New councilors Johnie Mendoza (left) and Arthur “Snake” Neal (right).
By Janet Perez | Florence Independent
Florence’s two new town council members, Arthur “Snake” Neal and Johnie Mendoza, come at their jobs from two different directions but have the same goal, to make Florence stronger.
Mr. Neal was born and raised in Florence and remembers a very different town.“Growing up here in town, after football games or Friday night, Saturday nights, everybody was uptown, “ said Mr. Neal, a security officer for the Florence Unified School District who retired from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. “Uptown was lit up and you’d go and you could be with all your friends. I mean, there wasn’t a weekend night that you couldn’t go uptown and people were cruising. I don’t know if it’s just the times have changed, but everything was opened up downtown and uptown and it was great.”
He decided to run for the council because he believes it will benefit the town to have someone who has spent a lifetime in Florence proper.
