Leadership Positions | San Tan Valley Fire District

This page separates documented public actions from campaign positions. The Rural Metro agreement vote is listed as a matter of public record. Any position on a future fire district should be confirmed directly from each official or candidate before being characterized as support or opposition.

View Proposed District Map Why a Fire District Matters 3-Year Agreement Details

Policy Direction: A Choice Between Two Models

Every council member, every candidate, and every voter is choosing between continuing the current subscription model or moving toward a public fire district. The two paths produce very different outcomes for residents, businesses, and emergency services planning.

Continue Current Model

Subscription & Renewal

Renew Rural Metro contracts every few years
Coverage remains optional and individually purchased
Non-subscribers continue to face post-incident billing
No public budget process for fire service
No elected fire-service oversight
Long-term planning constrained by subscription revenue

This is the path the 3-year Rural Metro agreement extends.

Move Toward District

Public Fire District

Universal coverage for every property in the district
Stable, predictable, tax-based funding
No surprise post-incident response bills for district residents
Public budget process and open meetings
Elected board accountable to residents
Multi-year planning for stations, staffing, and apparatus

This is the path a formal fire district establishes.

Voters and council members are not choosing between Rural Metro and “no service.” They are choosing between renewing a subscription model and building a public fire district.

Current Town Council and Rural Metro Agreement

The San Tan Valley Town Council approved a three-year fire protection services agreement with Rural Metro on December 17, 2025. Based on available public reporting, that approval was unanimous. This table should be read as agreement-action tracking, not as a final statement on each person’s position regarding the creation of a separate fire district.

Name	Current Role	Documented Rural Metro Action	Fire District Position
Daren Schnepf	Mayor	Approved agreement	Verify directly
Tyler Hudgins	Vice Mayor	Approved agreement	Verify directly
Bryan Hunt	Councilmember	Approved agreement	Verify directly
Gia Jenkins	Councilmember	Approved agreement	Verify directly
Daniel Oakes	Councilmember	Approved agreement	Verify directly
Brian Tyler	Councilmember	Approved agreement	Verify directly
Rupert Wolfert	Councilmember	Approved agreement	Verify directly

Important: Before labeling anyone as “supports Rural Metro,” “does not support Rural Metro,” “supports the fire district,” or “opposes the fire district,” collect a direct written statement, campaign page, public-meeting quote, or recorded vote for that exact position.

2026 Town Council Candidates

The official candidate listing for the 2026 San Tan Valley Town Council primary identifies the following candidates. Current appointed councilmembers who are also listed as candidates are marked below.

Candidate	Status Based on Current Public List	Notes
Diane Combes	Candidate	Not listed on the current appointed council page.
Tyler Hudgins	Current Vice Mayor / Candidate	Current appointed councilmember and listed candidate.
Daniel Oakes	Current Councilmember / Candidate	Current appointed councilmember and listed candidate.
Daren Schnepf	Current Mayor / Candidate	Current appointed councilmember and listed candidate.
Jean E. Stockton	Candidate	Not listed on the current appointed council page.
Alex Stovall	Candidate	Not listed on the current appointed council page.
Brian Tyler	Current Councilmember / Candidate	Current appointed councilmember and listed candidate.
Rupert Wolfert	Current Councilmember / Candidate	Current appointed councilmember and listed candidate.

Election dates: Per the revised election guide, the primary election is July 21, 2026, and the general election is November 3, 2026.

Recommended Public Positioning

Show the current council’s Rural Metro agreement vote as a documented public action.
Do not label a person as supporting or opposing the proposed fire district unless that position has been directly verified.
Invite each candidate to provide a short written statement on fire protection, Rural Metro, and whether they support forming a fire district.
Update this page as candidate statements are received.

Prepared for public education and transparency. Final campaign, legal, or election-use language should be reviewed for compliance with applicable election and public-communications rules.