If you haven’t watched your Cottonwood City Council in a while, the Tuesday, Dec. 19 meeting is one worth watching. This watershed meeting illuminates what has been boiling for several months. While it is not easy for me to call attention to poor behavior and actions by my colleagues, I feel it is important to do so now in order to call my community to action.
One of the most shocking items from last Tuesday’s meeting wasn’t so much the discussion around Councilman Derek Palosaari’s sexual misconduct toward Cottonwood employees, but the fact that your council would not vote to publicly condemn Palosaari’s behavior and actions.
I’d like to focus on how we got to this point where your representatives won’t take a stand against a colleague who is sexually harassing employees. Such inaction reeks of hidden agendas, where retaining a majority voting block is more important than holding one another accountable for inappropriate behavior.
Much of this stems from the last two election cycles, where there weren’t enough candidates on the ballots for seats available. This past year we also lost two elected council members through resignation.
Council is required to fill vacancies by appointment. The first vacancy was filled by appointing Palosaari. The second vacancy was not filled at first because council couldn’t agree on the best candidate. Three members wanted Michael Mathews, a former council member, while three were opposed. There were many other qualified applicants, but some didn’t even get the courtesy of an interview. It was clear that three of our council had their minds made up already. Teamwork and compromise has taken a backseat to some other agenda.
Weeks later, council interviewed another slate of applicants. Without even a discussion of any other candidate, Palosaari immediately made the motion to appoint Mathews, which was quickly seconded. Mathews was then appointed by 4-2 majority vote.
On social media, Councilmember Lisa DuVernay celebrated that after months of opposition, she now has her “fourth conservative on the city council.”
“Welcome to the Thunderdome, folks,” was her caption, a reference to a sci-fi movie [“Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,” Australia, 1985] where apocalyptic battles are fought to the death in a coliseum. Keep your eye on upcoming meeting agendas to see clearly their plan unfolding in real time.
Folks who have recently moved here may not realize how far we have come as a community, and how much is at stake with a council that is more focused on culture wars and partisan bickering than balanced budgets and infrastructure investments.
Movie still courtesy of Kennedy Miller Productions.
Twenty years ago we were known statewide as a hub for methamphetamine abuse. Today we are known as the Heart of Arizona Wine Country. This was no small feat, and it took bold leadership and unification across jurisdictions and disciplines and the sweat, risk and commitment of our local businesses. Millions of dollars have poured into our community as a result, and we are now seen as the poster child for economic recovery and success.
We did this in 20 years by being united in a common vision and by leveraging our community assets for the betterment of the Verde. Because of Cottonwood’s success, we have been able to attract high-caliber talent. Our current city manager and attorney have both been watching Cottonwood’s progress over the years waiting for the right opportunity to apply. They could be successful in any other community, but they chose Cottonwood.
Sadly, we are losing our attorney, who likely doesn’t want to be caught between following the law and the pet agendas of certain council members. Her expertise as a municipal attorney and her knowledge of water law will be a terrible loss for Cottonwood. Replacing her will be a challenge, particularly with council members who are misaligned and unwilling to condemn unethical behavior.
Keeping our city manager will also be challenging in this coming year. Six months into the job, he has hardly been able to flex his skills as a professional manager because he has been reacting to so much turmoil originating from his council.
It’s time to elect representatives who place connection to community above connection to political party.
In her first six months in office, DuVernay had already missed more council meetings than I have in my last 18 years in office. This lack of commitment is unacceptable. That she refers to colleagues on the dais as “conservatives” shows that she clearly does not understand the nonpartisan role that locally-elected council members play.
The fact that these four “conservatives” are also the ones who can overlook disgusting behavior in order to secure favorable votes is poor local representation. We deserve better.
This is not the “Thunderdome,” where partisan battles play out at the taxpayer’s expense. This is Cottonwood, Arizona, a small community where generations of families and businesses have worked to make their home better for the next generation.
I’m imploring you to consider this next election as your opportunity to make home better through sound, reasonable governance. We need quick, decisive course correction. Please consider running for office, supporting others to run for office and at the very least voting down the ballot for the offices that will affect you the most: Your local city council.
With your vote and your actions, help me ensure that Cottonwood remains a leader in rural Arizona.
