane low-E vinyl framed windows as well as third-party energy inspections and testing Homeowners can rest assured that their homes are built with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind "We are always looking for ways to improve our homes and make them as energy efficient as possible," says Barrineau "Our homeowners can feel good knowing that their homes not only look great but also perform at a high level while helping to save them money on utility bills." Rosewood Heights will join Mattamy's actively selling communities Empire Pointe Pinnacle at San Tan Heights and Landmarke in the East Valley Sales for Rosewood Heights are expected to begin in early 2026 with home closings anticipated for the Spring 2026 Company strengthens regional focus to enhance customer service empower teams and drive future expansion VENICE yet just minutes from Angier's charming downtown with effortless access to major thoroughfares RALEIGH,.. Real Estate Residential Real Estate Corporate Expansion Real Estate Transactions Do not sell or share my personal information: Sign up for Weekly Updates The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is asking for public input as it starts a new phase of work on the North-South Corridor project This new study will focus on the northern part of the corridor covering about 20 miles between Apache Junction and Florence Mailing Address: 530 E Hunt Hwy Ste 103-262San Tan Valley Text: 602.348.0238 SanTanValley.com is your #1 resource for anything in and around San Tan Valley Focusing on uniting and promoting all that San Tan Valley has to offer for our visitors and residents SanTanValley.com provides you with local area information & events SanTanValley.com is a partner of the San Tan Valley Alliance (501(c)3) Material displayed is not to be used without written permission by SanTanValley.com representatives You may not reproduce or communicate any of the content on this website images and files downloadable from this website without the written permission of SanTanValley.com representatives Opinions and comments posted by viewers do not reflect the opinions of SanTanValley.com Growing traffic congestion and rising population projections in the southeast Valley have put pressure on the necessity for highway projects that remain in limbo. County and town planners consider two planned highways critical to easing growing traffic congestion in the area Residents depict the roads at failing levels and describe rush hour traffic as a kind of battle San Tan Valley residents feel the most burden navigating the streets while Queen Creek residents seek a resolution to alleviate the congestion An extension eastbound of State Route 24 and the construction of the Central Arizona Parkway and Loop 505 are viewed as the key to relieving local roads What is going on with the State Road 24 extension?State Road 24 is planned to be extended 10 miles east of Ironwood Drive and connect to U.S 60 as a connector for residents and a potential truck route that could help commercial drivers Funding for the extension remains in limbo with no state or local funding identified to pay for the multi-million-dollar project The Arizona Department of Transportation has planned for a north-to-south 50-mile-long corridor dubbed the Loop 505 The department is conducting a second study to better identify the corridor Pinal County is planning a local high-speed corridor called the Central Arizona Parkway to move San Tan Valley traffic north and south Why are the highways in San Tan Valley stalled?In short: money The State had identified $87.5 million as part of its budget in 2024 to distribute to Queen Creek for a State Route 24 extension The county removed the tiered structure of the tax and took it back to the voters The Pinal Regional Transportation Authority Board went back to the drawing board but concluded that it could not implement its transportation funding plan within a 20-year period because of inflationary costs That led the board to “hit the pause button.” Pinal County has submitted for grants twice for funding of the Central Arizona Parkway and State Route 24 during President Joe Biden’s administration State Route 24 is considered an economic link for the Southeast Valley More than 10,000 homes are planned in the Superstition Vista’s master planned development north of the highway Just a half mile south of the highway, the South Korean technology giant LG Energy Solutions is constructing a battery manufacturing facility LG Energy Solutions will be a major employer for the area and is anticipated to hire 2,800 employees in phase one It's the first major employer announced on more than 4,100 acres of state trust land Queen Creek annexed in 2019. The town is planning that area to be a hub for manufacturing jobs to serve the growing population in Pinal County How bad is the traffic in Queen Creek and San Tan Valley?Pinal County traffic studies looked at projected daily vehicle trips along the streets south of State Route 24 and found that without the planned highway the service levels would be at failing capacity or at gridlock More than 100,000 cars would drive daily along Ironwood Drive in 2050 if neither project gets built San Tan Valley’s population was nearly 100,000 residents, according to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau. In 2018, the county projected the area's population — including areas not within the proposed town boundaries — could reach about 310,000 What is the latest with the effort to incorporate San Tan Valley as a new city?San Tan Valley is an unincorporated area that relies on Pinal County government and services But residents in the area are trying to change that The local incorporation committee is gathering signatures to put the question on the ballot in August Supporters of the efforts have said it would give the community the ability to have purposeful planning with a focus on street infrastructure What have locals said about SR 24?Residents in Pinal County have stated their frustration and worry about the worsening conditions “I've been in meetings where our current governor has made commitments to do certain things to provide that extension of the 24 to… just to the canal One resident supports the idea of creating a “special road” just for San Tan Valley commuters Another Queen Creek resident worried about the safety of his stepson Others have demanded that the state make State Route 24 a larger priority and disperse the $87.5 million initially identified for the highway in 2024 A new home community that will sprout 1,435 houses in San Tan Valley is underway Tri Pointe Homes is building the community Prices for the first phase of houses will start in the mid-$400,000s Tri Pointe Homes Arizona Division President James Attwood said Soleo will support Pinal County's “impressive growth” with new homes He said the Tri Point Homes are being developed with modern amenities expansive green space and near major transportation corridors The Valley’s median new home price is in the mid-$400,000 The first phase of Soleo will have 662 homes in four gated neighborhoods: Arietta Houses will range from 2,050 to 4,034 square feet One of the main amenities in the community is the Grand Park located on 15 acres with a two-acre lake for kayaking The community also has three fitness loops 13 smaller parks and a central pavilion with swimming pools Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInSAN TAN VALLEY AZ (AZFamily) — A teenager is in the hospital after being hit by a car while crossing the street in San Tan Valley on Wednesday morning Details on the crash are limited. Around 6:30 a.m., first responders were called to a crash involving a car and a pedestrian near Johnson Ranch Boulevard and Saddle Way, just west of Hunt Highway. