WINSLOW — The 2018 League of Arizona Cities and Towns Conference took place last week in Phoenix and brings together 90 incorporated cities and towns across Arizona and offers presentations and information on how to better lead municipalities. This year, Mayor Tom McCauley, Councilwoman Samantha Crisp and Winslow City Manager Steve Pauken attended the conference representing Winslow.
Crisp said, “It was an eye opening and interesting experience for me, especially as someone who is new to government. There was a lot to learn, but it was also a lot of networking.” The presentation Crisp said she enjoyed the most was one on economic development. “It was about the most important factors to look at when companies want to relocate to your town.
“There has been explosive growth in Arizona, there are businesses popping up everywhere and a lot of them are used to higher end, modern infrastructure and the means to maintain that infrastructure. We need to work on that. Another point was the labor pool and how to attract employees as well as consumers.” Crisp also pointed out that one of the deciding factors when businesses are choosing a location is a stable local government. “They need us to be able to answer questions firmly and have a plan and an understanding of multiple scenarios that businesses, small and large may face in our town.”
Crisp campaigned on a small business platform so she explained that the issue is one that is important to her and should be important to all stakeholders. “Eighty-five percent of all business should come from locally owned businesses, the other 15 should be new industry and large business.” She continued, “An industry would be fantastic here, it would employ a lot of people at once, but I know in my heart that the small businesses, and the people that live in Winslow are who we need to focus on.”
Crisp also attended a seminar on the importance of census counting. “We have a census upcoming in 2020. It is so important that we all participate in that. The census takes place every 10 years and is an official count of every person living in Winslow. “It’s in the constitution that we take a census, it’s a law. It determines our representation in government, can redraw districts and determines funding for those certain programs. For each person that is not counted, we receive $1,979 less funding for food stamps, Medicaid and other social needs.”
She also explained that the upcoming census would be conducted in ways that will make it more convenient and easier to access than it has been in the past. “You will be notified by mail that you need to fill out the census form. You can self-respond via the Internet, which is a new option, through the mail or over the phone. The phone banks will have available translation in 12 different languages to ensure that everyone is counted.”
With the census will come over 1,000 jobs in the state for a variety of positions. “I think we, as a city, need to host an application day for the census jobs. We can have volunteers there with computers with secure Internet that can help interested parties apply for the jobs. Those are office managers, phone operators, translators, and people to knock on doors. The jobs are funded federally and are temporary. This census is incredibly important.”
Crisp was able to network with other municipal government members, and act as an ambassador for Winslow. She said that the biggest take away from the conference for her was public outreach. “We need to get out in to the public and attend their events, Little League games, and fundraisers and gallery openings. We need to show up to meetings of other organizations and listen to understand, not just to respond and give a speech.”
Crisp is hopeful about the future of Winslow and its development. “I am excited about getting to work on some of the new things I learned at this conference. Mayor McCauley, Steve Pauken and I all took different workshops so that we could come together and share what we have learned. It is going to be an exciting year for Winslow and our city council.”
