By Jeff Grant | Independent News Media, Inc., USA
Surprise voters will head to the polls in less than four weeks to begin the process of choosing three City Council members, but for a number of residents, the decisions will be made prior to the Aug. 27 primary.
Ballots are mailed out beginning Aug. 1 for those wishing to vote early. The deadline to register has passed, but anyone already signed up has until 5 p.m. Aug. 15 to request an early ballot.
Voters are deciding 4-year council terms in districts 1, 5 and 6.
Their positions long since staked out, candidates have been refining their messages through a series of forums.
Drawing new business and spurring economic growth have led the discussions, with council hopefuls touching upon a range of ideas from promoting the city’s foreign trade zone to increased efforts at seeking out executives of companies known to be unhappy in their present locations outside of the city and, in many cases, outside Arizona. California has been a frequently mentioned site as potential fertile business-recruitment ground.
