“We’ve got some challenging things,” said newly appointed Snowflake Town Manager Richards. “We have a tight budget.
“The golf course is an issue; it has always been an issue, but is more of an issue now. I view it as an asset, and I think the council views it as an asset and I think the townspeople view it as an asset.
“We’re going to do everything we can to keep all our assets,” he said, noting they had lost the pool, but are looking at possibly reviving it.
“I think the biggest challenge we’re going to face is the growth we’re going to face,” he said, explaining that California and the water situation will probably bring people here.
“I know it hurt with the mill closing, but hopefully we’ll get some more industry in. I think Paul (Watson) is going to help us with that a lot.” Watson recently left the Snowflake manager’s post to take a job as assistant county manager with a focus on economic development.
“We’re working hard to bring economic development to the community, and we have a mayor, Tom Poscharsky, who is proactive regarding economic development,” Richards said.
“The biggest thing right now is definitely the railroad, and we’re doing everything we can to keep it. There are a lot of players trying to keep the railroad,” including Watson and District III Navajo County Supervisor Jason Whiting.
Richards hopes that when Walmart comes in, it will attract more businesses. He said he worries about local businesses, though, and hopes that residents will still patronize local businesses when the retail giant comes in, noting, “They have a niche.” He acknowledged that Walmart would bring in a lot of sales tax money, which will help out the community.
He then offered one of his favorite quotes: “We all have challenges, there’s no changing that, but if you change the way you look at them, your trials become trails to growth.”
Richards began his career with the town 18 years ago when he was hired as the town’s first finance director.
He has been very successful in watching the town’s money. Each year since 2004 he has received the Government Finance Office Association award for good accounting. Richards noted that the GFOA is the premier association for accountants, “the biggest and most progressive, as far as the knowledge of government account.”
Richards grew up in Holbrook, graduating from Holbrook High School in 1986. He then attended Mesa Community College and Arizona State University, where he graduated with a degree in accounting in 1993. In 1996 Richards became a Certified Public Accountant.
