Framing the Trade: What Incorporation Really Means
- Michael Hedrick, a resident of San Tan Valley, strongly opposes incorporation.
- He frames incorporation as a simple trade: replacing county government with a local municipal government.
- He argues this change doesn’t guarantee better representation—just a smaller, more localized government structure that benefits builders.
- He believes this setup creates an environment where developers have greater influence over policy in a more concentrated area.
The Need for Collective Action
- Hedrick emphasizes the importance of consolidating community voice to push back against entrenched political forces.
- He urges residents to be willing to challenge their assumptions and get involved—through efforts like recall petitions when necessary.
- He stresses that political loyalty should not override principle and is willing to break with his party when he disagrees.
- His broader concern is that government—from federal down to local—no longer represents the people and seeks only their votes, taxes, and compliance.
What Happens Without a Voice
- Hedrick warns that rural homeowners, especially those near the proposed incorporation boundary, will be impacted by commercial encroachment.
- He notes that he himself is likely to be one of those affected.
- Without an organized voice, residents will have no meaningful influence over zoning or land use decisions that affect their neighborhoods.
- However, a unified group—for example, 4,000 residents (like Pinal Code Watchers)—can pressure elected officials to win concessions, such as requiring greenbelts between commercial developments and homes.
- He argues these protections are rarely considered because the public is excluded from decision-making spaces.
How Developers Drive Policy
- Hedrick outlines how major developers and financial entities identify Pinal County as a growth opportunity.
- They hire law firms, marketing consultants, engineers, and local firms to present sophisticated proposals.
- These proposals—including incorporation itself—are pitched to town managers, county managers, and planning and zoning boards.
- He warns that unless residents actively engage, these proposals are likely to become official policy without their input.
Final Warning and Call to Vote
- Hedrick argues that incorporation risks reinforcing a system where residents lack influence while development interests gain even more control.
- His concern is not simply about growth but about how decisions are made and who gets to influence them.
- He believes residents must organize, get involved, and vote against incorporation to preserve their ability to shape the future of their community.