CHAMBER ADVOCACY

A Host of Local Elected Positions Change Hands, and Many Stay the Same

The results of the local 2020 elections have been certified by Coconino County, and many places saw turnover as a result, while several of the local elected positions saw incumbents returned to office. The offices of County Sheriff and County Attorney saw no change, as respectively, Jim Driscoll and Bill Ring ran unopposed in the general election, and were returned to their posts for another 4-year term. Supervisors Liz Archuleta, Matt Ryan and Lena Fowler, also ran unopposed, and were returned for four more years to the County Board. Joining Supervisors Archuleta, Ryan and Fowler on the County Board this term will be newcomers Patrice Horstman, who filled the seat of departing Art Babbott, and Judy Begay now representing District 4. At the City of Flagstaff level, newcomer Paul Deasy defeated sitting Councilmember Charlie Odegaard for the vacated Flagstaff Mayor position. Mayor-elect Deasy will be joined on Flagstaff City Council by newcomers Becky Daggett & Miranda Sweet. Councilmember Jim McCarthy was reelected to another four-year term, prevailing over Anthony Garcia by just 71 votes. Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans sought a highly contested seat in Arizona’s State House in Legislative District 6, but was bested by former Representative Brenda Barton of Payson by just under two thousand votes. The top vote getter in the LD6 state house race was current State Representative, Walter Blackman, who will return to the State Capitol in Phoenix, AZ for two-more years. In the State Senate race, newcomer Wendy Rogers bested Felicia French by a sizable margin. Senator-elect Rogers hails from Flagstaff, and will represent LD6 in the Arizona Senate this coming January. Senator-elect Rogers beat sitting Senator Sylvia Allen in the August 2020 primary for the Republican nomination. Filling-out the rest of the County constitutional offices, Armando Ruiz, County Assessor, Patty Hansen, County Recorder, Tommy Lewis, Jr., County Superintendent of Schools, and Sarah Benatar, County Treasurer were all elected to four-year terms. In the City of Williams, Craig Fritsinger beat Dawn Trapp for a four-year term on Williams City Council by just 32 votes out of more than 1,200 ballots cast.

Congressman Tom O’Halleran Sits With Key Business Leaders Post-Election

In a socially-distanced scenario with masks, Congressman Tom O’Halleran, fresh off his reelection to Arizona’s Congressional District 1, met with key Flagstaff business leaders to discuss current lame-duck session relief bills, and other actions in D.C. The Congressman also provided an outlook for potential COVID19 vaccines, and noted money still exists in Washington to assist businesses, but acknowledged the path to move those dollars outside of D.C. through the U.S. Treasury Department is unclear at the moment. Those in attendance included Northern Arizona Healthcare’s (NAH) President & CEO, Flo Spyrow, Hozohni Foundation Director, Monica Attridge, Mountain Capital Partners Chief Planning Officer, J.R. Murray & Tim Dodt, Senior Director, Commercial Lending at Alliance Bank of Arizona Flagstaff. NAH President, Flo Spyrow, provided direct insight regarding the strains on providing healthcare in northern Arizona, and stressed the need to upgrade facilities locally to continue providing top-level care well into the future. Flo also emphasized, and the Congressman acknowledged, the need to collaborate with our Navajo Nation leaders on education regarding COVID19. Monica Attridge asked about vaccines, their timelines, and the guidelines that may come with vaccines, whether they be state or federal? The Congressman felt states would receive guidance on early vaccine delivery, and sectors of the population would be prioritized, including health care workers. Tim Dodt, Alliance Bank, discussed the impacts of the federal small business assistance programs, including PPP & EIDL. Alliance Bank handled many PPP loans at the time CARES Act money hit the street in April 2020. J.R. Murray, former GM at Arizona Snowbowl, and Chief Planning Officer at Mountain Capital Partners discussed the Snowbowl’s upcoming winter season, and expectations for operations in a COVID19 environment. Employment demand is high at Arizona Snowbowl, as seasonal jobs elsewhere in the Flagstaff visitation industry can be sparse with COVID19-related closures. Asked about the general business environment in Flagstaff at this time, Sr. Advisor for Public Policy at the Chamber, Joe Galli, stated the regulatory environment in Flagstaff is overly aggressive, and places much undo burdens on local businesses, unleveling the playing field for those who compete in Flagstaff, and throughout Arizona.