Latest news with #Spilsbury
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mesa recall effort spills into Council Chambers
It'll cost Mesa $104,577 to hold a special election Nov. 4 for voters in District 2 who will decided whether or not to remove Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury from office. Council last week voted 5-0 for the mail-in-ballot election after resident JoAnne Robbins gathered more than enough signatures to trigger the recall. Council members Alicia Goforth and Francisco Heredia were absent. Although Robbins claimed that Spilsbury's votes on three issues – approving the purchase of a homeless hotel, a pay raise for council and a utility hike – warranted her ouster, others say it's partisan-driven. About a dozen people spoke on the recall July 8. 'I strongly believe that Councilwoman Spillsbury should be immediately removed from office and not allowed to continue to sit and cause more grief and discontent for her constituents of District 2 and the City of Mesa as a whole,' resident Scott Grainger said. 'She has demonstrated a total disregard for District 2 constituents. She's acted more than once in a total disregard of the ethics provisions of the city council ethics rules by acting as a liberal activist supporting the Harris-Walz presidential campaign and the U.S. Senate campaign of Sen. (Ruben) Gallego. 'These actions alone as a nonpartisan member of the council are sufficient in my view to have her removed.' Grainger noted that he was speaking for himself and not as a Republican precinct captain of Legislative District 2. Bob Hathcock, who said he was one of the 3,858 verified signatures on the recall petition, noted that 'we exceeded the minimum signatures requirements by 20%' A total of 5,235 signatures were submitted when 3,100 was needed. Hathcock also said he helped gather the signatures and personally met with hundreds of concern friends and neighbors. 'In our visits, the vast majority of people shared their feelings of betrayal, distrust and misrepresentation from our current council representative's voting record and untimely public endorsements,' he said. 'Nearly all who signed were well informed on the issues and needed no explanation for the grounds of this recall.' He said even though the council elections are nonpartisan, voters know the candidates' party affiliations and typically vote accordingly. He claimed that Spilsbury, a Republican, misrepresented herself as a conservative to get votes and proved 'to be quite the opposite' after securing her seat. 'Here's the kicker,' Hathcock told Spilsbury. 'The results of your 2024 re-election would have been much different had you publicly campaigned for extreme liberal candidates before Election Day versus one week after securing a second term.' Hathcock also disputed criticism that the recall was pushed by an outside special-interest group funded with dark money by again noting the 3,858 verified signatures belonged to disappointed constituents in District 2. Mark Kimball claimed that voters in Spilsbury's district have been disenfranchised with her 'supporting and promoting ideology that is diametrically opposed to what she originally ran on' and that her constituents felt betrayed. But Brian Dille, a political science professor at Mesa Community College, offered an opposing view. 'All the things that Councilwoman Spilsbury is being criticized for are all actions that she engaged in prior to the election,' Dille said. 'And so, the constituents have already spoken and re-elected her overwhelmingly.' According to Dille, the State Constitution says the intention of a recall is to remove an elected official for corruption and malfeasance. 'If the founders of the state could see how an a national interest group could cynically use this tool that was given to the people of Arizona - designed to protect us from the influence of outside interest groups - they would be deeply disappointed with this generation and the way we've used this right that we have,' Dille said. He noted, 'No contention of corruption and malfeasance has been made, which is the reason the recall exists.' Dille claimed that the outside group is depending on the silence of people who won't come to Spilsbury's defense. Turning Point USA, a national conservative advocacy organization, funded and helped coordinate the recall. 'They know that if they can get rid of Julie using their money and their influence, then they can go to any state legislature or city council around the state and say, 'Do what we say or else,'' Dille said. 'This is not a recall election. This is a hostile takeover.' Alayne Favreau and David Lane both said the recall was a waste of taxpayers' money. Favreau said that Spilsbury cares about Mesa and wants what's best for the city. And Lane said that the concerns raised by the recall organizers are 'partisan political issues' and that Spilsbury has the right to vote for whomever she pleases. Jeremy Spilsbury called his wife an 'excellent leader.' 'The most important thing of the success of any organization, certainly a city, is determined by the ability of people to collaborate,' he said. 