Why City Council Elections Matter

When candidates come knocking on our doors, it is easy to think first about presidents, governors, members of Congress, or state legislators. But some of the elected officials who most directly shape our daily lives serve much closer to home: mayors and city council members.

City and town councils make decisions about the places where we live, work, worship, shop, travel, and care for our neighbors. They shape budgets, zoning, housing, water, public safety, streets, parks, libraries, homelessness response, heat relief, development, local taxes and fees, and how residents are heard in public meetings.

For people of faith, that matters. Local government is one of the places where love of neighbor becomes concrete.

Are city councils partisan?

In most Arizona cities and towns, mayor and council elections are nonpartisan, meaning candidates appear on the ballot without party labels. Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, and many other cities use nonpartisan ballots. Tucson is the major exception: it conducts partisan city elections.

But “nonpartisan” does not mean “without values” or “without politics.” Candidates may still have endorsements, donors, ideologies, issue priorities, and relationships with political parties or interest groups. Voters may need to look a little harder, because party labels are usually not printed next to names on the ballot.

That makes local elections a place where faithful voters can ask deeper questions: How does this candidate understand the common good? Who is being heard? Who is being left out? How will their decisions affect hungry families, renters, unhoused neighbors, immigrants, elders, people with disabilities, small businesses, workers, students, and future generations?

What do city councils do?

Arizona has 91 incorporated cities and towns, each with its own local government. In many cities, the mayor and council set policy while a professional city manager handles day-to-day administration. Council members approve budgets, adopt ordinances, set priorities, appoint or oversee key officials, approve land-use decisions, and respond to residents’ concerns.

These decisions can be deeply practical. They affect whether a neighborhood gets sidewalks, shade trees, bus access, affordable housing, safe parks, clean water infrastructure, public restrooms, cooling centers, code enforcement, emergency services, or support for people experiencing homelessness.

Recent examples show how much local decisions matter:

In Phoenix, the City Council adopted a budget that included investments in homelessness prevention, affordable housing, heat response, food assistance access, and support for vulnerable residents.

In Tempe, voters may remember the debate over the proposed Arizona Coyotes arena and entertainment district. The project had council support before going to a citywide vote, where residents rejected it. That debate raised questions about development, public land, housing, traffic, taxes, and who benefits from major projects.

In Tucson and Phoenix, water rates and infrastructure costs have been major local decisions. In a desert state, city councils help decide how communities pay for water systems, conservation, growth, and long-term resilience.

In Mesa, zoning decisions around data centers, land use, and development standards have raised questions that many Arizona communities are facing: what kinds of growth do we want, where should it go, how does it affect water, infrastructure, housing, energy, and neighborhoods?

These are not abstract questions. They are public decisions with real consequences for real neighbors.

How often are city councils elected? Are there term limits?

Municipal election schedules vary by city or town, but many Arizona mayors and council members serve four-year terms, often with staggered elections so that not every seat is on the ballot at once. Some cities elect council members by district, some at large, and some use a combination.

Term limits also vary. Phoenix and Mesa have term limits for mayor and council. Tempe currently does not have term limits, though it has been reviewing the issue. Other cities and towns set their own rules through charter, ordinance, or local election systems.

The lesson for voters is simple: check your city or town’s official election page. Local rules matter.

What makes for a good city council representative?

A good city council representative listens well, studies carefully, communicates clearly, and understands that government should serve the whole community — not only the loudest voices, the wealthiest donors, or the most organized neighborhoods.

A good representative is accessible. They show up in the community. They understand local budgets and trade-offs. They respect public process. They tell the truth even when decisions are difficult. They are willing to collaborate, but also willing to ask hard questions.

From a faith perspective, good local leadership pays attention to neighbors on the margins: people who are hungry, unhoused, elderly, disabled, isolated, over-policed, underrepresented, or priced out. A good representative asks not only, “What does this cost?” but also, “Who will this help? Who might be harmed? Who has not been heard?”

Questions to ask when candidates knock

Below are a few thoughtful questions to ask when city council candidates come to your door; answers to a few simple questions can reveal a lot:

1. What do you see as the top issue facing our city, and how would your approach help neighbors who are struggling the most?

This helps you hear whether the candidate connects local policy to real people — renters, seniors, families, workers, unhoused neighbors, small businesses, students, immigrants, and communities often left out of decision-making.

2. How will you make decisions about housing, homelessness, water, heat, transportation, and growth in a way that serves the whole community?

This question invites specifics. It also reminds candidates that city decisions are connected: housing affects homelessness, water affects growth, heat affects public health, and transportation affects access to jobs, food, school, worship, and medical care.

3. How will you stay accountable and accessible to residents after Election Day?

A candidate who wants your vote should also be able to explain how they will listen, communicate, hold office hours, respond to concerns, and include residents who cannot attend long evening meetings at City Hall.

Why people of faith should pay attention

Lutherans believe civic life is one way we serve our neighbors. City councils are where many “neighbor” issues become local decisions: whether a family can afford rent, whether an elder has safe transportation, whether a child has a park or library nearby, whether an unhoused neighbor has shade and services, whether a community has clean water and safe streets, whether public meetings are welcoming and accessible.

Local elections often have lower turnout than statewide or national races, which means a small number of voters can shape decisions for an entire community. That makes our participation especially important.

Faithful voting is not about partisanship. It is about responsibility. It is about asking good questions, listening carefully, seeking truthful information, and voting with love of neighbor and the common good in mind.

Before candidates come knocking, take time to learn who represents you now, who is running next, and what decisions your city council has made recently. Then be ready to ask: How will your leadership help every neighbor in our city thrive?