North Valley News Q&A with District 4 council candidates

“I’m a long-time neighbor and small business owner who understands how to get things done in this city, and I want to bring my experience to serve our community.”

— Ashley Harder

---

Ashley Harder

The main thing I want voters to know is that I’m not going anywhere. I’ve lived here my entire adult life, built my business here, and invested my time and energy in this community for decades. I’m not a politician. I’m a neighbor and a small business owner who loves Phoenix and wants to bring my experience to serve our community.

As your councilmember, I’ll be close to the people I represent and accessible when you need me. When a neighbor brings me a concern, my job is to listen, pick up the phone, bring the right people together, and work the problem until we find a solution. That’s what local government should be: accessible, responsive, and accountable.

I’m here to listen and turn what I hear into action. I’ll fight like hell for our community to be safe, healthy, connected, and protected, because this is my home too.

---

Click on the “+” symbol to read question and answers.

• What do you see as the top two issues facing District 4 right now? What is a possible solution for each?

  1. Housing Affordability
  2. Homelessness

  I’ve been knocking a lot of doors across District 4, and no matter the neighborhood, whether I’m talking with a resident or a business owner, homelessness is the issue I hear about most. Housing affordability is closely connected, and both require thoughtful, experienced leadership and a commitment to advancing real solutions.

  For more than two decades, I’ve worked in real estate development, housing, neighborhood advocacy, and historic preservation. I understand how housing gets built, where the barriers are, and how important it is to bring neighborhoods, businesses, and builders together as Phoenix grows.

  Too many families are struggling with rising rents or finding a home they can afford to buy. We need to expand housing opportunities by increasing our housing supply, updating zoning policies, and supporting a wider range of housing choices, including condos, duplexes, and small-scale infill. My approach is preserve and build: add the housing Phoenix needs while preserving existing housing and making sure new development fits the character of our neighborhoods.

  Homelessness requires the same focus on real outcomes. We need enough shelter capacity to get people off the street, stronger access to behavioral health and supportive services, more permanent supportive housing options, and greater investment in prevention so fewer people become homeless in the first place.

  I laid out this approach in my Housing Plan because Phoenix needs leadership that understands both the urgency of our housing shortage and how to plan responsibly for long-term growth. By increasing housing supply, supporting pathways to homeownership, preventing homelessness, and connecting people in crisis with the services they need, we can make Phoenix more affordable and create stronger, more stable neighborhoods.

• What is your stance on reverse lanes: should they stay or go and why?

  The residents and business owners of Central Phoenix have made it clear that they want to see the reverse lanes go. Commuters who use them may feel differently, but the people who live and work along these corridors experience the impacts every day. As their Councilmember, my responsibility is to listen to them, represent their interests, and go to bat for their needs at City Hall.

  I support ending the reverse lanes, and I’m ready to build the Council consensus necessary to get it done responsibly. That means a thoughtful transition plan, public education, and careful attention to traffic and safety as we change a system that has been in place for decades.

• In a polarized political climate, is it possible to bridge divides and bring diverse constituents together? How will you work to build community?

  Yes. In fact, I believe that is the job of City Council: to serve everyone. It’s also the power of local government.

  I have this conversation often with District 4 voters. Phoenix has a nonpartisan governing body. We’re not elected to advance a political party’s agenda. Our agenda should be what is right for Phoenix: making good policy that improves people’s lives, being responsible stewards of the public’s investment, and delivering quality services to everyone, regardless of political identity or background.

  To build community, I’ll do what I’ve always done, just at a larger scale. Throughout my career, I’ve brought neighbors, small businesses, property owners, builders, and City Hall together around projects and community issues where people didn’t always start from the same place. I’ve learned that bringing people to the table early, listening to concerns, and finding where interests overlap can turn disagreement into better solutions.

  That’s how I’ll lead on Council: create opportunities for people to be heard, find common ground, and build the trust necessary to get things done. My job is to make sure Phoenix is working for everyone.

• Some residents feel that the goals of the ReinventPHX Solano TOD and the ULIAz Tap – Camelback study have not been realized. What are your priorities for the revitalization of the 19th Avenue corridor?

  I see tremendous potential along 19th Avenue. There are strong neighborhoods, hardworking small businesses, transit investment, and people who care about their community’s future. What the corridor needs now is leadership that can turn years of planning into action.

  I’ve served on multiple ULI Arizona Technical Assistance Panels, bringing my experience in redevelopment, corridor reinvestment, and historic preservation to communities facing similar challenges. I value the AZ TAP process because it brings people together, identifies what is achievable, and creates a path toward implementation.

  I’d bring a similar approach to 19th Avenue. I will convene residents, businesses, property owners, and community leaders around clear, measurable priorities, then work with the City to get them done. That means improving public safety and response times, investing in lighting, shade and infrastructure, supporting and attracting neighborhood-serving businesses, and thoughtfully managing zoning to create more diverse housing choices while respecting the corridor’s longstanding neighborhoods.

  19th Avenue has been studied and planned for. Now it needs leadership that can turn those plans into action, bring investment to the corridor, and deliver real results. I’m ready to lead that work alongside the people who live and work there and deliver the progress this community deserves.

---

The deadline to register to vote in the November 2026 election is Monday, Oct. 5. For information on city of Phoenix council elections, head to the city’s information page. To check your voter status, register to vote or find additional election information, visit the Maricopa County Elections page.

Original article can be found here: https://northcentralnews.net/2026/community/we-asked-they-answered-meet-your-district-4-council-candidates/