'And one thing I admire and I'm so grateful for Council Member Julie Spilsbury's leadership is that she leads out in being an example that she treats people with dignity, with respect and with compassion. You can't get good policy, you can't get good results in an organization or city if you can't foster those kinds of relationships.' Ron Williams, who ran for council last year, said he was concerned for Mesa. 'This recall I don't know where it's all going,' he said. 'But I will say that with this recall election, you can expect a whole lot more. Get ready Mesa. You're going to hear a whole lot more coming because when the people speak and the group that doesn't like it, watch out. Who's next?' Spilsbury, reading from a prepared statement with emotion, said that as part of her duty as a council member, she is required to vote for the special election to comply with state statute. 'Let me be clear,' she said. 'I do not support the purpose behind this recall. It does not serve the public good and I strongly disagree with the premise on which it was initiated. This vote is not a judgment of merit on the recall itself. It is a fulfillment of my responsibility as a public servant.' Spilsbury then noted that she was elected twice by wide margins. In the July Primary last year, she beat her opponent by capturing 65% of the votes. Her term ends in January 2029. 'Unfortunately, a special interest group, according to all of the flyers they passed out, funded by out-of-state dark money and relying on paid petition gatherers, has now launched a recall against me,' she said. 'Let's be honest about what's happening. 'This is not a response to misconduct or malfeasance. Recalls are meant to protect the public from elected officials who have committed serious ethical or legal violations. That is not the case here.' She added that if her constituents were unhappy with her, they would have voted her out. 'Over 23 of the petitions were circulated by non-Mesa residents,' she continued. 'In fact, of the top 15 petition gatherers, 11 were not Mesa residents. Not only were they not residents of District 2, they weren't even residents of Mesa. No one in Mesa should be OK with this.' Spilsbury also pointed out that two of the votes cited for recalling her were unanimous council decisions and the approval of funds for an emergency homeless shelter was to offer safety and stability to homeless survivors of domestic violence, children and veterans. 'That is a vote that I will not apologize for,' Spilsbury said. 'I will always support Mesa's most vulnerable.' She said that she consistently listens to constituents' input, studies each issue with care and votes on what she truly believes is in the best interest of the entire community. 'Picking up your trash and delivering clean water are not Republican or Democrat issues,' Spilsbury continued. 'We do not serve a party. We serve the people of Mesa.' Councilman Rich Adams, elected in November, said he's been a conservative all his life and that he was the sole opponent of the city's non-discrimination ordinance while serving on the Economic Development Advisory Board. Council adopted the ordinance in 2021. That said, Adams added that he's personally observed Spilsbury clearly leading with her heart and serving the community 'This recall neither serves our community nor puts Mesa first,' he said. 'I don't like it, nor do I support it. But I believe in the rule of law and Arizona law allows its citizens to recall elected officials for any reason or no reason. It's a fundamental right.' According to Adams, he examined the recall petitions and found that about 20% were gathered by paid circulators, which is legal. He questioned the claim that the recall was a local effort. 'My observation, not scientific, but I leaped through all those pages, was that about 40% were gathered by volunteers who live in the following communities: Marana, Surprise, Glendale, Pine, Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix, Chandler, Tolleson, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Sun City, Fountain Hills, and Tucson,' he said. 'So Mesa's grassroots apparently cover a lot of territory. 'I'm not making any suggestion here but it sounds a little disingenuous to me.' He added that none of the reasons cited on the recall petition involve violations. 'I do believe that she has been targeted with the intent of making an example of her for breaking political ranks,' Adams said. 'She didn't tow the line. That's what this is about. And speakers have confirmed that.' Councilwoman Jenn Duff said that she felt 'very ill with the responsibility to approve this administrative action.' 'I believe it is a waste of taxpayer dollars without just cause,' Duff said. 'Issues around partisan politics is outside the purview of city government, a nonpartisan body. We need to keep outside interests outside of local governance. 'We are not a conservative Mesa. We are not a liberal Mesa. Together we are Mesa.' Key dates in recall move Candidate filing period: Aug. 6–Sept. 5 Voter registration cutoff: Oct. 6 Ballots will be mailed: Oct. 8 Last day to mail back ballot: Oct. 28 Special Election Day: Nov. 4 For more information or questions, contact the Mesa City Clerk's Office at 480-644-4868 or
