Maricopa County OKs $446,000 for 2 Buckeye traffic lights

Maricopa County OKs $446,000 for 2 Buckeye traffic lights
Mayor Jackie Meck said the town was pleased with the Board of Supervisor's approvals. Miller Road handles about 20,000 cars per day, he said, and both intersections slated for upgrades are four-way stops.
Meck said the intersection at Maricopa County 85 and Miller is especially busy because a post office is at the intersection.
"It's a safety issue," he said. "Obviously, we've had it for years, but it's a great thing to have both of those (signals) put in."

AZRepublic: "Mayor Meck has earned chance for re-election"

"Our View: Mayor Meck has earned chance for re-election"
The Arizona Republic editorial board, West Valley
February 22, 2012

At first blush, the mayoral race in Buckeye appears similar to the 2008 runoff: Jackie Meck, a town native, squaring off against an opponent representing “new” Buckeye.

But this time, Meck has the title of mayor in front of his name and a record of notable accomplishments.

Early voting in the March 13 all-mail election begins this week. Council members Brian McAchran, Robert Garza and Michelle Hess are running unopposed.

We recommend Meck for re-election as mayor.

Meck has been mayor during one of Buckeye’s rockiest periods. With an eye toward growth, the town annexed extensive land holdings in the early 2000s. When the housing-market bubble burst in 2007, so did Buckeye’s plans for development. Foreclosures hit the town particularly hard and home sales just now are showing signs of life.

Town management was also in disarray. There was a revolving door to the city manager’s office and budget deficits called for restructuring and streamlining the town’s departments.

In recommending him for mayor four years ago, The Republic said, “His priorities are finding a qualified town manager, pursuing industries and jobs, establishing better communication and unifying the town’s far-flung residential enclaves.”

Meck tapped Goodyear veteran City Manager Stephen Cleveland to lead the town’s transition. It was a smart choice. He also has put significant effort in arranging job fairs and meeting with businesses looking to relocate or expand in Arizona.

There’s still work to be done in unifying divergent communities in Buckeye, a town spread over 650 square miles. There is a disconnect, certainly physically but also socially, between the old town and communities like Verrado, Sundance and Sun City Festival.

Meck, a lifelong resident, served on the council from 1968-1975 and 2002-06. We believe his council experience and his time as mayor give him the necessary experience to get the job done.

Challenger Thomas Campanella, a five-year resident of Sundance, has council experience, too.

He was a two-term city councilman in Hellertown, Pa., a borough in the southeastern part of the state. Campanella is community manager of the Sundance Residential Homeowners Association and has served on the Buckeye Community Services Advisory Board.

Buckeye, however, is a far cry from Hellertown and Meck knows the town better than Campanella.

Campanella brings a valuable perspective to Buckeye. He already has invested himself in the betterment of the town. We wish he would have sought a seat on town council before leaping into the mayoral race.

Meck is a confident leader who works collaboratively throughout the region to boost Buckeye and the entire West Valley.

He has helped restore confidence in Buckeye government and has earned the opportunity to continue in the job he loves.

Mayor Meck endorsed by West Valley View

"Buckeye should re-elect Meck"
West Valley View - "Our Viewpoint"
February 21, 2012
www.westvalleyview.com

Buckeye’s Town Council all-mail primary election gets under way Wednesday, the day ballots will start to be sent to registered voters.

Only one seat is being contested in this election: the mayoral seat. Two candidates are running: incumbent Jackie Meck and challenger Tom Campanella. We’ve spoken to both candidates and they are both well-informed, competent individuals who care deeply about Buckeye.

This race may come down to a question of old vs. new. Meck is a third-generation Buckeye native. His grandparents settled in Buckeye in the early 1900s. Campanella, on the other hand, has lived in Buckeye since 2006.

Both men have extensive experience in public service. The first time Meck was elected to the Town Council was in 1968 and he’s been serving in one public capacity or another ever since then. Campanella served two terms on a city council as well as planning and zoning boards in Pennsylvania before moving to Arizona, and since moving to Buckeye, he’s been a member of the Buckeye Community Services Commission.

Campanella would probably do a pretty good job as mayor, but Meck has already proven he can do a good job in the position. Before he was elected mayor in 2008, the town government was in chaos. Since then, it has stabilized. That might be because of the economy — growth has slowed to a standstill giving town employees a chance to breathe — or it might be because Stephen Cleveland was hired as the town manager, bringing a level of professionalism to the position that Buckeye had not seen before. Or, it might have something to do with Meck, who was instrumental in bringing Cleveland on board.

