Cottonwood AZ (December 2, 2015) – Today at 3 p.m. in Garrison Park, the former Verde Valley Fire District Captain Mike Rauton announced he is running for Third District Yavapai County Supervisor. The seat will be vacated in 2016 by five-term Supervisor A.G. “Chip” Davis, who is running for State Representative.
Flanking Rauton was a crowd of public safety and community leaders supporting him. “With the support of my lovely wife Monica, our family, friends and supporters — many of whom are here today — I am announcing my candidacy for supervisor in next year’s election,” Rauton said in his announcement speech at the news conference held just steps away from Yavapai County District III Supervisor Davis’ office.”
Rauton who is a 30-year fire service officer of the Verde Valley Fire District and Cottonwood Rural Fire Department and a 41-year resident of the Verde Valley, said he is running for supervisor because he wants to “to ensure public safety, responsible growth and fiscal stability if he wins through proactive planning.”
“What I can bring to the table right now is resilient leadership — to find constructive solutions to tough challenges. Resilience is the ability of an organization, whether it is a county, a business or a city, to help withstand the impacts of financial and economic shocks and to bounce back quickly to survive, adapt and thrive. If I am elected, I pledge to take cost-effective actions to plan, prepare, protect and safeguard our communities from vulnerabilities and risk. Addressing these issues requires adaptive leadership – to determine which of a county’s past and current policies will work to ensure continued economic resilience. I will apply my skills in disaster planning and response, terrorism management, flood control, emergency preparedness, public safety, firefighting, emergency medical services, and hazardous materials to help lead the county through tough times.”
Yavapai County District III includes the communities of Sedona, Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Jerome, Big Park, Verde Village and Village of Oak Creek.
The primary election is on Aug. 30, 2016.
Michael (“Mike”) J. Rauton is a retired 30-yr. veteran captain of the Verde Valley Fire District and former Cottonwood Rural Fire Department. He holds an associates’ degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University and received paramedic training at Glendale Community College. Ratoun is certified through the Yavapai College Board to teach leadership and fire safety. For the past 10 years, Rauton has taught numerous fire departments throughout Arizona and he currently mentors Verde Valley Ambulance with leadership training.
His skill sets include disaster planning and response, terrorism management, flood control, emergency preparedness, public safety, firefighting, emergency medical services, and hazardous materials.
Rauton first began his career as a volunteer firefighter in Cornville, AZ in 1974 and came to the Cottonwood Rural Fire Department as a Firefighter Trainee and a volunteer for the cities of Cottonwood and Clarkdale. He became an engineer at the young age of 19. A few years later, he was promoted to captain. Rauton has held the ranks of firefighter, paramedic, captain, training and officer.
The former Captain Rauton is married to Monica Kendall Rauton, a nurse practitioner and ASU professor. Mike and Monica have a grown son and two younger children — students at the Mingus Mountain High School and the Cottonwood Oak Creek School District.
