Mesa approves $4.7 million county property purchase and 342-lot residential development unanimously
MESA, ARIZONA — October 21, 2025

Mesa approves $4.7 million county property purchase and 342-lot residential development unanimously

Mesa City Council approved routine development and budget items on consent agenda, but meeting notable for public allegations of inconsistent public comment procedures, selective speaker allowances, and unresolved concerns about 287G ICE enforcement agreement.

Mesa Council Passes Routine Measures Amid Public Allegations of Inconsistent Comment Procedures and Unaddressed ICE Enforcement Concerns

The Mesa City Council convened on October 21, 2025, and approved a slate of routine consent-agenda items including a $4.7 million real property purchase and a 342-lot residential development. However, the meeting proved notable not for its business transactions but for escalating constituent allegations of procedural inequity in public comment handling and the council's silence on demands to cancel a 287G agreement between Mesa Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Councilmember Alicia Goforth was absent and excused; all other council members were present.

Key Speeches

"You're asking to spend $4.7 million on something you might need in the future. Why don't you wait until you sure you need it?" — David Winstanley, public commenter

"The two buildings that we're purchasing from the community college district, one of those will be a building that based on our inspections will we will be raising that building. It's not the repairs to that building really exceed the ability to salvage that facility." — Scott Butler, City Manager

"September 8th when Mark Freeman let four people speak on public comment. So from June until September 8th, it was always three speakers on non-agenda items and the cards were read aloud by Holly Mosley into the record and the names were read aloud. On September 8th, somebody told MAGA crowd to come out and support the 287G agreement. So there was about 80 plus people here supporting the 287G agreement between ICE and the Mesa PD. Holly Mosley read each of those names out loud into the record and they all submitted blue cards. It's always been done via blue cards until last meeting 106 when my group came." — Jillian Ryan, Indivisible Mesa

"I am a resident of Mesa. I'm also retired master sergeant from the Army National Guard. And I have two ancestors who fought in the American Revolution. At what point did this country turn against immigrants? Without those immigrants and the French and the Canadians and the Hispanics, we would not have the democracy we have." — Joanne Fraser, public commenter

Timeline

Opposition to Real Property Purchase

Number of speakers: 1 (David Winstanley)

Main concerns:

  1. Premature expenditure of $4.7 million without confirmed future need
  2. Lack of clarity on timing and completion of city study determining actual space requirements
  3. Availability of alternative options, including lease-to-own or option-to-purchase arrangements
  4. Existence of underutilized city-owned buildings (old city council building and adjacent structure on First Street cited as empty)
  5. Potential for telework and flexible staffing models to reduce need for physical space
  6. No clear timeline provided in council report

Tone: Respectful, questioning; based on prior budget discussion with Councilmember Goforth about discretionary city spending.

Support for Real Property Purchase

Number of speakers: 0 (no public speakers in favor; council members provided supportive rationale)

Council rationale:

Project Details: Haw Village Development

Project Details: Real Property Purchase from Maricopa County Community College District

Vote Breakdown: Item 5A (Real Property Purchase)

Outcome & Next Steps

The council approved both the Haw Village 342-lot residential development (via consent agenda) and the $4.7 million Maricopa County Community College District property purchase via separate motion. Both passed unanimously. The council did not act on, respond to, or schedule follow-up discussion on allegations raised during public comment regarding inconsistent public comment procedures, selective speaker allowances, or the 287G ICE enforcement agreement. Constituent Jillian Ryan stated she was "not being represented with integrity and fairness" and called for clarification on why four speakers were allowed on September 8th versus the stated three-speaker limit. No council member responded. Joanne Fraser called for cancellation of the 287G agreement without council response. The meeting concluded with adjournment; no further action was taken.

Controversies & Context

Public Comment Procedure Allegations

Jillian Ryan, a representative of Indivisible Mesa, alleged systematic and undisclosed changes to public comment procedures that have disproportionately affected constituents opposed to the 287G ICE agreement. She provided the following timeline:

June through September 8, 2025: Public comment followed consistent procedure. Three speakers on non-agenda items. Blue comment cards were read aloud by City Staff Holly Mosley into the official record, with names stated aloud.

September 8, 2025: Mark Freeman allegedly allowed four speakers to address the council regarding the 287G agreement, breaking the established three-speaker limit. Ryan states that approximately 80 supporters of the 287G agreement attended and Holly Mosley recorded all their blue card names into the official record.

