Youngtown's uncontested council race gives 3 candidates clear path to office

Youngtown residents are guaranteed to see one incumbent return to the Town Council alongside two newcomers after the polls close in the July 30 elections.

Two of the three seats up for grabs are held by Councilmembers Susan Hout and Jim Starke.

Hout is stepping down from office after two terms on the council. Starke is finishing up a two-year stint after being elected in 2022 to fill out the rest of the term for Jacob “Jack” Duran, who died in 2021.

Youngtown holds at-large council elections.

This year’s race is uncontested, as the three candidates have a clear path to town hall. It’s a departure from the 2022 election when seven candidates sought three open seats.

Incumbent Councilmember Charles “Chuck” Vickers Jr. will hold onto his seat for a third term while Kathryn French and Jodi Kaczynski fill in the other two spots.

Vickers, 71, and his wife moved to Youngtown to retire about a decade ago. He worked for Home Depot for 17 years as a receiving manager.

French, 70, was an adjunct professor at Paradise Valley Community and Estrella Mountain Community colleges and was most recently as program director at Western International University.

Kaczynski, 52, has worked for area school districts and is the site supervisor for Grand Canyon University. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the 2022 election, finishing behind Councilmembers Michael Francis, Margaret Chittenden and Karen Haney Duncan.

After the elections, the new and returning faces will enter office as the West Valley sees rapid expansion and cities brace for revenue shortfalls resulting from new state policies.

Additionally, the town leaders will oversee Youngtown’s $20 million budget and shape policies that will have immediate effects on residents’ day-to-day lives.

The Arizona Republic asked all three candidates to participate in a primary election questionnaire.

None submitted responses.

With the slate of candidates running unopposed, none have led robust campaigns nor touted their qualifications and platforms for office.

As for campaign contributions, only French has reported any activity, collecting $100 as of March 31.

Arizona local elections:Read our full coverage of the Youngtown council election

Early voting began July 3. Voters can check on the status of their mailed-in ballot on Maricopa County’s website at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/voter-dashboard-login. Those who choose to vote by mail are advised to mail their ballot by July 23 or drop it off at a ballot drop-off location or voting location by July 30.

Shawn Raymundo covers the West Valley cities of Glendale, Peoria and Surprise. Reach him atsraymundo@gannett.com or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.