Salt River Project, which provides water and electricity services throughout the Valley, will be holding an election in April for leadership positions including president, vice-president, and board and at-large council members.

3 Takeaways:

– Salt River Project is holding an election for leadership positions on April 7. 

– SRP officials set water and electricity rates, create the utility’s policies and more.

– Landowners within SRP’s water and power service boundaries may cast votes. 

Have you noticed the campaign signs around Lehi for the upcoming Salt River Project election? Every other year, the utility elects people to serve as president, vice-president, and board and council members for four-year terms.

Signs have been posted around Lehi and neighboring areas in the East Valley for the last few weeks as the April 7 election nears. 

Salt River Project is a private utility company with a service area comprising about 240,000 acres spanning Maricopa, Gila and Pinal counties. It is composed of two organizations, the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association (the “Association,” founded 1903) and the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (the “District,” formed in 1937). Both organizations hold an election every other year to fill open seats among their leadership and board/council positions. 

As members of the board of directors, elected officials can approve budgets, create policies, authorize price increase/decreases and more. The water association will fill 24 seats this year, and the power district will fill 22 seats. 

Presently, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is in SRP Voting Area 7. The current District and Association board member representative is Nicholas R. Brown. The current District council members are Eric L. Gorsegner, Barry E. Paceley and Colleen Resch-Geretti.

Gorsegner, Paceley and Geretti also represent Voting Area 7 for the Association. 

Mesa is located in SRP Voting Area 9. The District and Association board member representative is Robert C. Arnett. The Association council members are A. Allen Freeman, Mark A. Freeman and Adam S. Hatley. The District council members are Freeman and Hatley. 

How to Vote

Community members must meet eligibility requirements to cast their votes in the upcoming SRP election. 

Both SRP’s Association and District share the same voter eligibility guidelines, with a slight difference in the eligibility requirements for the District. Those casting votes for SRP District leaders must reside in and be a registered voter in the state of Arizona. The SRP Association does not carry that registered voter guideline.

The voting system is based on land ownership. To be eligible to vote in Salt River Project elections, you must be 18 or older and own eligible land (or be appointed to vote eligible land held in a qualifying trust) within the SRP boundaries. Land ownership must have been established at least 100 days prior to April 7.

For situations where more than one person is a trustee over a qualified trust, the trustees must agree who will be authorized to cast their vote for the trust. 

Requests for early ballots can be submitted to the SRP Corporate Secretary’s Office between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, ending March 27.

Eligible voters may vote in person at the SRP Voting Center, 1500 N. Mill Ave. in Tempe. The voting center will be open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., through April 6, and from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 7. 

Early ballots may also be dropped off at this location during these times.  

Questions about the SRP election and voter eligibility may be directed to (602) 236-3048 or election@srpnet.com.

Here are the qualified candidates in this year’s SRP election. 

https://www.srpnet.com/about/governance-leadership/elections/candidates-election-results