The election season is in full swing, with the League of Women Voters Greater Verde Valley hosting candidate forums throughout July.
The events occur in anticipation of several candidates winning their seats prior to the general election: Candidates for Yavapai County Supervisor District 3, Yavapai County Constable Verde Valley Region and Yavapai County Assessor are all Republicans, meaning that the Tuesday, Aug. 30, primary election is the only opportunity for voters to cast their ballot for these officials.
On Saturday, July 16, forums took place at the Cottonwood Recreation Center from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nine candidates for Congressional District 1 debated first. The district includes Camp Verde, Sedona and parts of Cornville. Cottonwood, Jerome and Clarkdale are in District 4.
County Supervisor
Randy Garrison and Diane Joens took the stage for the county supervisor debate, attracting the afternoon’s largest crowd. Candidates for the seat vacated by 20-year veteran District 3 Supervisor Chip Davis, both Garrison and Joens have served in municipal government: The former served until recently on the Cottonwood City Council, while the latter currently serves as mayor of Cottonwood.
Asked what each would do to balance the needs of the county with the needs of individual communities within their district, Joens spoke of the diverse needs within an 8,128-square-mile county, paying particular attention to the demands growth has placed upon aging roadways: “We are in really dire straits with the infrastructure we have …. My record shows transportation is very important to me.”
“We’re under a huge impact due to growth,” Garrison said. “We’ve put our roads everywhere that was easy.” According to Garrison, allocating the $14 million to $15 million to roads annually in the county — a figure Joens countered was closer to $6 million once disbursed — demands a strong voice “to spread those resources around to impact as many people as possible.”
Both candidates addressed the concept of “smart growth,” with Garrison claiming that building smarter would mean increasing the density of communities and finding ways to capture and store water. Joens added that while she respects private property rights, the needs of the environment take precedence. Garrison and Joens agre
ed about the Verde River’s singular quality to help drive the economy, providing agricultural opportunities and attracting visitors to the Verde Valley.
Among the most significant challenges and opportunities she expected to experience, Joens responded that she would like to see the public transit system expanded — in particular to include routes between the Cottonwood area and the Village of Oak Creek.
Garrison responded to the same question, saying, “We have the opportunity to leverage our natural resources” to bring fresh money into the Verde Valley. “The challenge is the impact on our natural resources.”
Asked if she would reduce water costs for unincorporated areas outside Cottonwood, Joens answered, “Yes. We will work together.”
“I don’t know how she can say yes when she’s voted no for the last two years,” Garrison countered, adding that the supervisor would have little impact on water rates. According to Garrison, the purchase of water systems by the city over the last decade had largely been done for “political gain.” His stated preference is for unincorporated communities to buy back the water systems within their territories, allowing residents to decide their own course of action.
Garrison added that water concerns needed to be treated regionally, perhaps through a water district that represents the Verde Valley. Joens stressed the importance of being part of a larger, county-wide conversation about water resources.
Verde Valley Constable
The three candidates for Yavapai County Constable Verde Valley Region, Jody Fanning, Carlos Godina and Monte Reimer addressed questions about the position.
Required by law according to the Arizona Constitution, the constable is an elected official serving as the executive branch of the courts. Constables are empowered to serve all process given to them by the Justice of the Peace or other authority, including service of criminal and civil subpoenas and sum, eviction orders, orders to seize property, orders of protection and
injunctions against harassment and other orders from the courts.
Former Cottonwood Chief of Police Jody Fanning is the incumbent, having served less than a year after his appointment.
County Assessor
Speaking last, the two candidates for Yavapai County Assessor, Pamela J. Pearsall and Judd Simmons, took questions about the role and responsibilities of assessor.
The assessor discovers, lists and values all taxable and nontaxable property in Yavapai County, as well as determines the legal class for all properties based on the current use of the property.
In addition to other duties, the assessor provide assessment-related information to communities and government agencies.
Pearsall is the incumbent, having served for nearly eight years.
