Mayor and City or Town Council In Arizona, most cities and towns operate under a council–manager form of government. The Mayor is the city or town’s chief elected official, providing leadership and policy direction. At the same time, a City or Town Manager, appointed by the Council, oversees daily operations and municipal staff. The Mayor typically presides over Council meetings, represents the municipality publicly, and serves as a voting member of the governing body. In most Arizona municipalities, the Mayor does not have independent veto authority; decisions are made collectively by the Council as defined by state law and local charters.The City or Town Council serves as the legislative and policymaking body. Council members adopt ordinances and resolutions, approve the annual budget and capital improvement plans, set local policy priorities, and oversee city operations. They also respond to constituent concerns through public meetings, correspondence, and coordination with city staff. Most Arizona cities and towns hold nonpartisan elections for Mayor and Council, and four-year terms are typical. Why You Should CareThe Mayor and City or Town Council make decisions that directly affect daily life in Arizona communities. They set priorities and allocate spending for essential local services, including police, fire, and emergency medical services; housing and homelessness programs; streets, transportation, water, sewer, and trash services; parks and recreation; zoning and development; and long-term infrastructure planning. These officials also represent their communities in regional planning efforts related to growth, transportation, water resources, and climate resilience. Voting in these local races gives residents a direct voice in how their city or town is governed and how public resources are used.For additional information:https://www.azcleanelections.gov/how-government-works/arizona-mayorhttps://www.azcleanelections.gov/how-government-works/arizona-city-and-town-council-members
Campaign YouTube
Public Policy Priorities
Affordable housing, forest health/catastrophic wildfire, water resources, climate resiliency, public safety
Qualifications and Experience
I currently serve as Flagstaff’s mayor and have done so for nearly four years. I have 17 years of executive leadership in Flagstaff non-profit organizations in the fields of land use planning, education, arts, and human services. Before being elected to office, I participated in numerous Flagstaff city planning and legislative matters, including the first Regional Land Use Plan, City Charter Review Committee, and a Bond Advisory Task Force. I’ve held statewide and local leadership positions, including two as a Governor-appointed Commission co-chair and Commission member. I’ve worked for the City of Flagstaff in economic development, and completed the Mayoral Fellowship at the Just City Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Memberships & Affiliations
League of Arizona Cities and Towns Executive Committee; Greater Arizona Mayors Association, Arizona Arts Commission Member; Arizona Citizens for the Arts Board Member; Flinn-Brown Fellow through the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership; Arizona Mayors Education Roundtable; U.S. Conference of Mayors; Climate Mayors; Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger; Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Endorsements
Arizona List; United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 99; Local 1505 United Flagstaff Firefighters
Community Service
Current: Arizona Arts Commission and Arizona Citizens for the Arts. Former: Board member with--Theatrikos Theatre Co, Flagstaff Arts Council, Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project, High Country Humane
Education
Master's degree in Sustainable Communities from Northern Arizona University
I share our community’s values, and my priority is good jobs with low impact. By building on our strengths, including science, technology, engineering, arts, manufacturing, building trades, and tourism, we can create good jobs and retain the ones we have. Flagstaff prioritizes strong supports for learning trades through FUSD, CAVIAT, and CCC. We boast cutting edge scientific research through organizations and institutions—including the U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Arizona University, Lowell Observatory, Naval Observatory, Forest Service, and Moonshot. The arts are a priority for our city and significant investment is made in local artists and non-profit organizations. Tying all this together and adding in our surrounding public lands means that tourism is a pillar of a healthy Flagstaff economy. Flagstaff’s values demand that business be conducted in a low-impact manner and that resources such as water, healthy natural environment, dark skies, and skilled workforce be valued.
My priorities are housing, forest health, public safety, water quality/resources, climate resilience, efficient/safe transportation, and parks/recreation. The trick is prioritizing each of these and balancing them with other citywide needs. I believe the community can generally agree that these are priorities, but differ on which should be top priorities. Public safety, infrastructure, trash pickup, and water delivery are essentials. But housing, climate resilience, and parks/recreation also contribute to our high quality of life. In order to make informed decisions, I’ve spent time learning more about each of these areas/services and discussing priorities with city staff and the community. Balancing a budget and providing services residents want isn’t easy. Before taking on any new programs or projects, it’s critical that the City—and community—filter each through a matrix of ongoing needs and ensure that we don’t forget our essentials and programs that increase our quality of life.
Public trust is essential. I look for ways the City can make processes more transparent and understandable. I’ve held monthly drop-ins in local businesses and parks so the public can ask questions and give feedback. I encourage residents to reach out to meet, my weekly calendar is on the City website, and I prioritize responding to resident emails. The City Council strictly follows open meeting law and discussion takes place only in Council meetings. Volunteering for City committees and task forces, serving on City commissions, and direct communication either at City Council meetings or through email are all great ways to let Council know how you feel. The City invests in services and projects with taxpayer money and I take its stewardship seriously. The trust that the public places in me to be held accountable and serve their interests is a honor I will never take lightly.
There’s power in the collective vision of residents, mayors and city councils, and city government. As discussed above, I demonstrate that I value public input. As a member of the Greater Arizona Mayors Association, I routinely discuss problems unique to smaller cities like Flagstaff and make recommendations to the League of Arizona Cities and Towns (League). I also serve on the League’s Executive Committee. Informed by City Council legislative priorities, I work with staff to introduce and support legislation beneficial to Flagstaff—also to oppose potentially damaging legislation. I have good relationships with Flagstaff’s legislative representatives—state and federal. Flagstaff has had success on state and federal legislation and funding, primarily due to the relationships I, City Council, and staff have with our representatives. It takes work to build trust and maintain strong relationships. This time investment is critical to meeting residents’ needs—and is a priority for me.
Housing that’s affordable to Flagstaff’s families, workforce, seniors and individuals is critical. Whether it’s rental or owned, Flagstaff needs more housing at a cost of no more than 30% of monthly incomes. I’ve advocated for pro-housing legislation, spoken out against cuts to housing programs, supported staff through a land and code analysis—the results of which will have a demonstrated positive impact. Public Safety is also an important issue. Flagstaff leads the nation in forest health and we can’t slow our efforts. Police, fire, emergency management, and airport rescue and firefighting teams need to increase staffing to continue high-quality, proactive emergency services. These teams need additional equipment and space for these critical services. A citizens’ public safety committee has unanimously supported, and City Council acted on, placing a small sales tax increase and a bond on November’s ballot to invest in staff, buildings, and equipment. I strongly support their passage.