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mesa councilwoman will face recall election
The recall election for Mesa City Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury is a go. City Council is expected on Tuesday, July 8, to vote on a resolution calling for a special election Nov. 4 with a mail-in ballot for voters living in council District 2, which encompasses central and south-central Mesa. Maricopa County Recorder's office verified 3,858 of the 5,235 signatures on the recall petition. The required number of signatures to trigger an election is 3,070. It will be the first recall election for a Mesa Council member in almost 50 years. Spilsbury said she will not resign and intends to fight for her seat. 'I have not done anything wrong,' the two-term councilwoman said. 'I haven't done anything illegal. 'We will be anxiously waiting to see who files a statement of interest, to find out who I will be running against.' The candidate filing period is 60 to 90 days prior to the recall election, according to city spokesman Kevin Christopher. 'The 60-to-90-day timeframe calculates to be Aug. 6 to Sept. 5,' he said in an email. JoAnne Robbins, who filed the recall petition, declined to comment until after council takes action July 8. The petition cited Spilsbury's votes - hiking council members' salary, allowing the purchase and renovation of a former hotel for an emergency homeless shelter and raising the city's utility rates as the reasons to remove her. Spilsbury noted that two of those votes – the pay boost, which was a cost of living increase, and the utility hike, which averaged out to $5 more a month – were approved unanimously. And while the homeless hotel was a split vote, Spilsbury said that it was a good use of money to protect Mesa's most vulnerable population – children, women, seniors and veterans. 'That was not a controversial vote,' said Spilsbury, adding she will continue 'to speak up for kindness and compassion.' Spilsbury contended that the reasons for kicking her out of office are a ruse, noting that the recall was funded and organized by Turning Point USA. Its founder is Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist. Spilsbury said it'll cost the city thousands of dollars to run a special election orchestrated by an outside group. 'Nobody should be spending all this money to take out a council member for what?' she said. 'There's a 5-2 Republican majority on council. It's not like I'm a threat. 'I think people in Mesa are not OK with an outside group telling us how to run our city. I think that will resonate with people.' The recall is entirely a grassroots effort, insisted Matthew Martinez, a field strategist with Chase the Vote, Turning Point Action, which targets and brings out the conservative voting base in elections. Martinez accompanied Robbins to turn in the recall petitions. Until a candidate steps up to challenge Spilsbury in the special election, Martinez say it was too soon to say if the group will continue to provide its support. Supporters of the recall effort against Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury posed with empty boxes when the sole box with petitions for the action was submitted to the Mesa City Clerk earlier this year. The boxes were an apparent effort to demonstrate the size of support recall organizers had garnered. 'I just hope that whoever it is, it's someone who is not going to go against the constituents, lie and break the bylaws,' said Martinez. He said that Splisbury, a Republican, used her 'city, title and name' to endorse Democratic candidates. 'Julie was endorsing Ruben Gallego, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and doing TV ads with Ruben Gallego, using her city council title,' he said. 'That is in direct violation of the city bylaws, of the city council charter.' The city's Ethics Handbook for Elected Officials prohibits elected officials from using public resources for political campaigning, they can't use their office to advance private interests and they can't engage in political campaigning at city meetings or city buildings. Martinez also blamed Spilsbury for a Mesa's ordinance, which he claims 'allows men into women's locker rooms and bathrooms.' The council, including Spilsbury, voted in 2021 to approve a non-discrimination ordinance, which provides protection from discrimination and ensures equal access to goods, services, employment, and housing within the Mesa city limits. Protected bases include race, age, disability, sex, gender identity and marital status. Spilsbury said the council is doing some great things and now she'll have to spend time campaigning again – fundraising, knocking on doors and other outreach. She handily beat her opponent in the primary last summer, capturing nearly 66% or 8,120 of the votes. 'I have a lot of support across the city and across the state,' Spilsbury said. 'But it's like running an entirely new campaign. 'I hate to do it again after just raising $60,000 last summer for the election. It's very frustrating I have to do it again. I just want to do my job.'
