A Prescott Mayor for All Seasons (and Reasons)

The next Republican Prescott Mayor will be chosen in the August 3, 2021 primary. The two candidates are Phil Goode and the incumbent, Greg Mengarelli. Early voting began on July 7th.

When people ask me why Prescott is so special and what does it mean to me, I always respond that Prescott is traditional America with the values and the culture that Americans have always loved and sought.

Many of us are fed up with the political class in Washington, D.C. and throughout state and local governments that holds its citizens in low regard and favors itself rather than the citizens it supposedly represents. Such a culture appears to be raising its head locally in this election.

Let’s look at the two candidates seeking victory on August 3rd. Which of these two candidates can best represent American values and protect Prescott culture, its small town feel, and critically, its future, with governance of water policy and development that is competent, honest, transparent and without even the perception of self-interest?

The key question is who will best “serve” the citizens of Prescott as Mayor? A generic description of the individual who will best “serve” the citizens of Prescott is the candidate who has a history of service for fellow citizens and community organizations and proven leadership roles in the real world not conflated with personal gain and profit.

The individual elected must be focused on the critical issues of water policy and carefully planned growth in the Prescott area, not allowing commercial and developers’ profits to drive poorly planned and damaging expansion, especially when tangled with self-interest or gain. The next Mayor and those around him should be free of any and all conflicts of interest, legal, perceived or otherwise.

Phil Goode has served America, his communities and his pre-retirement career positions and responsibilities with honor and commitment. He is a decorated combat Vietnam veteran, continuing to serve veterans in many leadership roles to the present day. He has served and led in many community organizations throughout his adult life and has been an active member in multiple Republican state and national election cycles.

He is a true constitutional conservative understanding the essence and uniqueness of the American experiment and the critical role of honest and transparent governance. He has served on the Prescott Zoning and Planning Commission and has been on the Prescott City Council since 2017. He knows well the trend of poorly planned growth, congestion and very real threat to our most precious resource, water, and recognizes the inaccurate projections for its use and maintenance currently occurring and facilitating huge increases in residential and commercial development.

His many service roles in Yavapai County and Prescott demonstrate his commitment to this community and his intention to “serve” as Mayor, not work and gain from the role but to apply a lifetime of experience in the practical affairs of organizations and industry to further the vision of preserving the culture, protecting the area’s critical water supply and managing Prescott’s growth, the city’s fiscal integrity, its small businesses and the way of life we enjoy and treasure in Prescott.

Phil Goode demonstrates fully the generic description of the person most qualified to lead Prescott as Mayor. His entire life has been about service. He is retired from a successful career in health care management at high levels. He knows from experience and intellectual depth the skills of management and leadership. He serves the city and the county at many levels as a committed but volunteering citizen.

The current Mayor, Greg Mengarelli was first elected in 2017. He is not retired and has recently negotiated with the Rodeo Board a position with Prescott Frontier Days which leases the rodeo grounds from the city for the annual Rodeo event. Will a Mayor Greg Mengarelli negotiate business arrangements with Rodeo Business Development Manager Greg Mengarelli? Will the Mayor, as Rodeo Business Development Manager receive bonuses or incentive payments for new business and events brought to the rodeo grounds, the grounds of which are owned by the City of Prescott? The Rodeo Board President is Chris Graff who also heads up an asphalt company (involving some of the rapid growth of projects throughout the Prescott area) doing tens of millions of dollars of business with the City of Prescott, the city whose mayor is Greg Mengarelli. The mayor’s wife, coincidentally, is a realtor having done residential sales previously, but is now active in commercial sales in the Prescott area.

None of this is necessarily illegal but does it reek of conflicts of interest? Does it seem “swampish” to use a deep state, Washington, D.C. description of the deal-making and abuse of position and power by those in governance? It isn’t just impropriety that makes politicians less than servants for their fellow citizens and generates disdain and distrust by voters. Just as importantly, it is the perception of impropriety that we as citizens should reject when we vote, granting the “consent of the governed”.

America is at a crossroads as is Prescott. The future of our nation and the future of this very special City of Prescott are at a critical junction hinging on the quality of leadership at the national and local level. It is a season of decision, a season of choices and with critical reasons for the right choices. Phil Goode is the clear Mayoral choice for all the reasons listed above. Phil Goode is A Prescott Mayor for All Seasons (and Reasons).

Vote in the 2021 Mayoral primary for this and future seasons of Prescott’s special nature and for the right reasons.