Sedona, AZ — It takes a special kind of individual to serve in public office. It takes leadership, fortitude, the strength, fearlessness to run for office, and discipline and the willingness to put all on the line for their constituents.
For Yavapai County District 3 Board of Supervisors candidate Nikki Check the call to run for the board came to her after realizing the need for fiscal representation at the county level.
“I saw that we were losing our fiscal representation at the County level and I wanted to do something about it,” she said. “I served as Mayor of Jerome when Chip Davis was District 3’s County Supervisor and he really showed up for us and secured funding for important community projects across the district
“A good example of this was the parking lot sidewalk project in Jerome and the paving of several roads in the Village of Oak Creek. When Chip encouraged me to run, I was honored to throw my hat in the race to help bring District 3 the level of representation that we deserve.”
Check sees herself as someone that relishes challenges, analyzing problems and offering solutions.
“I love crafting effective policy to solve problems,” she said. “This process starts with understanding the problem that a community wants solved, doing outreach to develop broad support and receive feedback, considering all the details, and moving forward to get it done.”
“Securing our water future, planning for growth, addressing housing concerns, and investing in infrastructure are all big challenges that face the entire Verde Valley,” she said. “I will work collaboratively to develop regional water policy and a conservation plan, both of which will protect the Verde River and local agriculture.
“Specifically, I will focus on maintaining flows in the more vulnerable upper & middle portions of the river. I will advocate for the upcoming revision of the Yavapai County Zoning Ordinance to be a thoughtful one that encourages attainable housing and innovative building methods, promotes responsible water use, and supports long-term economic growth.
“Returning our tax dollars in an equitable proportion is also a big challenge. Yavapai County’s third district produces more tax dollars through property tax than any other, yet, does not receive an equitable investment returned. Countywide services provide sincere value. However, communities in District 3 have not had the leadership needed to identify priorities and get them funded. I plan to show up every day to turn this trend around.”
Rural life means the world to Check and she promises to do all she can to preserve it.
“As a native of Yavapai County, a farmer, and an avid hiker, I deeply value the rural lifestyle that we are lucky to enjoy in the Verde Valley,”” she said. “One way that I plan to preserve this lifestyle is to develop a conservation and open space plan for Yavapai County. If done well, it will ensure that our iconic views, access to nature, and breathing room between municipalities remain intact as we plan for sustained growth.”
Check recognizes the special challenges relevant to Sedona, as well.
“While Sedona is affected by the same list of challenges that I mentioned for the greater Verde Valley, there are several challenges that are magnified in Sedona proper,” she said. “Some of these specific challenges include having an economy that is overly dependent on tourism, a need to address complex traffic issues, and an a highly inequitable return on their property tax dollars. Sedona needs a supervisor who will act as a partner to address the big-picture aspects of regional planning and act as an advocate to invest tax dollars in local infrastructure and services.”
She believes Sedona Airport should remain under the management of the Sedona Airport Authority.
“I support the Sedona Airport remaining under the ownership of Yavapai County and the management of the Sedona Airport Authority,” she said. “The level of regulation involved in managing an airport is no small task to comply with. In my opinion, it is currently run with a high degree of professionalism and accountability and I don’t see a compelling reason to change that structure in the foreseeable future.”
Check believes that as a democrat, the interests of District 3 would best be served.
“As a conservative democrat, I bring fiscal accountability, due process, a commitment to uphold the constitution and individual/property rights alongside a willingness to craft forward-thinking policy to address some of the most pressing issues such as water security, transportation planning, housing, open space, and economic development,” she said. “Overall, I don’t believe that being a democrat or republican brings much to the table on its own and I am happy to be running for a seat that can approach representation and policy making in a less partisan fashion.”
On the question “how much pull does a supervisor have politically, they can be effective enough to benefit their constituents.
“On a board of five, a district supervisor has just one vote,” she said. “However, as an advocate working to effect positive change on the most pressing regional issues at the local, state, and federal levels, a good supervisor can use their political pull to do good for their constituents on an order of magnitude.”
She notes that the differences between her and her opponent are not as important as the desire by both candidates to serve their county and commends her for running ffor office.
“I commend anyone willing to put their hat in the ring for public service and that includes my opponent,” she said. “There are differences between us, certainly, and believe that is likely evident in our responses. In addition, it is my opinion that my opponent is more beholden to party politics overall. I think that is reflected in her leadership as Mingus Union School Board President and the way she is choosing to market herself in this campaign. I believe a more grounded, practical approach will serve the county better and that is what I aim to offer.”
Check believes she has what it takes to serve as a supervisor and voters will support her.
“People should vote for the person that they believe will best represent their interests at the county level,” she said. “If securing our fairshare of tax dollars, developing water security, maintaining a flowing Verde River, guarding open space, improving roadways, and planning for attainable housing are important to people, I encourage them to vote for me.
“My platform is to provide responsible leadership for Sedona & the Verde Valley. My promise to the residents of District 3 is that, when I am elected, I will do everything in my power to show up often, listen deeply, and be as thoughtful as I can be in moving our priorities forward, both through the budget and through the crafting of policy, to represent our communities to the best of my ability.”
By Sedona.biz
Tommy Acosta
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