Capping off an eight-year run as a member of the Cottonwood City Council, Terence Pratt has announced his bid for mayor.
“Smart, creative, visionary leadership,” is how the 23-year resident of Cottonwood summed up his campaign — but the term Pratt repeated most often is “smart growth,” reflecting an emphasis on encouraging investment in the city without losing its distinctive character to headlong growth.
“I’ve been a real advocate for economic development,” Pratt said, adding that development must not focus only on the tourism industry but contribute to a sustainable future where parents can raise their children and those children can envision staying in Cottonwood after high school and college. “It’s a great place to live already …. Cottonwood is an amalgam of people — natives and people I call ‘refugees from larger urban areas.’”
According to Pratt, this ability to appeal to people who desire a permanent respite from city life must not be lost when planning for growth. An active man and lover of the outdoors by nature, Pratt loves “that you can walk around” Cottonwood while accessing so many open spaces and parks.
At the same time, there are many unused spaces. “Sure, build there,” Pratt said of these areas. He cautioned against developing outward along the city’s boundaries, expanding faster than is wise.
“You don’t want to outgrow your infrastructure,” Pratt added, contrasting Cottonwood to nearby cities — Prescott Valley, in particular — that have experienced growth resulting in sprawl and resource management problems. Creating a livable community, where residents can walk, recreate and easily access the resources they need, is Pratt’s first priority.
As an English professor at Yavapai College’s Verde Valley Campus for the past two decades and counting, Pratt views education as one of the most fundamental resources for any community. The fringe benefit of being so central to the education discussion, he noted, is that it has made him a recognizable figure. “Because I’ve taught at the college so long, I know so many people. They feel comfortable talking to me and bringing up issues.”
Pratt, who when first elected spearheaded the Walking on Main Street program — a successful effort that helped increase development of Old Town — said that he is optimistic in the face of struggle. He admitted that Cottonwood has more than its share of challenges ahead.
An avowed progressive when it comes to social issues, Pratt said that he has become more conservative when it comes to financial problems.
“Because Cottonwood does have them,” he added. “It’s scary, but it’ll be fine.”
Asked what issues have caused the financial situation ahead of the city, Pratt pointed to what he considers the primary cause: “We bought six different water companies, and that cost a lot of money.” Pratt explained that he does not disagree with the desire to have more control over the city’s water supply, but that he laments the oversight process resulting in the purchase of the systems — most of which were found to be in poor repair, further impacting the bottom line.
The second major expenditure that continues to impact the city, Pratt said, is the Cottonwood Recreation Center. Constructed through the use of a bond voted on by the public approximately seven years ago, the financial impact of the facility has been substantial.
At the same time, Pratt said that the center has had an overall positive impact on the area.
He visits the facility at least five times a week and is constantly struck by the range of people found there.
“It’s people of all ages, all socioeconomic backgrounds …. I think it’s served the whole Verde Valley well.”