Herald Sun
03-07-2025
- Health
- Herald Sun
Doctor Bernie Spilsbury retires from Sunshine Coast Turf Club
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Legendary jockey Chris Munce credits him with being the first person to detect his potentially-deadly throat cancer. Dr Bernie Spilsbury has helped countless other jockeys and trainers and been there for some of racing's magic and also most tragic moments since starting as the Sunshine Coast Turf Club doctor almost four decades ago. The retiring doctor, who has also been a long-time Sunshine Coast Turf Club board member, will get a fitting farewell with the Dr Bernie Spilsbury 3YO Handicap (1000m) named in his honour on Caloundra Cup day on Saturday. Munce, the champion jockey who is now a two-time Group 1 winning trainer, fears what might have been if Spilsbury had not intervened when Munce's 'tonsils were swollen up like golf balls' not long after he rode All Too Hard to be runner-up in Ocean Park's 2012 Cox Plate. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'I rode that horse in the Cox Plate and two weeks later I was brushing my teeth and I saw one of my tonsils was like a golf ball in the back of my mouth,' Munce recalls. 'I went to the doctor and they just gave me antibiotics, I then went back a week later when it hadn't improved so they put me on a stronger dose and it still didn't improve. 'I was at Caloundra races one Sunday and I asked Dr Bernie to have a look. 'Within one second he told me, straight up, that I had cancer. 'It was a lot for me to digest in one afternoon, so I went home in a bit of shock I didn't tell (wife) Cathy or anyone. 'The next morning, Dr Bernie rang my house number and Cathy picked up the phone and it all went from there. 'Thank goodness that Dr Bernie spotted it, because it would have just kept spreading through my lymph nodes and God knows how far it would have got to.' Dr Bernie Spilsbury, who retires after having been the club doctor at the Sunshine Coast Turf Club for almost four decades, being farewelled by jockeys, racing officials and club staff. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography. • Guineas bid nod and Winx to Tighe's mighty mare Munce successfully beat cancer and Sunshine Coast club officials say Dr Spilsbury has been instrumental in warning other jockeys about some unusual symptoms that later turned out to be cancer. Sadly, Dr Spilsbury was also there at the scene of a heartbreaking tragedy when jockey Desiree Gill died following a race fall at a twilight meeting at the Sunshine Coast in 2013. 'It was shocking,' Dr Spilsbury recalls. 'I was there and she came down head first. 'I am sure she was dead the moment she hit the ground, but I went to try to work on her to see if she could be saved. 'But in my own heart I knew she had passed away.' Dr Spilsbury has long loved the racing game, breeding horses himself as he followed in the racing footsteps of his father and his grandfather. He is looking forward to heading to Caloundra Cup day on Saturday and hopes he can turn a small betting profit in the race named after him. 'My mantra is, you bet small and you lose small,' Dr Spilsbury said. 'A $6 boxed trifecta is my go and that's what I will be doing on Saturday. 'I am a very low key person, but it is a humbling honour to have a race named after me.' • Thompson to return bigger and better to Brisbane's riding ranks Sunshine Coast Turf Club chairman Peter Boyce hailed Dr Spilsbury's contribution to the club as both a medical professional and a board member. 'He will be missed by us, as he is the most kind and compassionate man I know,' Boyce said. 'His care for fellow human beings is second to none and all done a very low key and unassuming way.' Originally published as 'He told me straight up I had cancer': Sunshine Coast Turf Club's legendary racing doctor Bernie Spilsbury retires
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Over 5K sign petitions to recall Spilsbury from Mesa City Council
JoAnne Robbins arrived at Mesa City Hall May 27 with a box containing petitions signed by over 5,000 voters wanting to boot Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury from her District 2 seat. Robbins, who filed for the recall Jan. 30 and needed to gather 3,070 signatures, turned in the petitions three days before the deadline. The petition cited Spilsbury's vote to hike council members' salary, allowing the purchase and renovation of a former hotel for an emergency homeless shelter and raising the city's utility rates as the reasons to remove the second-term councilwoman. 'A lot of people are not happy,' said Robbins, who lives in Spilsbury's district, which covers central and south-central Mesa. 