The deadline has passed for candidates for the Camp Verde Town Council to collect signatures and submit them to the town clerk for the election that will be held on the primary date of Aug. 4, 2020.
Vice Mayor Dee Jenkins, who was first elected to the Camp Verde Town Council for a four- year term in 2016, has filed to challenge incumbent Charlie German for Camp Verde Mayor. Though Jenkins has worked alongside German for several years and considers him a friend, she believes that her experience, both in business [she is the general manager and CFO of Quintus Inc., a carbon composite manufacturing company in Camp Verde] and on the town council, makes her a good choice for a change in leadership.
“I’m very active in Camp Verde businesses so I have a pulse on the business, and employees,” Jenkins said. “My financial background has been most helpful during budget and when we’re considering finances. I feel like current council does rely on my opinion in those cases, and of course I would continue to do that.”
“I think the mayor in me is my leadership and management,” Jenkins continued. “I would be able to show those skills and those experiences. There has been one friction on council. Fortunately, my name’s not been in the paper. What I’ve heard from people within staff and others who are close to council is [that] I have been the peacemaker.”
German, who was elected as mayor in 2013, believes that his past record as mayor makes him the right choice for re-election.
“I think I come with a lot of experience, and I’ve got connections,” German said. “I’ve demonstrated it during the time that I’ve served as mayor. I still have a couple projects. This will be my last term if I’m re-elected. But I just have a few things that are hanging fire. Obviously the town is looking at some pretty significant kinds of things, and then with this COVID-19 that’s [happening], it brings a little more special attention to us.”
Though the two members of the council are running against each other in the election, both stress that they feel no ill will toward the other and that their opponent would be a good choice for the town as well.
There are also three open seats on the town council — Dee Jenkins’ seat, which she is vacating to run for mayor, Jessie Murdock’s seat and Buck Buchanan’s seat. Three candidates have filed to run for the council, including Jessie Murdock, who is running for reelection, Jackie Baker, who was on the council until she ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2018, and Planning & Zoning Commissioner Christine McPhail, who is seeking to join the council for the first time. With just three candidates running for the three open seats, all three are all but guaranteed to secure seats on the council, barring a major surprise involving a write-in
candidate.
Buchanan, who was elected in 2016, did not return paperwork to seek a second term.
