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Our call — vote NO
The measure
Question 1 is on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot in Chandler, submitted by the Mayor and City Council under Ordinance No. 5160 and Resolution No. 5999. It asks voters to grant a franchise to Arizona Public Service Company (APS).
The ballot asks: "Shall a franchise be granted to Arizona Public Service, an Arizona Corporation, its successors and assigns, to construct, maintain and operate, across and under City rights-of-way, an electric energy supply system in the City of Chandler, Arizona and future additions thereto, in accordance with Ordinance No. 5160, submitted by the Mayor and City Council of the City of Chandler, Arizona to the qualified electors of said City?"
The text of the ballot, as printed in the City of Chandler Publicity Pamphlet, specifies the term: "Shall a franchise be granted to Arizona Public Service for a term of 25 years to begin January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2051, in accordance with Ordinance No. 5160…?" Voters mark FOR THE FRANCHISE or AGAINST THE FRANCHISE.
What a franchise is: a franchise is a contract in which a city grants a utility the right and privilege to use the city's public rights-of-way — its streets, alleys, and easements — to build, maintain, and operate its system, on stated terms and conditions. Ordinance No. 5160 grants APS that right "upon, over, across, and under the present and future public rights-of-way of the City of Chandler for the purpose of supplying electric energy to the City, its successors, inhabitants, and all individuals and entities, either within or beyond the limits thereof." The ordinance notes that the Constitution and laws of Arizona and the Chandler City Charter require the proposed franchise to go to the voters for approval or disapproval. Per the arguments printed in the pamphlet, the franchise is non-exclusive access, and the agreement does not determine who provides electrical service to residents — it governs APS's work in the rights-of-way, in coordination with the city and in accordance with city code.
What YES does
A vote FOR THE FRANCHISE grants the franchise: APS holds the right to construct, maintain, and operate its electrical system in Chandler's public rights-of-way for 25 years, January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2051, on the terms of Ordinance No. 5160 and its franchise agreement.
What NO does
A vote AGAINST THE FRANCHISE denies the grant: the franchise in Ordinance No. 5160 does not take effect, and APS's use of Chandler's rights-of-way continues without this 25-year franchise in place, on whatever interim basis the city and the utility arrange, until a franchise is approved.
The math
- Term: 25 years — January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2051, as printed in the pamphlet's ballot text.
- Franchise fee: under the agreement, as described in the pamphlet's printed arguments for Question 1, APS pays the City of Chandler a franchise fee of 2% of the revenue it receives from customers within the city limits; the arguments state that fee revenue supports city services, including road improvements, community and economic development, and upkeep of city facilities.
- No tax and no rate is set by this question: the ballot grants a right-of-way franchise. It does not set electric rates, and the pamphlet prints no fiscal estimate of total fee revenue over the term — that figure is not stated, and we will not estimate it.
OUR CALL
Our call: no call.
A utility franchise renewal is a procedural item with no values stake, and either outcome is consistent with our values. Electric service in Chandler runs on poles, conduits, and lines that sit in public rights-of-way; some franchise instrument has to govern that use, and Arizona law and Chandler's charter reserve the decision to the voters, where it belongs. A FOR vote locks in a 25-year term with a stated 2% fee and city-code coordination — continuity for a system residents depend on daily. An AGAINST vote sends the city and APS back to negotiate terms Chandler's voters like better, with service continuing in the interim. Neither outcome raises a tax, expands a government program, or changes who may sell electricity in Chandler. We print the terms plainly — 25 years, non-exclusive, 2% fee as described in the pamphlet — and leave the contract judgment to Chandler voters.
For the complete Election 2026 breakdown — every race, claim by claim — see the full coverage on our website.
Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Sources
- City of Chandler Publicity Pamphlet, 2026 General Election (Maricopa County Elections) — Question 1: ballot text and sample ballot (25-year term, January 1, 2027–December 31, 2051), Ordinance No. 5160 (grant of franchise over city rights-of-way; voter-approval requirement), Resolution No. 5999, and the pamphlet's printed arguments for Question 1 (non-exclusive access; 2% franchise fee; the agreement does not determine who provides electrical service) — https://elections.maricopa.gov/asset/jcr:2024694f-8f95-4b60-8e9d-43eda25fbafa/City%20of%20Chandler%20Publicity%20Pamphlet%202026%20General%20Election.pdf
- Gap stated, not filled: the pamphlet prints no estimate of total franchise-fee revenue over the 25-year term
Result pending. No verified call (Associated Press or official) as of November 4, 2026. This page will be updated when the race is called or certified. The original article above is unchanged.
AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.