The most recent Fountain Hills Republican Club meeting involved a packed house of Republicans and like-minded Independents to hear from State Senate President Warren Petersen—who recently announced his decision to run for Arizona Attorney General—and the newly elected Maricopa County Recorder, Justin Heap.

This was the first visit to the FHRC by Justin Heap since winning the Recorder’s seat, said club spokesperson Chris Brant.

“In the short time that he’s been in office, Justin has made an excellent start in what he promised to do if elected,” Brant said.

Heap’s team removed 242,000 individuals from their roles, which is approximately 8% of the electorate, Brant said. Heap shared that he had instigated a software update and cross-training of personnel under his leadership.

When taking office, Heap discovered that former County Recorder Stephen Richer had moved several duties to the county supervisors, said Brant, adding that this move restricts Heap from doing the job he was elected to perform.

Funding for Heap’s office, including his IT staff, was also dramatically cut.

Warren Petersen is a third-generation Gilbert resident who worked in the real estate industry for over 20 years, primarily in new home construction. Petersen has owned a real estate brokerage for over a decade.

Petersen received his bachelor’s degree from ASU and a J.D. from ASU Law. Petersen was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2012 where he served as chairman of the judiciary committee and also served on the government, ethics and finance committee.

He moved to the State Senate where he currently serves as president

Petersen defended a recent decision he had made in the senate regarding the controversial bill dealing with the building project in North Scottsdale.

Authorizing Axon’s special interest legislation massive apartment plan in Scottsdale could have far-reaching effects on future local zoning decisions, Brant said.

Petersen was under pressure for his part in authorizing this project but remained after the meeting to meet with those who still had questions about the project.

Fountain Hills Republican Club meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. Gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson has been confirmed for May 17 as the keynote speaker.

For further details, visit fountainhillsrepublicanclub.com and Facebook.com/FountainHillsRepublicanClub/.