James Gregory [R] formally left his District 2 seat on the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors during its meeting in Cottonwood on Wednesday, Feb. 19, after filing a letter of resignation with the county recorder’s office on Feb. 5. He received a plaque commemorating his four years of service on the board.
“It has been a pleasure,” Gregory said. “It’s bittersweet. I’ve had a lot of great relationships over the years as the supervisor, with the mayor, managers and constituents. It’s been a truly enjoyable experience. You guys will be dearly missed. Thank you.”
The board then took a 15-minute recess to congratulate him on being named Tad Wygal’s replacement as the chief of police for the Williams Police Department.
“Chief Gregory is an Air Force veteran and he comes to Williams after a distinguished 30-year career at Prescott Valley Police Department rising to the rank of lieutenant,” the department stated in a Jan. 30 press release. ”We are confident that Chief Gregory’s experience and dedication to the profession of law enforcement will immensely benefit the Williams Police Department and the city of Williams as a whole.”
Gregory was sworn in to his new position by Williams Mayor Don Dent on Thursday, Feb. 13.
“Being a new supervisor, I really look up to Supervisor Gregory in his ability to engage with the public, be very collaborative.” Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor Nikki Check [D] said during the meeting. “He’s been an excellent partner for District 3, and really has taught me a lot about, you know, how to be available to the public in a very sincere and engaged way. So I’ll continue to look up to you, but I do also wish you the very best in your next chapter.”
“It’s been an incredible seven weeks,” District 4 Supervisor Chris Kuknyo [R] said. “I [came] to the meetings before, and I love the way you run meetings. I loved how you showed complete respect for the public and their ability to speak out on what concerns them.”
Filling the Vacancy
Following the meeting, the board held a study session to discuss filling the vacancy. Gregory won reelection by defeating Wiley Cline in the Republican primary with no opposition in the general election; Cline has stated that he will be seeking appointment to Gregory’s seat.
The board is now soliciting applications for Gregory’s successor, who must be at least 18 years old, a resident of District 2, a registered voter, a registered Republican and able to read and write the English language.
Applicants must submit a letter of interest, a resume, a financial disclosure statement and a conflict of interest affidavit, which are available online at yavapaiaz.gov under the “News” tab, to clerkoftheboard.web@ yavapaiaz.gov before 5 p.m. on Friday, March 7.
For more information about the position, applicants can contact County Manager Maury Thompson or Clerk of the Board Jayme Rush at (928) 771-3200.
“The Board of Supervisors will consider qualified applicants and may appoint a replacement for the Yavapai County District 2 Board of Supervisor at its regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. on April 16,” a Yavapai County press release stated.
Deputy County Manager Martin Brennan reminded the board that tied 2-2 votes in the absence of a fifth supervisor will cause motions to fail.
