Maricopa council approves plan to place special-election question on November ballot to allow sale of large city land parcels

The Maricopa City Council voted June 20 to place a special-election question on the November 2023 ballot asking voters to authorize the sale of city-owned parcels whose value exceeds $1,500,000.

City Manager Horst told council members that Arizona Revised Statutes require voter approval for sales above that threshold, a rule he said has constrained the city’s ability to pursue public-private partnerships and to move quickly when developers express interest. “Private investment will not come unless investors have assurance that they can purchase, control at least portions of the property,” Horst said during the presentation.

The council’s action follows staff presentations on a proposed Maricopa Commerce Park south of the railroad tracks, a planning area that the city says could encompass roughly 1,262 acres (with about 230 acres the city has already purchased). Horst described a multistep strategy: complete a master development study (the city and a private partner have pledged $200,000), activate the industrial development…