Mayor Spotlight: Mayor Jeff Serdy, Apache Junction

Jeff Serdy
Mayor
City Apache Junction
Years in Office: Elected as mayor in 2016 after serving on city council for 8 years
Hometown: Caldwell, Ohio

Why did you decide to serve in local government?
I was thrust into running for City Council originally in 2007 in kind of a "whistle blower" situation. I then realized there was a portion of the citizens that weren't being represented well and was asked to run. Once elected I realized I actually did have a knack for public service and it became a passion.

What are the biggest challenges facing your town today?
Apache Junction risks being a dead end spoke in a wheel if we don't keep pace with our surrounding communities. We're the most beautiful place in the Valley with lots of natural assets but we've never really leveraged them to our advantage.

What opportunities do you see for your community?
With the passing of props 416 and 417 we're finally going to get the North South interconnect road system that could have tremendous impact on our growth and infrastructure. This puts us only 10 minutes away from Mesa Gateway Airport.

What are you most proud of during your time in office?
I'm most proud of the way I've made the mayor's office open and accessible. This in turn makes staff more accessible to the residents. Problems get taken care of faster and ideas get listened to as well, which gives the citizens ownership of their community.

Why is the League important to cities and towns in Arizona?
It's so great having the league in our corner. There's strength in numbers and no group has as big a voice in the legislature as does our League of Cities and Town. It also gives us insight into what pitfalls may be ahead in the near and distant future.