Mayor John Crane has lived in Carefree since 1989. He served on the Town Council as a Councilmember and then Vice Mayor for 7 years and as Mayor since December 2022. Previously, John was appointed to the Carefree Subdivision Committee and was the Vice Chair of the Carefree Planning and Zoning Commission. John served 12 years as president and board member of the Carefree Foothills Homeowners' Association and served 10 years on the board of the Desert Foothills Land Trust. Currently, John sits on the Maricopa County Association of Governments Regional Council and the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission.
Mayor Crane firmly believes local government, as the level of government closest to the people, must be transparent and responsive to the Town's needs to be effective. While successful economic development is key to the Town's future, a balance must be struck between citizen and commercial interests and fiscal restraint."
John earned a BS degree in Mathematics from Villanova University in 1978 and a MS degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1985. He served seven years as a nuclear submarine officer. A business owner, since 1994, he has been a sales representative for Asian, European, and US semiconductor material and equipment suppliers to customers in North America. In 2021 he was recognized by the Black Mountain Foothills Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) with the Medal of Honor, the most prestigious honor awarded by the DAR for citizenship and patriotic service. John and his partner, Betsy, can frequently be seen strolling through Carefree enjoying all the Town has to offer.