Last week’s meeting of the Holbrook City Council had just enough to make the quorum necessary to hold the meeting. The meeting began with appreciation remarks from Mayor Kathleen Smith for the volunteer group of citizens who made up the charter review committee. “This was no small task, the charter hadn’t been reviewed in many years and we knew going into this process that it would take time, energy and a great deal of patience to go through it thoroughly,” Mayor Smith said. The citizens involved were Gretchen Herndon, Robin Gonzales, Richard Peterson, Mark Romo, Kent Darris, Becky Slade and Peggy Reed.
The committee made several recommendations to the council some of which will go to a ballot review for the voters of Holbrook on Nov. 4. A total of 11 propositions will appear on the ballot, each addressing specific changes to various sections of the existing charter.
Proposition 438 proposes expanding the city’s authority to require that developers provide or fund public infrastructure necessary to maintain adequate service levels for new development. It replaces the existing list of required improvements with broader language that allows the city to determine needs by ordinance and confirms that the city may exercise all powers granted under local, state, or federal law.
Proposition 439 seeks to repeal charter language implemented beginning with the 1995 election that elections be held every two years in odd-numbered years. The amendment would remove this now obsolete provision.
Proposition 440 would update the charter to establish that council members are elected to staggered four-year terms in even-numbered years. It removes outdated references to past election years and clarifies the election schedule moving forward.
Proposition 441 proposes eliminating the position of city treasurer from the charter. If approved, the city treasurer and the responsibilities assigned to that office would no longer be part of the city’s governing framework.
Proposition 442 would increase the dollar limit at which voter approval is required for certain public expenditures. Currently set at $500,000, the threshold would rise to $1 million for projects such as amphitheaters, sports complexes, arenas, and similar facilities.
Proposition 443 introduces new procedural rules for passing ordinances. It would require that ordinances receive two readings on separate meeting dates and be posted at city hall at least three working days before the first reading to allow for public access and review.
Proposition 444 clarifies that the city council may adopt local election rules, including nomination procedures and other related ordinances, as long as those rules do not conflict with state law or the city charter.
Proposition 445 would change the date of Holbrook’s primary elections to coincide with the State of Arizona’s primary election, which is currently held on the first Tuesday in August of even-numbered years. The current writing in the charter states that elections shall be held on dates that conform to state and federal law.
Proposition 446 would require that general elections, when needed, be held on the same day as the state’s general election in even-numbered years, rather than on a date that simply complies with state or federal law.
Proposition 447 seeks to remove a clause that interprets masculine language in the charter to also include the feminine and neuter. If approved, this interpretive rule would be eliminated.
Each proposition will appear individually on the ballot. If approved by the voters, the changes will go to the desk of Governor Katie Hobbs whose final approval will make it law.
During the meeting the board also discussed the strategic plan, which has been crystalized down to five main objectives. First is main street beautification, second is street improvements, third is golf course renovations, fourth is more code enforcement and the fifth is to improve parks and trails.
City Manager Randy Sullivan said that he would soon be meeting with heads of the various city departments to get them focused on the priorities in the strategic plan. After this meeting the official numbers for the city’s 2025-2026 budget will be finalized and passed. The council already passed a preliminary budget, which locks them into the final total for the entire budget, but they can still make changes to the line items. During the meeting, the council also designated Sullivan as the chief fiscal officer, a designation that is required to submit the budget to the auditor general.
During the meeting, the council also approved past meeting minutes and an agreement with the Navajo County Library District. The agreement allows the Holbrook Library to benefit from being a member of the district, which support certain programs and the book loan program, allowing citizens to reserve books available at other member libraries.
The next meeting of the Holbrook City Council will be held on July 9, in the council chambers, located at 465 1st Ave.
