Sherwood helped negotiate a settlement that called for the Tohono O’odham to pay Glendale $25 million over 20 years. The tribe won numerous legal battles to defend its position and Glendale leaders previously dropped formal opposition to the casino. Malnar said he personally opposes gambling, but the debate concerning whether the Tohono O’odham Nation should be permitted to build a casino on tribal land near Westgate is over. “That’s already a done deal, so there’s not a whole lot of discussion on that,” he said. Malnar has a different view of existing billboards near the Westgate Entertainment District in the southern portion of the city. Malnar said if constituents want it he would consider a compromise proposal, such as turning off the signs during evening hours, but neither side has brought forward a compromise, he said. The potential revenue from signs wouldn’t be enough to sway him, he said. “Government must pay attention to their constituents. Residents in the area strongly oppose the idea because the signs are visible from people’s backyards. The Council already rejected a proposal to allow 85-foot-tall illuminated signs northwest of 101 and Bell Road, but Malnar said he fears the measure may resurface. Malnar is opposed to allowing new electronic billboards along Loop 101 in the northern portion of the city, because billboards would clutter views in the area. Those are the kinds of things I’m most interested in,” he said. Are they doing everything that can be done? Well, they may be, they may not be. “I know we have an Economic Development Department. City officials may need to improve economic development efforts, he said. He plans to focus on the city’s finances. My goal is to be a very thorough, analytical councilman that’s going to look at everything that comes across my desk,” he said. He expects to tackle some of the city’s high-profile issues, but he doesn’t have a slate of new issues to add to the mix. Openness, honesty and debate are among his guiding principles, he said. “I am there to represent the people and to represent the people to the best of my ability.”
Malnar’s top priority, he said, is to serve as a voice for residents in the area. The district generally is bounded by Cactus Road, Union Hills Drive and 67th and 51st avenues. Malnar, a small-business owner, said he wants to speak with voters in the city’s Sahuaro District before he joins the seven-member Council. Malnar toppled first-term member Gary Sherwood in a recall election Tuesday, 53 percent to 47 percent. Maricopa County elections officials expect to certify the vote count late Friday. 8, but further research indicated that a member elected by recall should be sworn in as early as possible, which would be Tuesday, said City Clerk Pam Hanna. Glendale officials previously believed Malnar could be sworn in on Dec. Longtime Glendale resident Ray Malnar said he has some studying to do before he joins the City Council.
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