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office says a Ford Ranger truck was going east on Johnson Ranch when the driver hit a teen who was walking across the street near a crosswalk Rural Metro paramedics airlifted a 16-year-old to the hospital The teen had serious injuries but is in stable condition stayed on the scene and wasn’t injured in the collision Authorities say East Saddle Way is closed as the investigation is underway See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description AZ — The Pinal County Board of Supervisors is set to vote this week on whether to allow the battle of incorporating San Tan Valley to begin is an organization behind the push to incorporate for the last year and a half the Board of Supervisors will choose whether the organization is allowed to collect signatures for a petition to get it on the ballot for San Tan Valley residents "We will have local representation; we’ll have a mayor and a council," said STV Inc "We currently have one Supervisor managing San Tan Valley that lives here and knows this area four of which don’t live in San Tan Valley." There are some residents opposed to the idea of incorporating and want to annex San Tan Valley or even create a special taxing district but Hudgins says many of the residents they've spoken with believe the pros outweigh the cons "We love the community; we love the character of this community," Hudgins stated But our argument is we are no longer a small population of people We’re larger than Queen Creek and so this is area is changing The character is going to change unless we do something about it." If the Pinal County Board of Supervisors gives the seal of approval can start gathering signatures to get it on the ballot as early as 2025 Report a typo ARIZONA NEWS San Tan Heights master-planned community within San Tan Valley a northern Pinal County community with a population of about 100,000 the group behind the campaign to incorporate San Tan Valley said Thursday he’s optimistic about the latest attempt to turn the unincorporated area into a town “There’s been some incorporation attempts in the past but San Tan Valley residents have never been given the choice to be able to decide their future that’s really the heart of what we’re trying to do,” he told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show STV Inc.’s mission, per its website is to “empower residents through self-governance improve local services and enhance the quality of life in our community.” Hudgins said creating a local governing authority would give the community more control over tax dollars and development plans The aim is to create a municipality where residents can work and play without relying on surrounding cities “People are tired of having 20 car washes on every corner People are tired of having to go to restaurants outside the community with their families People are tired of having to commute outside of San Tan Valley for work.” Hudgins said “outside interests” have derailed previous incorporation efforts “A lot of the laws have been changed and updated to allow us to be able to move forward we really think we have a very viable opportunity to do this,” he said A big hurdle was recently cleared when the Pinal County Board of Supervisors voted to let STV Inc start a petition campaign to get the incorporation issue on the ballot We have six months to be able to get 6,000 we feel like the community is just excited to see this happen,” Hudgins said the public vote will be held in August 2025 As part of the push to incorporate San Tan Valley Hudgins said his group has been communicating with leaders in surrounding cities and towns in Pinal and Maricopa counties “I’m proud that our City Council supports the incorporation efforts of San Tan Valley as they work toward greater self-governance and local representation,” said Mesa Mayor John Giles “Incorporation is a smart move that will enhance regional collaboration, empowering… pic.twitter.com/aOBACeweBU — Tyler Hudgins (@tahudgins) August 20, 2024 Gilbert and Chandler have already committed to supporting the effort also met with the mayors and city managers from Florence Florence was a notable opponent in the past Mesa and Gilbert are the only cities that have veto power because they are the only municipalities within 6 miles of San Tan Valley with larger populations, according to STV Inc. and we think the momentum is in our favor,” Hudgins said which gets its name from the nearby San Tan Mountains is around 47 miles southeast of downtown Phoenix beyond the southeast Valley suburb of Queen Creek Updated map pic.twitter.com/YC3Lpr2Eve — Tyler Hudgins (@tahudgins) April 8, 2024 The public was provided with opportunities to provide input about where the proposed town’s boundaries should be drawn “Our heart is not to force people into something that they don’t want to do and so we decided to go with the map that we have based on feedback with the community based on what we understand to be San Tan Valley proper,” Hudgins said In addition to the area’s cultural history planners took economic factors into account “The land that we’ve included in the map has provided opportunities for us to develop good commercial so that we can have our residents stay in our community and make this a community,” Hudgins said A woman's body was pulled from a canal in San Tan Valley after a call was made alerting the Pinal County Sheriff's Office PCSO found the woman in the canal near Hunt Highway and Copper Mine Road on Dec Authorities were unable to find any obvious signs of a crime or foul play but noted there were "suspicious circumstances," PCSO spokesperson Lauren Reimer said The woman has been identified as 21-year-old Arianna Sandoval Steele "The results of the medical examiner's autopsy will help us learn more about what may have happened (to her)," said Reimer PCSO's homicide unit is actively investigating the death AZ — The Pinal County Sheriff's Office is searching for a driver who reportedly struck a child and fled the scene Thursday night Officials say the crash happened in a neighborhood near Hunt Highway and Johnson Ranch Boulevard PCSO says the alleged vehicle involved was a 2016-2024 four-door Kia sedan that was either white The vehicle is missing its passenger side mirror and possibly has front bumper and passenger side damage The public is asked to call 911 or PCSO at 520-866-5111 if a vehicle matching the description is seen