Cottonwood Mayor Tim Elinski is running unopposed for his second term in office. He previously served as a councilman.
What makes you qualified to serve as mayor of Cottonwood?
I have been intimately involved in policy matters on a local, regional and statewide basis for
the last 15 years.I participate in or plan many forums for public engagement to help our community address many issues. I have served on the Planning and Zoning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, City Council and one term as mayor.
What makes Cottonwood great?
Cottonwood is great because of its people and its heritage. We’ve been a community of hardworking individualists that came together to form a community based on ranching and farming. Prior to that we were a community of industrious and skilled Yavapai and Apaches who worked with the bounty this valley had to offer to create a flourishing community. Flash forward 150 years and we are all working together from our different backgrounds to create a unified and wonderful Verde Valley.
What would be different if you were not mayor?
One of my lasting accomplishments has been my ability to attract a talented team of leaders. Through my leadership, I have encouraged others to run for office, who in turn have encouraged yet more. We are working together as a team for the betterment of Cottonwood, guided by our vision statement: “Inspiring a vibrant community.” Not only does elected leadership follow this, but our manager also, which resonates throughout the entire organization.
How will you help Cottonwood to recover from the coronavirus and resulting economic slump?
We formed a Community Task Force focused on coronavirus response, ensuring we had resources needed and distribution in place. This group merged into the Economic Recovery Task Force by including more business owners and the city’s economic development team. Our weekly meetings discuss concerns, share resources and information.
How do you hope to keep Cottonwood affordable to residents?
In Cottonwood we are working hard with our development partners to provide a variety of housing options, to include duplexes, apartments and tiny homes. This, coupled with the creation of a regional housing authority, will go a long way toward achieving affordability.
Tim Elinski Candidate Essay:
Hello Cottonwood residents, I am running for a second term as mayor, and I would appreciate your vote. I have been serving Cottonwood as an elected or appointed official for the last 15 years, starting my service on the Planning and Zoning Commission, then serving on City Council as well as the Historic Preservation Commission. It has been my pleasure to work alongside two former mayors and two former city managers, and it’s a pleasure to work with our newest manager Ron Corbin. Throughout the years your council and management have navigated both fruitful and difficult times, and we’ve always found ways to prosper. I’m proud to serve alongside this new team of council and management, and I’m excited to bring our vision to reality in the coming years. This is an exciting time for all in the Verde Valley. Your engagement makes us better.
I’m an Arizona native, raised north of Payson in a community along the East Verde river. My rural roots have served me well, and my wife and I are extremely passionate about raising our two girls in this rural lifestyle we all enjoy. It’s no secret the Verde Valley is a great place to live, and the coming years will see much growth, which is why it’s very important to be strategic about how we manage growth and the other demands placed upon us.
Rural communities like ours contain the character and beauty that is the envy of our metro neighbors to the south. Unfortunately, as was my experience growing up in Payson, rural communities often lack the economic activity to sustain a multi-generational spectrum. We have seen our share of youth flight here in the Verde Valley, but I’m pleased to say that through our leadership we are seeing positive changes. I have been a strong advocate for education here, particularly post-secondary. I have established an excellent working relationship with Yavapai College President Dr. Rhine and our newest Dean in the Verde, Dr. Redd. From that relationship, with community support, has grown a promise from the college to advance Career Tech programming on this side of the mountain. This will go a long way to providing our graduates with opportunities to become work force ready right here at home, and we are building a direct pipeline from educational training to local jobs. Education is the key to unlocking our economic potential, and I am focused on building these relationships across all our institutions to ensure we position ourselves as a powerhouse in rural Arizona.
Lack of housing is another reason we see our workforce leave. The price of land is only going up and the demand for housing is high. This is a regional problem and cannot be solved within a vacuum. Therefore, we have partnered with Sedona to study and address this issue. In addition, we are making changes to our ordinances to allow more flexibility in zoning to allow for tighter density where appropriate and we work with our developers to incentivize housing variety to maximize affordability. There is a lot more work to be done before we point to success, but we are laying the foundation now. It is critical that we provide entry level housing so we don’t lose our workforce and families.
With growth comes pressure on our natural resources. We live alongside one of the last free flowing rivers in the state, and it is my goal to not squander our good fortune. The City of Cottonwood is an excellent steward of our aquifer, and has reduced groundwater pumping by 30% over the last 20 years. We have plans to maximize our use of reclaimed water in the coming months, and continue to improve the infrastructure, reducing our impact on our natural environment. While all this is going on, it’s equally important to work on preservation, and to that end I am pleased to say this council has committed to building more trails and improvements to access the river. It’s important to impress upon our residents the beauty of our environment, also the fragility of it. We will protect what we love, and we partner with our pre K-12 school districts, as well as our adults, to educate, promote and encourage conservation.
Your vote and your voice is important to me. Thank you for continuing to provide encouragement, and to challenge me to serve you better. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I look forward to building on our success.
