Two Gilbert councilmembers up for reelection in August won’t seek to retake the seat for another four years, a move that could shake up the dynamics among the Town Council.

Councilmembers Kathy Tilque and Scott Anderson are approaching the end of their first and second terms, respectively, and instead of seeking another term, they’re moving in opposite directions.

Anderson will run against Mayor Brigette Peterson for the mayoral seat. The two will also face a challenge from Shane Krauser, a former deputy county attorney with the Maricopa County Attorney’s office. Tilque will leave the council at the end of her term.

This leaves the two seats vacant for candidates to take. So far, eight people have submitted paperwork with the town to run to fill the seats.

Turnover and turmoil has been par for the seven-member elected body over the past four years. In 2020, four councilmembers resigned, some to run for a new office and to vacate their seat. In 2022, two incumbent council members chose not to seek reelection.

After three newly-elected councilmembers took their seats in January 2023 there was a hope the council could move past infighting. Instead, the group was so fractured it had to bring in a mediator to resolve a string of formal ethics complaints about various councilmembers.

Apart from council infighting, Gilbert’s buildout is a top concern for the town, which is expected to happen by 2030. The once farm town experienced explosive growth in the early 2000s and is now dealing with infrastructure aging all at the same time. The town is expected to ask voters to approve funding sources to pay for new projects in the fall.

Why Councilmember Kathy Tilque is leaving the Town Council

Tilque announced on Monday via her Facebook page her decision to not seek a second term to retire and spend time with her family while she and her husband are “still young and healthy.” Tilque, 64, said she’d be approaching 70 at the end of a second term and that her age was a contributing factor in making her decision.

She said council infighting or “Gilbert Goons” controversy played no part in her decision.

Tilque won her election in 2020.

She served as the president and CEO of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce for 24 years. Over the next year, she plans to continue championing the completion of Gilbert’s Family Advocacy Center, which she said can be a place to address concerns with teen violence.

She also plans to reinvigorate the town’s Community Engagement Task Force, which is a committee made up of Gilbert residents focused on addressing “social welfare” and community concerns on topics like domestic violence and mental health among others.

She plans to make a recommendation to the council and the town to ask for more resources.

Anderson’s mayoral run

Anderson kicked off his mayoral campaign earlier this month at an event hosted by Councilmember Chuck Bongiovanni.

He told The Republic he is running because the town needs to have “effective leadership” like what he has demonstrated in the past both as a town employee and as a council member.

He said his leadership would help the town progress towards its future buildout. Right now, the town is spending too much time talking about ethics complaints and lawsuits when it should be focused on making decisions on its future, he said.

3 people have sights set on mayoral seat

Peterson is eyeing the mayoral seat for a second time. She won in a run-off race in 2020 with 57% of the vote.

In a text message to The Republic, she wrote, “I know and understand the every day demands of the position of mayor, along with the history of the growth and development of the community.”

She wrote she is not afraid of having “the difficult discussion and making tough decisions” as the town faces build-out.

Shane Krauser filed paperwork with the town to run for mayor in December.

8 residents eye 2 council seats

Several Gilbert residents have declared their intent to run for council.

Eight residents have pulled paperwork to run for the council seats. They include:

• Aaron Accurso

• Kenny Buckland

• Kyle Cole

• Ryan Handelsman

• Sharon Kotsonas

• Monte Lyons

• Noah Mundt

• James Roundy

To get on the ballot the candidates will need to submit at least 1,000 and not more than 4,039 signatures of qualified registered voters of Gilbert by April 8.

Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert council elections for August 2024 ramp up. Here’s what we know