'The main reason is she's not representing her constituents. She voted for the homeless hotel despite the outcry from her constituents. 'Basically, she said, 'I'm going to vote what I believe is right. I'm never going to say what people want me to say. Elected representatives represent their constituents, not their own well-being.' Robbins also rapped Spilsbury for 'tripling down on DEI practices' and 'maintaining the transgender agenda of men (using) women's bathrooms and boys competing on girls' sports and using their locker rooms and bathrooms.' And there's the council pay raise, according to Robbins. 'They voted to give themselves a raise out of our pockets,' she said. 'I wish I could vote to give myself a raise. We went to many council meetings and spoke out about that. You know, give us a year, give us a chance to rebound. But no.' The council in 2023 unanimously voted for a 7% salary hike that went into effect this year. Nearly 40 people showed up Tuesday morning at City Hall. Some also were unhappy that Spilsbury, a Republican, threw her support behind Democratic candidates. Spilsbury called the move against her politically motivated, pushed by an outside group. According to the City Clerk, the petitions bore 5,235 signatures but they haven't been verified yet. The clerk will have 10 days to do so. Afterwards the petitions will be forwarded to the Maricopa County Recorder, who has 60 days to check if any signatures must be disqualified for reasons such as the individual was not a registered voter, didn't live in District 2 or because the signature was illegible. If the petitions have the minimum required number of signatures, Spilsbury has the option to resign or fight for her seat in an election. According to Deputy City Clerk Lisa Anderson, the election would likely be in March. The deadline for submitting items for an all-mail ballot this November is June 9. Should the recall move forward, candidates who want to run for the seat would have to first gather signatures to qualify for the ballot – 2% of the total votes cast for the District 2 seat at the last election, or 246 signatures, according to the City Clerk. Spilsbury said she has no intention of giving up her seat. She won a second, four-year term in last year's primary. In that nonpartisan election, she captured 8,120 or 65.91% of the 12,320 votes cast. Her opponent Melody Whetstone garnered 4,158. 'I will not resign my position,' Spilsbury said in an email. 'I have been an extremely involved and engaged council member and I care deeply about the residents of District 2 and the whole city. 'We have accomplished some amazing things in Mesa during my first four years in office. This Council has seven individuals who belong to different parties and who run the spectrum of political ideology,' she continued. 'But we are able to work together to focus on the needs of Mesa residents and find real solutions rather than score political points. When we disagree and discuss really difficult issues we treat each other with dignity and respect, which allows us to end up with better solutions.' Spilsbury added that she will continue to work to continue that success. Recall supporters showed the material they handed out to secure petition signatures. Gender issues raised But Dorean Taylor had a different view. 'I've had many neighbors sign the petitions,' said Taylor, who gathered about 30 signatures. 'There's a lot of people in the LDS community that live in my neighborhood. I think they had a great deal of trust in her based on the platform that she stands on in their faith and she kind of, she basically violated what they have. 'It's called The Family Proclamation, which says gender is not fluid (and) we don't agree with what the LGBTQ community promotes.' Taylor also accused Spilsbury of 'breaking her code of ethics' by campaigning for Democrats Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz during the Presidential election. 'In this (council) position, you can't campaign for anything,' Taylor said. 'On top of that she also campaigned for the morals – or the amorals, if you will – that they stand for. She showed herself through that, basically saying, 'I'm going against what I say my faith believes in, and I'm going to go for a man-made agenda.'' Taylor said her neighbors also were aware that Spilsbury (along with the entire council) voted to increase utility rates. 'She's OK to spend our money when we're already in debt,' Taylor said of the embattled councilwoman. 'She's OK for standing on platforms that the Republican Party traditionally does not support. 