September 22, 2025: When Ryan's group (Indivisible Mesa, opposing the 287G agreement) came to speak, the council attempted to allow only one speaker instead of three. Ryan was escorted out by police officers when she challenged the procedure change. The council ultimately allowed three speakers.

October 6, 2025 (Last Meeting): Blue comment cards submitted by Ryan's group were not recorded into the official record, despite this being standard procedure. No notice was given to the public that the procedure had changed. Ryan states that people who attended on October 6 "do not have their voices heard or recorded on the record" and accused the city of "not representing all constituents with integrity and fairness."

October 21, 2025 (This Meeting): Ryan stated that staff is not informing people submitting blue comment cards that their names will no longer be recorded. She produced an audio recording of staff not disclosing this change. Ryan noted that the city is changing procedures "every single meeting, making it almost impossible for us to keep up."

Ryan called out three council members by name for not responding to her emails: Scott Summers, Alicia Goforth, and Jen Duff. She demanded Mark Freeman answer a direct question: "Why did you let four people talk on September 8th?" Mark Freeman responded that the question "is not on the agenda. You cannot answer it" and instructed Ryan to step down from the microphone.

287G ICE Agreement Controversy

Two of the three public commenters raised the 287G agreement between Mesa Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ryan and Fraser both called for the agreement's cancellation.

Ryan highlighted the role of Ken Cost, identified as a retired police chief who originally signed the 287G agreement in 2009 and now serves as assistant to City Manager Scott Butler, earning $270,000 per year. Ryan stated: "Retired chief police who signed the 287G agreement and now is the city council man, assistant to the city manager, whatever, Scott Butler, making 270,000K a year. This is the guy who signed this agreement that we would like canceled in 2009."

Fraser, identifying herself as a retired master sergeant from the Army National Guard with ancestors who fought in the American Revolution, articulated opposition on grounds of American immigration history: "At what point did this country turn against immigrants? Without those immigrants and the French and the Canadians and the Hispanics, we would not have the democracy we have. There should be no reason for you to think any other way than to cancel this agreement."

Council Response: No council member addressed either the 287G agreement or the roles of Ken Cost and Scott Butler. The mayor stated that citizen comments "are generally prevented council for responding to the speaker" because the items are not on the agenda. The council adjourned without scheduling any discussion of the agreement.

Alleged Selective Enforcement Based on Political Alignment

Ryan's testimony established a stark disparity in speaker allowances. In June through early September, the three-speaker limit was enforced consistently. On September 8, when approximately 80 MAGA supporters came to advocate for the 287G agreement, Mark Freeman permitted four speakers and Holly Mosley recorded all names into the official record. When Ryan's group (which had attended previous meetings) returned on September 22, the council attempted to limit them to one speaker and had Ryan escorted out by officers. The group ultimately spoke three speakers. On October 6, their blue cards were not recorded at all. This sequence suggests procedural manipulation designed to amplify pro-agreement voices and suppress opposing voices.

Unresolved Fiscal and Staffing Questions

David Winstanley raised substantive questions about the necessity and timing of the $4.7 million property purchase. His point that the city should wait for a study confirming need before committing funds—and his observation that buildings exist on First Street that remain empty—was not directly addressed by City Manager Butler or Mayor Freeman. Butler's response focused on the specific condition of the purchased buildings and the synergy with the existing parking garage, but did not address Winstanley's core argument that a year-long option to purchase (with payments crediting toward purchase) might be more prudent. The council voted unanimously to proceed without exploring these alternatives.

Duration

Procedural Notes

Mayor Mark Freeman began the meeting with an explicit warning against disruptions: "If you engage in conduct that disrupts this meeting, such as shouting, clapping, or any other loud noise, you may be removed." This warning appears to have set a tone that was enforced against Ryan when she persisted in her question after being instructed to step down. By contrast, no similar enforcement was evident against the approximately 80 supporters who attended on September 8.

The council's refusal to answer questions from citizens framed as "not on the agenda" creates a procedural barrier to accountability on matters of public interest (like the 287G agreement, which affects immigrant communities and police enforcement practices). While the mayor's statement that "citizen present is generally prevented council from responding" follows standard meeting procedure, the selective application of that rule (silence on the 287G agreement; no response to allegations of procedure manipulation) effectively insulates these issues from council deliberation.