The Camp Verde Town Council filing deadlines for candidates this election was May 30. Among those candidates is Mayor Charlie German who will be running for re-election. German has served as the town’s mayor since 2013, following a career as a teacher and principal.
This election, German has a competitor for the seat of mayor — Jackie Baker, a Camp Verde Town Council member.
Baker has been serving the city’s government since 1999, with the exception of a two-year term from 2007 to 2009.
“I’m running for mayor because I just would like to focus on a little bit of a different direction,” Baker said.
She said that development and providing more services for the residents of Camp Verde would be some of her top priorities if elected.
“There are some things you can’t change in government, but I want to focus on the things I can change,” she said.
German expressed a similar sentiment. He said he looks to build a strong foundation for an equally strong work force, housing and economic development for Camp Verde, with a focus on long-term planning.
“I am currently involved with a number of projects that are nearing completion and would like to see them completed,” German wrote in an email.
In addition to the mayoral race, five candidates will be running for three open seats on the Camp Verde Town Council. Council members Bradford Gordon and Baker will not be seeking re-election to their seats on the council. Council member Robin Whatley, who has served on the council since 2009, will be running for re-election.
Also running for council seats are Carol German and Bruce George — who have both previously served on the Town Council — former judge of the Yavapai County Superior Court Joe Butner, and retired police officer and army veteran Bill LeBeau.
Candidates for both mayor and council seats were required to collect at least 65 signatures of registered voters in Camp Verde to be eligible for the ballot. According to Town Clerk Judy Morgan, there were no problems with the candidate registration process this year and everything went smoothly.
All candidates will compete against one another in the Aug. 28 primary election. In this race, if any candidate receives a majority share of the votes, they are automatically seated on the council without having to compete in the general election on Nov. 6. Voters will be able to vote three times to fill the three open council seats, which means that a candidate must receive onesixth of the total votes in that race.
Since there are only two candidates running for mayor, it is likely that the winner will be decided in the Aug. 28 primary.
“In order for somebody to be elected in that particular election and not have to go on to the general, they would need at least 50 percent plus one of the votes cast for that seat,” Morgan said. “When you only have two running, chances are pretty good that you will have somebody win it in the primary.”
Members of the town council are entitled to a $250 per month stipend, while the mayor is paid $350 per month. Once the Town Council is formed, its members vote on a vice mayor; there is no additional financial incentive for the position of vice mayor.
Residents of the incorporated town limits of Camp Verde who are citizens over the age of 18 and not convicted of a felony are eligible to vote in the election. The voter registration deadline in Arizona is 29 days before the election, or Monday, July 30.
The county will be hosting a polling place at the Camp Verde Community Library, and voters are permitted to vote at any polling location in Yavapai County or by mail.
Ballots will be sent out two to three weeks before the election date. Questions about ballots can be answered by calling the town clerk at 554-0023, or by email at clerk@ campverde.az.gov.
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551, or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
