On Tuesday, Aug. 28, local voters will elect a new mayor and three people to Paradise Valley Town Council.

Paradise Valley Vice Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner, who is running unopposed, is seeking the top spot at the apex of the local governing board while four council candidates are seeking one of three seats.

Paradise Valley Town Council candidates are:

Ellen Andeen — a Paradise Valley Police Department volunteer.
James Anton — a member of the Planning Commission.
Paul Dembow — an elected member of Paradise Valley Town Council seeking re-election.
Anna Thomasson — a member of the Board of Adjustment.

The Town of Paradise Valley does not hold district elections as the mayor is directly elected and the council hopefuls run at-large.

The Town of Paradise Valley Independent reached out to each candidate to offer the second installment of an eight-part series focused on the issues that matter to local residents.

This week’s installment is focused on what the importance of the both the General Plan and new provisions meant to protect visually significant corridors of the community.

This is what candidates had to say:

Jerry Bien-Willner

•As a resident of Paradise Valley what weight do you give the municipality’s General Plan?

The General Plan remains an important document in that it provides a reference point for many of the planning and aspirational questions that our community may encounter. That said, it is not intended to act as a substitute for the informed judgment of the public’s representatives on the specific issues our community considers, nor do I believe it should serve to mute the voices of our residents or other stakeholders on those issues.

Read the entire article at this link.