Winslow Mayor Roberta “Birdie” Cano will be seeking a second term this November and is running unopposed. She is looking forward to serving her community again and continuing momentum already established during her first term. Cano was the first Native American woman elected to fill the role of mayor in Winslow and she is honored to hold that title.
According to Vice Mayor Samantha Crisp, Cano, “Leads by example and is a genuine public servant.” Cano takes pride in the fact that she leads by example. She said, “I think it is important for elected officials to be out in the community. Things like pulling weeds and attending events put on by our non-profit groups remind our citizens that we are there for them, we are there to serve them.”
Over the last two years, Cano has had a hand in serving the citizens of Winslow in many ways. “One of the things that was on the top of my priority list when I was elected and remains on my priority list now, is our levee. It has been decommissioned for so long that many of our residents have suffered because of the high costs of flood insurance. Not only that, but the levee not being up to par has hindered development in our city. Making sure that is completed will be life changing for so many of our residents.”
Cano, alongside the rest of the council and namely Councilman Jim Maclean, were successful in securing over $65 million in federal funding last year for the Army Corps of Engineer’s portion of the construction of a new levee. However, as Cano pointed out, the City of Winslow and Navajo County will be covering the remaining costs, equaling approximately $36 million.
She said, “We have been good about saving as a city for this exact thing. We knew it was coming. We are also looking into grant opportunities and possibly hiring lobbyists at the state level to represent us for state funding. I have no doubt we will accomplish this, and it will make a huge difference for development and our property owners.”
Cano is also focused on bringing in housing to Winslow. “Workforce housing is what we need most. We will without a doubt be seeing an influx of people moving into our city as development takes place. We will need to have a place for them to live, as well as quality homes for our current residents.”
Housing has always been a priority for Cano and this next term as mayor is no different. “I feel like there is room for a lot of opportunity in housing development. We have a lot of land in and around Winslow that is not necessarily city owned, that can be fantastic locations for housing, multiple different types of housing in fact. I will absolutely be working toward bringing in these developers to Winslow.”
Winslow is being noticed not only by tourists, but by multi-national entities as well. For example, last year, the town was selected to be feature on the Home and Garden Television (HGTV) show, Hometown Kickstart. The show helped install Art Cars along First Street, revitalized the home of local hero Christopher Garrett and gave a beloved local restaurant, The Root Beer Stand, a much needed makeover. Cano said of the experience, “It was a huge group effort to get us selected for the show, and we are already seeing the impact of it. I filled in at the desk at the (Winslow) Visitor’s Center not long ago and had several tourists ask about the HGTV show. Each time I am out and about, I have people recognize me from my appearance on the show as well. People are coming here to not only see our awesome ‘corner’ but now to see The Root Beer Stand too and the Art Cars, and just the other really cool things we have here. Winslow is so grateful for our Standin’ On The Corner Park, but we are beginning to see that we have more to offer visitors in addition to our famous corner.”
She has noticed that Winslow citizens are taking pride in the appearance of their properties and homes as a result of the HGTV show as well. “Our Beautification Committee is doing great, great things. Kayla (Weishan) and her group are really helping people make things look better and recognizing those who have always put in the effort to take care of their homes and yards. I look around town now and I see so much pride and joy in Winslow and I am so proud to be a part of that. I will absolutely continue to help that in any way that I can, as an elected official and as a citizen.”
Cano also spoke on the camaraderie and mutual respect amongst the current council members. She said, “We have a few different opinions represented on the council, and I think that is so important. And though sometimes we may disagree with how to get there, our goals as a group and individually are ultimately the same. We want what is best for Winslow. If we do face decisions that we differ on, we are able to resolve them within our council with open minds and respect for all involved.”
Cano concluded, “I would like to let all of our residents know that I will continue to be there to represent them. Yes, I love my town, yes, I am here to work for the betterment of it, but I am doing so to be a voice for all of you. I want to make sure our Pow Wow continues and grows to amazing proportions, I want to make sure the Southside and Coopertown neighborhoods know I am on their side and am listening, and I want to make sure we continue building our relationships with our tribal neighbors. We all have the same goals in mind, to make this a great place to live and to raise our children. I look forward to serving Winslow as mayor for at least the next two years.”
