Casa Grande Dispatch
(Editor’s note: Opinion pieces are posted for discussion purposes only.)
What could become Pinal County’s largest city has been the subject of incorporation talk for years. Such efforts are complicated, however, and in the case of San Tan Valley, it has been impossible lately because nearby Florence has refused permission, something that is required by state law.
The northern Pinal County community sprang up early in this century as developers built houses and buyers flocked in, attracted by lower land costs. San Tan Valley had a population of 81,000 in 2010, but now it certainly is higher.
Now, cities of at least 5,000 people can block incorporation of another city within 6 miles. A bill advancing through the Legislature would prevent a smaller city from having that veto power if the proposed new city had at least 15,000 people. That would take away Florence’s roadblock.
