The 2024 county supervisor election begins Thursday, February 1, in Cottonwood, with a meet-and-greet between incumbent District 3 Supervisor Donna Michaels and her Democratic primary challenger sponsored by the Verde Valley-Yavapai Democratic Party. 50 voters showed up. Nikki Check is a former mayor of Jerome who ran for the Arizona State Senate in 2016.
- This is the first part of a two-part story about the Feb. 1 Democratic Mixer between candidates Nikki Check and Donna Michaels.
campaign finance
During his first campaign in 2020, Michaels raised $69,127.71, spent $67,846 and received 12,982 votes, beating then-incumbent Republican Randy Garrison by 179 votes. Broke it. According to her first campaign finance report for this campaign, she began the campaign with $1,281 in her coffers and raised $59,200 in November and December, including $6,650 in personal funds. It has been shown that
“Now donations are starting to come to me,” Cech said. “Even though I raised a significant amount of money in 2016, I think it’s likely that I won’t be the candidate who raised the most money.” [Sen.] Sylvia Allen, she won… One of the great things about elections is that dollars don't necessarily count toward votes. … Former Sedona Mayor Sandy Moriarty is my treasurer. Al Comero has been working to get people elected in the Verde Valley for a long time. ”
Verde Valley Yavapai Democratic Party
The hour-long event began with formal comments from the candidates, followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session.
“My name used to be Nikki Bagley,” Cech said at the outset. “In 2016, I ran for State Senate and almost won. One of my inspirations was learning about this in the District in 2016. [6]we asked a very interesting group to vote. They voted for Donald Trump, John McCain, and Nikki Bagley. [who lost] by [about] 1,500 votes … I am a strong candidate in both the primary and general elections. It's been a few years, but it's great to be back in the saddle again. Because public policy is important. [I] Love. “
Cech said she is most proud of Jerome being one of the first municipalities in Arizona to recognize civil unions between same-sex partners in 2013.
“It did something. Then it was Cottonwood in Sedona,” Cech said. “There was a lot of energy as the state and federal levels started recognizing that this was something that couldn't be stopped, and people wanted equity in their communities and in rural Arizona…That's why I'm running for County Supervisor. I'm going to probably be running against a Republican in the general election, so I'm going to do everything I can to stay positive and run a strong campaign.
“But there is something missing in our current representation,” Cech continued. “Only 1.5 out of 5 county supervisors represent the Verde Valley. If we don’t have a strong voice in District 3, we will be left behind. I talked to the mayor and got him to understand, but is there anything I'm missing? Has my current boss really shown up? He came to me and said, “We're really happy.” Not a single person told me that. [with the incumbent]. ” That's important because we have to speak with a consistent voice. ”
“I came here [in the Verde Valley] For over 30 years,” Michaels said in his opening statement. “I have more than just a background in academics, policy, and community engagement. When I was a student at the University of Nebraska, I founded the state's first domestic violence program. It’s genetically hardwired into me.”
“I've scored well over 94% on all my boards, even though I had major foot surgery,” Michaels added.
Mr. Michaels was absent from two Supervisory Board meetings during 2023. Mr. Michaels attends meetings substantially more frequently than any other board member as of 2023.
“I had great role models. [in my godmother, who] “No matter what you do in life, no matter where you go, no matter how successful you are, you have to contribute,” Michaels continued. “Even though I was in sales, that was my life's mission because I was one of the top salespeople in the country and most importantly, I was the first female employee at a chemical company. It taught me a lot about what's good and what's bad. That's why I'm so passionate about regenerative medicine today. [agriculture] The chance given to us. That's important…this is a project that I'm developing in collaboration with ranchers, farmers, and actually developers and educators. ”
Michaels did not provide details about the proposal other than to say he is working with the University of Arizona to apply for a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
With the approval of the Verde Valley School Board of Directors, we have entered into a strategic agreement that will provide access to 90 acres of land for a pioneering regenerative agriculture demonstration and will contribute to the Verde Valley School donation. We plan to provide seed money for the project,” Michaels' office said. in a Jan. 11 letter to the nonprofit Big Park Regional Coordinating Council.
Michaels' proposal to enter into a lease-purchase agreement with the Sedona Oak Creek School District to take over the former Big Park Community School site is also on hold pending the completion of a county study of building needs.
“Despite the bubble around newspaper cartoons, my passion for it hasn't changed one bit,” Michaels later said. “It's not hot air, it's a possibility, but everyone has to put in the hard work of going through the process, the steps and building what it will look like. I'd like to see. [school] I think it's doable, as well as being financially complete enough that the county can buy it now and build something so the county can buy it.just standing on a fallow field [and] It makes me very sad. “
Michaels also highlighted efforts to lobby state legislatures regarding labeling requirements for meat products.
“We all need to know what we're eating,” says Michaels. “You want to eat meat pretend? That's great. I've been a vegetarian for 25 years. I've changed my ways.”
republican race
Former Cottonwood Police Chief Steve Gesell, who officially announced his candidacy for District 3 on Sunday, January 28, is currently running unopposed as the Republican candidate.
Photo by Steve Gesell.
The filing deadline was Monday, April 8th, but on February 12th, the Arizona Legislature moved the date up to Monday, April 1st.
“I am excited about the potential opportunity to continue to serve the nation in this new capacity,” Gesell said in a press release. “Despite the turbulence I experienced throughout my career leading up to 2023, my passion for public service never wavered. It involves principled leadership. It has further strengthened my belief that we must elect representatives who are unwavering in their priorities.”
Gesell has “a wealth of experience working in high-performing teams and organizations in local government. Conversely, he also has experience working within dysfunctional public sector environments. , will provide valuable perspective on what doesn't work. His experience will help us represent not only the residents of District 3, but the residents of Yavapai County as a whole.”
Gesell was placed on a four-month administrative leave in September after an independent investigation concluded that the Cottonwood Police Department had reasonable grounds to discriminate against female officers on the basis of sex and gender. He served as police chief for almost eight years until he was fired. Suspicion of disability, etc.
The city agreed to pay the officer $67,142.92 in back pay and reassign her as a detective for at least two years unless she voluntarily agrees to transfer to another position or assignment. Cottonwood also prohibits discriminatory harassment based on sex, race, national origin, color, religion, genetic testing, disability, or age, and prohibits retaliation against employees who file complaints of harassment. , also agreed to amend existing anti-discrimination policies.
The city is also required to provide interactive training to employees, supervisors, managers, and staff on the Americans with Disabilities Act and how to recognize and appropriately respond to sexual harassment in the workplace.
After a May meeting to discuss the settlement, Gesell allegedly threatened the interim city manager and was placed on administrative leave until he was fired.
Mr. Gesell has filed a notice of claim against the city for alleged wrongful termination and is seeking $625,000 in lost wages and benefits from the city of Cottonwood. He previously served as a Scottsdale police officer for 20 years and then as San Luis Obispo's police chief for 3 1/2 years, resigning in May 2015 after being placed on administrative leave by the city.
