Gilbert Town Council Regular Meeting – January 7, 2026

The Gilbert Town Council held its regular meeting on January 7, 2026, beginning with an invocation by Darren Smith of the Baha'i faith. The council recognized outgoing Vice Mayor Bobby Buckley, elected a new vice mayor, issued proclamations for Human Trafficking Prevention Month, heard public comments on a range of topics, approved the consent calendar and several public hearing items, and conducted a public hearing on the sale of town-owned property.

Recognitions and Proclamations

• Councilmember Bobby Buckley was recognized for her service as Vice Mayor in 2025 and received a certificate of appreciation.
• Councilmember Chuck Bongiovanni was elected Vice Mayor for 2026 by unanimous voice vote.
• The council issued two proclamations: one in support of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office "Break the Chain" campaign and another for the "Not in Our City" movement, both declaring January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Representatives from the county attorney's office, local pastors, and community leaders spoke in support.

Consent Calendar

• Items 4 through 12 were approved as a block on a 7–0 vote. Key items included:
  • Item 4: Intergovernmental agreement with Queen Creek for reclaimed water delivery.
  • Item 5: $2.5 million contract with Lumen for internet and cloud services over five years.
  • Item 6: Job order contracts for traffic signal improvements and street infrastructure.
  • Item 8: Change order with SDG Group ($350,485) for data governance and email retention enhancements. Councilmember Buckland requested a presentation on this item, which was provided by IT Chief Information Officer Eugene Hia, who explained the funds would improve dashboard analytics without altering records. The item was then included in the consent block.
  • Items 9–11: Additional change orders for network cabling, records management, and construction management.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jason McCray (Gilbert resident) described ongoing harassment by masked youths on speed bikes in his neighborhood, submitted a letter with signatures from concerned residents, and thanked Gilbert Police for their response.
• Daniel Perkinson (5th-generation Arizonan, Gilbert) spoke about the need for connection and family unity, linking it to the issue of missing children. He introduced the work of Lisa Marie and America's Missing Children.
• Lisa Marie (Idaho resident, does business in Gilbert) reported that over 1,000 children go missing daily in the U.S. (citing FBI/NCIC data), shared her personal experience with child molestation, and called for more funding for law enforcement. She distributed comic books and a list of questions for parents.
• Andrew Bench (Highland High School sophomore) expressed concern about how the juvenile court system handled cases involving his friends, urging better approaches.
• Noah James Markham (Tempe resident) advocated for speed cameras, the right to go shirtless in public, continued development of the Heritage District, recognition of Japanese American internment, and a Pride celebration in the Heritage District.
• Gina (Gilbert property owner) stated that the town's requirement for $800,000 in infrastructure upgrades on her 1.6-acre property has prevented her from selling it (six buyers backed out). She called it an abuse of power and also noted ADA accessibility deficiencies in several town parks and downtown, offering to provide a compliance list.
• Anna (Gilbert resident) criticized councilmember Bongiovanni's earlier comment about a third-grade-level presentation, noting that 48% of Gilbert adults have a bachelor's degree or higher. She condemned the council's unanimous vote to commend former Town Manager Patrick Banger, citing mismanagement of water infrastructure and rate increases, and demanded that further water rate increases be halted.
• Barbara Colvin (Gilbert resident) said she would send each council member an email with questions about the necessity of simultaneous increases in water, sewer, trash, and recycling services. She argued that the council has unregulated power to raise rates, that the increases are not reasonable, and that the town should have planned for infrastructure maintenance rather than approving new apartment construction. She also noted that Gilbert's utility bill is now higher than typical electric bills from SRP/APS.
• Darrell Grosson (Gilbert resident) called the town's $2.46 billion budget (about $25,532 per household) “out of control.” He questioned why water funding isn't prioritized, why rates aren't tiered more heavily for businesses and apartments, and why the town didn't bond more effectively for the North Water Treatment Plant. He urged the council to stop blaming previous councils, cut “pet projects” like the Ocotillo Bridge (which has doubled in cost), and prioritize Gilbert residents for park access before asking for more revenue.
• Maureen Hoppe (Gilbert resident) alleged that she has been harassed and cyberbullied by council members for three years, specifically mentioning a fake social media account named “Pence Williams” that she implied may be operated by Councilmember Bongiovanni or Torgeson. She directly asked each of them to confirm or deny affiliation on the record.
• Clarissa Arnold (former Gilbert resident, now Mesa) stated she filed a police complaint (report #GI 25-223083) alleging criminal misconduct by town officials, including a records purge. She opposed items 8 and 10 on the consent calendar, claiming they are tools to delete records faster. She also mentioned a police report documenting threats by Councilmember Torgeson against a resident and alleged that a councilman may be named in an FBI report.
• Mr. Spence (Gilbert resident, home farm operator) requested that the council create an ordinance allowing home farm businesses to pay the same business water rates as other commercial entities, rather than residential rates. He argued this would preserve Gilbert's farming heritage with negligible financial impact and offered to provide research. He asked the council to agendize the item for the January 20 meeting.

Council Responses to Public Comments

• Vice Mayor Bongiovanni and Councilmember Torgeson each stated on the record that they are not affiliated with the “Pence Williams” Facebook account.
• Councilmember Buckley clarified that she did not vote for the council pay raise three years ago, noting the vote was 5–2.
• Mayor Anderson noted that council members currently receive minimum wage, and that the raise amounted to three-tenths of one penny per resident per month. He also referenced that a proposal regarding agricultural water rates is already in motion.

Discussion Items

• Public Hearing on Sale of Town-Owned Property (Item 21): The council held a statutorily required public hearing on the proposed sale of an 18.9-acre parcel at the northeast corner of Ray Road and Santan Village Parkway, appraised at $6.39 million. Two speakers commented:
  • Tony Bergarello (Christ Church of the Valley) thanked the town for the process and expressed interest in bidding, noting that 1,000 Gilbert residents attend their campuses and that they offer youth sports programs.
  • Greg Bamford (developer, former Gilbert resident) urged the council to maintain the current General Plan designation (public facilities/institutional) and not allow a change to higher-density residential use, arguing that the “as is, where is” sale should honor that designation rather than seeking maximum value through a rezoning.

Key Outcomes

• Vice Mayor Election: Chuck Bongiovanni elected Vice Mayor for 2026 (unanimous voice vote).
• Consent Calendar: Approved 7–0 (items 4–12).
• Public Hearing Items 13–20: Approved as a block (7–0).
• Item 21 (Land Sale): No action taken; public hearing only. Next steps: pre-bid conference January 8, bid opening February 2, council consideration of purchase agreement February 17.
• Directives: None formal; council noted that a home farm water rate proposal is already in development.