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Ron Clair appointed to vacant Council seat in Litchfield Park

Posted 12/16/19

Ron Clair was appointed by City Council last month to fill the City Council seat vacated when former Councilman Peter Mahoney resigned in October.

Mr. Clair was one of five candidates interviewed …

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Ron Clair appointed to vacant Council seat in Litchfield Park

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Ron Clair was appointed by City Council last month to fill the City Council seat vacated when former Councilman Peter Mahoney resigned in October.

Mr. Clair was one of five candidates interviewed for the vacancy and was approved 6-0 by the other members of Council. His term expires in January 2021, and an election for the seat will be held next fall.

“I just want to say thank you for the opportunity to work with you all on this, and I’m very excited by the prospect,” Mr. Clair said to his fellow Council members during his first report as a Councilman. He joked he didn’t have much to report in his time on Council, as he’d only been appointed about 24 hours before.

Mr. Clair is a businessman who has owned six All My Sons Moving companies across the country, managing hundreds of employees. He has also served as the vice chairman of the Southwest Movers Association and currently serves on Litchfield Park’s Recreation and Public Grounds Commission. He says he’s helped build multiple businesses, including a chain of restaurants. He also in the Goodyear/Litchfield Park Citizen Academy. Mr. Clair has lived in Litchfield Park for three and a half years.

“We’re looking for great things from Ron. He is the cream of the crop of a very, very good crop,” Mayor Tom Schoaf said.

Mr. Schoaf said 15 people applied for the vacant position, but one did not live in the city, though she thought she did because of a common misconception about which ZIP codes are in the city. Mr. Schoaf said Council had a lot of good options among the 14 eligible candidates.

“(The candidates had) a lot of very, very impressive credentials, and it was a very difficult process to get it selected down to a number we could deal with and then finally from that group choosing a new council member.”

Vice Mayor Paul Faith welcomed Mr. Clair to Council and echoed Mr. Schoaf’s comments about the effort Council took to consider the candidates.

“It was a long, involved process trying to find a new Council member, and I think I speak for all of us that we’re excited to have you here. And I’m looking forward to your input,” Mr. Faith said.

In his application to Council, Mr. Clair stressed his business background as a qualification.

“I think the most important issue facing our city is how we develop responsible, smart growth, especially the City Center Project,” Mr. Clair wrote. “With my business background and desire to see Litchfield Park maintain its uniqueness, I feel that I can bridge the past that gives us our charm, as well as welcome our newer residents.”

Mr. Clair listed Brig. Gen. Todd D. Canterbury of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base among his references.

Mr. Mahoney resigned to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest as the city decides what business types are appropriate for the planned City Center downtown development. Mr. Mahoney owns three restaurants adjacent to the City Center site, at the southwest corner of Old Litchfield Road and Wigwam Boulevard.

The four other candidates who interviewed for the position were Lynn Bennett, Brian Dalke, Brian Dursteler and Michael Grjegian. For more information on the four other candidates interviewed by Council, visit shorturl.at/ikquQ .

Mr. Schoaf said he hoped they’d see some of those applications again.

“We’re hoping that many of the applicants will end up running in the next election cycle as well. It’s a very good sign for our city to have that much interest in the public service.”

Mark Carlisle can be reached at mcarlisle@newszap.com or found on Twitter @mwcarlisle.