Whatever the reason, Buckeye is a much better-run town than it was before Meck was elected. Voters should consider that when casting their ballots. We recommend Jackie Meck for another term as mayor of Buckeye.

Please Vote Yes on Home Rule

A yes vote on Home Rule continues to authorize the town to pay for and continue to provide the level of services you currently receive, fire, police, water, sewer, streets, library, parks, etc. There is no increase of any tax associated to "Home Rule"...please vote YES on Home Rule.

Banner Health breaks ground on Verrado Health Center

BUCKEYE, Ariz. (Feb. 9, 2012) -- More than 150 people today came to the groundbreaking for the Banner Health Center in the Verrado community of Buckeye.

The first phase of the health center is expected to open its doors late Fall 2012. The 12,000 square-foot building will cost $7.5 million and will include 20 exam rooms, laboratory and general radiology, a large waiting room and staff support areas.

Those participating in today's ‘tossing of the ground’ included Town of Buckeye’s mayor, Jackie Meck, vice-mayor Brian McAchran, councilmembers Craig Heustis and Michelle Hess, vice president of operations for Banner Medical Group, Robbie Carlson, and Dan Kelly, senior vice president, DMB Associates, Inc.

Along with the adults, children from Odyssey Preparatory Academy also donned hard hats and dug shovels into the dirt.

The center will focus on primary care, including family practice, internal medicine and pediatric services. The center will open with two primary care providers and as the population around the center increases, Banner will expand the development and increase the number of physicians in the center, which will include selected specialists to support their primary care colleagues.

“We are excited to move forward with this development in the Town of Buckeye that will mark the start of a long-term Banner presence in the community – we are in this for the long haul and look forward to growing our health care services delivery along with the city’s growth,” said Jim Brannon, chief executive officer of Banner Medical Group.

About Banner Medical Group
Banner Medical Group operates physician clinics in six states that Banner Health serves. Our employed physicians fill a critical role in the communities where they practice by providing both primary and specialty care. Currently, more than 800 physicians are part of the Banner Medical Group.

http://www.bannerhealth.com/About+Us/News+Center/Press+Releases/Banner+Health+breaks+ground+on+Verrado+Health+Center.htm

BUHS District dedicates 4.29MW Solar Generation Project

Mayor Meck was honored to join in the celebration of a unique solar generation project. Located at three sites -- Buckeye Union High School and Youngker High School in Buckeye, Ariz. and Estrella Foothills High School in Goodyear, Ariz. -- the installations collectively generate enough electricity to power the three high schools, meeting up to 70 percent of the school district's electricity needs.

Read More: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/arizonas-buckeye-union-high-school-district-dedicates-429-megawatt-solar-generation-project-from-constellation-energy-2012-01-31

West Valley View: Meck: Jobs top Buckeye's priorities

West Valley View - January 31, 2012
by Sara Clawson
staff writer
www.westvalleyview.com

After nearly 20 years of service to Buckeye, current Mayor Jackie Meck is not quite finished.

The native began his elected service in 1968 as a councilman but his upbringing introduced him
to service long before, he said.

Meck’s grandparents came to Buckeye in the early 1900s; his father, Bill Meck, was Buckeye’s justice of the peace for 30 years.

“This has always been a part of me and I want to see it grow,” Meck said. “I welcome residents coming in; I just want them to become part of the community.”

Creating more citizen advisory boards and commissions, along with workshops teaching residents about how government functions, will help the community grow, he said.

When Meck first took office in the late 1960s, Buckeye’s population was fewer than 2,000 residents. There are now 50,000 people scattered among more than 20 master-planned
communities.

“The circumstances have changed because of the population increase,” he said.

Challenges currently facing Buckeye include major infrastructure problems, along with water and sewer issues, Meck said. “What we had then, was not anything like we’re dealing with now,” he said.

Dis-connectivity hurts the future of the town, he said.

“Those issues we’re dealing with now need to be looked at today for the next 50 years, the next 100 years,” he said.

Meck’s re-election platform focuses on more than just roads. He said he seeks a second four-year term to continue efforts to bring jobs, education and better neighborhoods to communities.

“My concern now, that’s never been before, is jobs. That’s what I’m after,” he said. Since February 2011, Meck has pushed a “jobs initiative,” which includes setting up job fairs and sending out email blasts announcing job opportunities to some 6,000 email addresses.

He calculates more than 500 people have found jobs because of his efforts, though admits not all may be from the town because neighboring residents are welcome to participate.

“I want people to have jobs. I want people to live in Buckeye and love it as much as I do,” he said. “That’s why I spend my retired years doing everything I can to make it a better community for people to live in. If I can help people get jobs and keep their cars or their houses, that’s all I care about. My commitment is to my community.”