'You can do whatever you want to do in the privacy of your own home, but to allow males into female public restrooms and locker rooms and vice versa endangers not only young children and people that are maybe more vulnerable. It also puts liability on the City of Mesa.' The council in 2021 on a split vote approved an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in the city against protected groups like race, sex, age, ethnicity and gender identity. State Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, who also showed up, said he supported recalling Spilsbury because she 'was dishonest to her voters,' namely for supporting a homeless shelter in her council district and approving the non-discrimination ordinance. 'They would not have elected her,' Kern claimed. 'So you want honesty in front of the voters. We want to let the voters know who you are and what you believe, and then let the voters decide on whether or not they're going to cast their vote for you. So she was dishonest to the voters.' Kern also pointed to Spilsbury being part of a coalition of Republicans who endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket, calling it 'disingenuous to the voters.' Kern was endorsed by President Trump in 2022 for his current seat. 'We have thousands and thousands of signatures,' said Matthew Martinez, who was pointed out as the spokesman for the people gathered outside City Hall. 'So many people in Mesa are ready to recall Julie Spilsbury. 'The citizens of Mesa had no idea about her voting record, also that she's been campaigning for Democratic candidates. People are fired up. They don't like when someone is claiming she's a Republican but endorsing all these Democrats and campaigning as a Republican. And with all of her nasty voting record, too.' Martinez, who grew up in east Mesa and now lives in Phoenix, said he got involved with the recall because Mesa is his hometown and his parents still live there. He insisted the recall was a grassroots effort with students, teachers and moms who went out and gathered signatures for the petition because 'they're disappointed, they're let down by Julie.' According to his LinkedIn account, Martinez is a field strategist with Chase the Vote, Turning Point Action, which targets and brings out the conservative voting base in elections. Martinez, like the others, also pointed to the city ordinance that he says allows transgender women to use women's bathrooms and locker rooms. 'So when she votes like that, it gets everybody involved,' Martinez said. Spilsbury rebuttal Spilsbury said she is a proud member of the Republican Party and have been registered as such her entire adult life. 'I want my party to succeed but reserve the right to disagree with those in my party,' she said. 'That is America. Those filing the recall petitions against me did not list as a reason for their efforts my position on a partisan political race. 'The truth is that my loyalty to the City of Mesa and all its residents will always outweigh any allegiance to a political party, social group, church or any other organization or group.' She pointed out that the council seat is nonpartisan and that her duty is to serve all residents in the city without regard to political affiliation or position. 'The issues we deal with, police, fire, roads, water, etc. are neither Republican nor Democrat,' Spilsbury noted. 'They are issues that affect all Mesa residents without regard to political philosophy.' She also called out the critics of the city's non-discrimination ordinance. 'This type of political mis-speak would make George Orwell proud,' Spilsbury said. 'I voted to approve an ordinance that respects the rights of all community members under the law while protecting our religious liberties of conscience. Nothing more. Nothing less. 'Opponents forecast Armageddon-level upheaval if the law passed. However, nothing of the sort has happened. In the four years since the ordinance became law, there has not been a single instance or issue raised under it with the city. None.' Spilsbury also addressed the homeless shelter. 'Once again, this is a gross misrepresentation,' she said. 'Nearly every issue before the Mesa City Council draws support and opposition from residents, who are often passionate. The homeless shelter vote was no exception. 'Homelessness is a serious issue in our city, and we are constantly working to find solutions to manage it. Ignoring the homeless in our community will not make the problem disappear. "A necessary part of the solution is providing emergency sheltering for female adult homeless Mesa residents who are victims of domestic violence, their children, families and veterans. That is what this shelter provides.' She said that after she studied the issue in depth, she supported the action to purchase and convert the former hotel. 