Saying magistrates can be squeezed politically, a House panel voted Wednesday to all but strip city councils of their ability to fire them.

As we face the first Colorado River shortage, we need to get it right the first time. Arizona needs to implement LBDCP in a way that strengthens and preserves the long-term water management that is critical to our communities and economy.

Nick Ponder, the new legislative director at the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, said his goal is to reintroduce the organization to the Capitol community.

The Peoria City Council insisted that the process allow Peoria residents to have a meaningful voice; that the city should do more than just give lip-service to public input. As the process developed, that ambition was solidly fulfilled.

A Peoria City Council candidate who was left off the primary ballot sent to early voters twice filed suit Aug. 7 in federal court to ask for a special election in November, hours before the City Council voted on a way to fix the problem.

Candidate Ken Krieger said he has spent $7,000, knocked on thousands of doors, made thousands of personal phone calls to voters and even won a legal challenge to stay in the race for the Peoria City Council.

He has been chased from two shopping centers already, and if Steve Martin is kicked out of this one, he won’t earn any money today. It didn’t used to be so difficult for professional petition circulators like Martin, but changes to state law and business policies have made life harder for them.

Sen. Rick Murphy won’t seek reelection to the Arizona State Senate, and will instead run for the Peoria City Council.

In a move described as a way to improve transparency, the Peoria City Council is prohibiting its members from sending text messages or emails during meetings.

Advocates of a financing mechanism that would allow cities to bond against future tax revenues to fund special projects are hoping 2013 will be a year of success after running into roadblocks in the past several legislative sessions. But the foe who blocked a similar proposal two years ago appears poised to strike it down once again.