Blog

At the session, mayors, Tribal leaders, and design team experts came together to discuss projects in our communities related to housing and entrepreneurship, cultural continuance, and climate change resilience.

Bed, Board, and Beverage; Mountain Line transit; Coconino County’s expenditure limit.

This historic Agreement was a long time in the making. Since the mid-1990s, the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and parties to the Little Colorado River Adjudication, including Flagstaff, have attempted to settle water rights disputes through settlement. When settlement talks were not possible, the parties were actively litigating the water rights claims of the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation. Litigation had been ongoing since the 1970s—both expensive and resulting only in “paper” water rights for the Tribes.

I’m happy to report progress on Flagstaff’s Carbon Neutrality Plan (CNP). I’m proud of our community for its planning, utilization of the latest science, and advocacy that created the CNP. To watch the latest update given at the June 18, 2024 city council meeting, watch the video here. I’m a strong supporter of the CNP for several reasons. This plan emerged from several years of work by thousands of residents and the city’s sustainability staff. I attended many meetings where I learned more about climate science and experienced the support expressed by Flagstaff residents of all ages. Importantly, I support the plan for the improved air quality, neighborhood cohesion, and cost savings that residents can enjoy through taking climate action. Clean energy, water security, reduced…

In late April, I joined nearly 50 other mayors and descended on Washington, DC on a mission to fight for solutions to address the housing and homelessness crisis affecting U.S. cities. We advocated for changes to voucher income qualifications for veterans, additional funding for housing choice vouchers, and increasing or eliminating the cap on the number of project-based vouchers (vouchers that are attached to a rental development rather than an individual or family). On the first day of our trip, we met with Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services; Adrianne Todman, Acting Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Tom Perez, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs; Neera Tanden,…

Since taking office in 2022, I’ve become involved with several organizations that assist me in advocating on behalf of our community and also provide funding opportunities for Flagstaff. I’m interested and deeply committed to supporting and enacting policies in these areas for the benefit of our community. The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) is an outstanding resource. They keep me apprised of topics important to Flagstaff on the national front, facilitate access to administration and federal agency staff, offer in-depth policy discussions, plus I learn how other communities are tackling problems similar to ours. Additionally, they provide training and small grants that city staff (such as parks and recreation, sustainability, public safety, and housing) has access to. I’ll be lobbying with the USCM’s task force…