'I believe it makes Mesa safer and serves the most vulnerable members of our community,' she said. Among the recall supporters who helped deliver the petitions to the City Clerk were, from left, Matthew Martinez, Dorean Taylor, Antonnette Andruzzi and JoAnne Robbins. Outsiders slammed Proving her point that the recall is being spurred by an outside group, Spilsbury said that 'the signature gathering effort for this recall has been directed and paid for by Turning Point USA, a special interest organization who is active in partisan politics.' The flyer included a disclaimer that it's paid for by 'Turning Point PAC with 100% of contributions coming from out of state contributors,' according to Spilsbury. 'I have no intention of cowering to an organization who is funded 100% by out-of-state donors,' she said. 'Last July, the same people who now oppose me ran a hand-picked candidate against me in the city election. They had their chance to make their case with voters at that time. I won the election in a landslide. 'The losers of that election do not respect the will of the voters, and they are simply trying to undo the results of the election they lost, and have brought in a big-money partner in who is funded 100% by contributions not only from outside of Mesa, but from outside of Arizona. 'Their disrespect of our election process is disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising' Also, in February, a social media post offered to pay people to gather signatures on the recall petitions – $200 for 100 valid signatures. The contact person was Merissa Hamilton, a one-time Phoenix mayoral candidate and activist with ties to ultra-conservative groups. Anticipating that she might have to face a recall, Spilsbury in February reached out to her constituents asking for them to call her with any concerns before signing the petition. She also in March asked her supporters – over 400 names from her previous two elections – if they still backed her and if so to let her know so she could add them to a list on her campaign webpage. Also in March, the Mesa Chamber of Commerce's Good Government Committee issued a message on social media in support of Spilsbury, saying the chamber has been proud to endorse her twice. 'Councilmember Spilsbury is currently facing the prospect of a recall petition and election,' the state read. 'This effort is not supported by the Mesa Chamber or the business community at-large. "Throughout her tenure, Councilmember Spilsbury has displayed professional conduct and voted time and time again with the Mesa business community on issues before the Mesa City Council. 'Recall is not something to be taken lightly. The only basis for a recall should be professional malfeasance or misconduct while in office. Neither has yet to be identified by any of the Spilsbury recall petitioners. Councilmember Spilsbury deserves thanks from and the support of the Mesa business community instead. 'To be clear, the Mesa Chamber of Commerce does not support the recall of Julie Spilsbury and encourages the Mesa community to do the same.'
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Mesa Councilmember Julie Spilsbury, who backed Kamala Harris, faces recall effort
Mesa Councilmember Julie Spilsbury, who backed Kamala Harris, faces recall effort Show Caption Hide Caption Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs talks about 2025 legislative session Gov. Katie Hobbs talks about affordability, safety, Arizona's water future and building relationships with new members of the state Legislature. Mesa City Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury faces a recall effort led by resident JoAnne Robbins. The recall petition cites Spilsbury's votes on a homeless housing program, council salaries and utility rates as reasons for removal. Spilsbury and other council members believe the recall is politically motivated and tied to her endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. An effort to boot Julie Spilsbury off the Mesa City Council is underway after a resident filed a recall petition with the city clerk's office in January. Current and former councilmembers, some of whom are registered to vote as Republicans and some as Democrats, called the effort "purely political" and a misplaced effort to inject hyperpartisanship into nonpartisan local politics. The reaction is aimed at past comments by the conservative political group Turning Point Action, which was angry Spilsbury endorsed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election in November. Spilsbury is a registered Republican. Spilsbury represents District 2, which encompasses the central east area of the city. She recently was re-elected to her second term in August and won the district with 65% of the vote. Mesa resident JoAnne Robbins filed the recall petition on Jan. 30 to the city clerk's office. Robbins will have until May 30 to file with the clerk's office a minimum of 3,070 valid signatures of registered voters in Spilsbury's district. Robbins, in her petition, stated the grounds to recall Spilsbury involved a trio of yes votes to: Approve a permit to change the use of a hotel into a homeless housing program in November 2023. Increase City Council salaries in December 2023. Increase Mesa utility rates in December 2024. Both the votes to increase salaries and rates were unanimously approved by the Council. The vote to change a Main Street hotel, which sits in Spilsbury's district, into the permanent home for the city's transitional housing Off the Streets program passed on a 4-3 vote. This recall effort marks the first in Mesa's recent history, according to the city clerk. Spilsbury told The Arizona Republic she wouldn't change how she voted and believed the positions she took were in the best interests of the city. She called the recall an 'attempt to overturn the will of the voters' just months after she was 'resoundingly re-elected.' She believes her Harris endorsement is another reason Robbins is attempting to recall her. Spilsbury doesn't believe Robbins is alone in this effort but rather is supported by Turning Point Action. Turning Point Action's Tyler Bowyer, over the past four months, has posted on the social platform X calls to kick Spilsbury out of office. He condemned Spilsbury for campaigning with Harris' team in Arizona before the November election. In November, he wrote, 'I think we should recall Julie Spilsbury. Someone should let her know.' Two residents contacted Spilsbury Wednesday and alerted her to a meeting held by Turning Point Action, which focused on teaching residents how to collect signatures, according to emails reviewed by The Republic. Council members are elected to the role in a non-partisan position. The city's handbook prohibits council members from political campaigning at city meetings but states nothing in the handbook prohibits the elected official from participating 'in public forums/debates.' The Arizona Republic could not immediately reach Robbins or Turning Point Action for comment on Spilsbury's recall petition. How the Mesa council is reacting Councilmember Jenn Duff called the recall 'purely political.' Duff is one of two registered Democrats on the City Council and one of the yes votes to approve the Mesa hotel permit. She had not heard of any recall efforts against her or Councilmember Francisco Heredia, the other Democrat, who voted for the hotel conversion. Duff said Turning Point Action 'as Republicans feel wronged that Julie chose to support Kamala Harris' and 'want to go after her for that role.' 'It's a very sad state of affairs that we attack people who are doing a good job, and we just disagree with them by trying to get them out of the position,' Duff said. Former Mesa Mayor John Giles, a lifelong Republican who reached his term limit in January and led an effort by Arizona GOP voters to elect Harris, told The Republic it was a 'misuse of recall and based on a misunderstanding of the role that partisan politics does and doesn't play in city office.' He called the reasons listed in the petition 'excuses' and said they aren't why Spilsbury is being targeted. Giles also pointed the finger at Turning Point for the recall effort and said the group is trying to 'insert MAGA partisan politics' for 'political control.' Mayor Mark Freeman said he cares for Spilsbury and doesn't wish this on anyone but held off speaking further on the issue, saying he was going to watch the process move forward. 'I value our council. Our council works really well together,' he said. 'We'll see what the future brings.' What happens next in the Spilsbury recall effort? Residents seeking to kick Spilsbury off of the City Council have 120 days to submit the signatures to the clerk's office. The clerk's office then has 10 days to verify the signatures and ensure they meet all the requirements. If the signatures are verified, the 'earliest election that is possible for this recall would be November 2025,' City Clerk Holly Moseley wrote in an email to The Republic. To put the special election on the November ballot, the city must call the election by Aug. 6. 'Based on the allotted timeframes granted for each step of the recall process, it could reach August 26, 2025, before I get the opportunity to call an election,' she wrote. If that happens, a recall election could get pushed to March 2026. Spilsbury could resign beforehand, but if she does not, her name would automatically appear on the ballot. People wishing to run against Spilsbury would need to announce their intent by filing nomination paperwork with the city. Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.
