The Democrats of the Red Rocks hosted a candidate forum for the primary race for the Yavapai County Board of Supervisor’s District 3 seat between incumbent Donna Michaels and her challenger, Nikki Check, on Friday, March 15, at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre.

“July 30 is going to be the big primary … that these ladies are going to be running in,” DORR president Ellen Ferreira announced. “So if you are interested at all in being a poll observer, contact the DORR office; we would love to have you do that.”

Lobbying

Michaels’ opening statement focused on her lobbying efforts at the Arizona State Legislature, such as her campaigns to support House Bill 2244, which would prohibit labeling a product as meat that is not taken from what was once a live animal, and Senate Bill 1221, which would allow counties to take greater control of water rights.

“I’m one of the first supervisors to ever take bills and see them through to legislation in the way that I’ve been able to do with an amazing engaged community,” Michaels said. “Because I listened to them, the objects and priorities that I’ve chosen, you have brought to me, my job is to listen, and then to convene and then to advocate.”

“I hear Donna Michaels touting things that she’s accomplishing at the legislative level … but it’s not in District 3,” Check said. “The truth is, Donna Michaels doesn’t have a vote at the legislature. She has a vote here on the county supervisors’ board, and we want someone who’s going to be here representing District 3’s interest, first and foremost. So that’s my promise to you is to absolutely keep an eye on what’s happening at the legislature … but prioritize my time and attention on things that are coming across the dais at the Board of Supervisors’ level.”

Check described the Democratic primary as being a “nuanced race” and pointed out that she and Michaels shared several campaign themes, such as regenerative agriculture. 

“I very respectfully have to say that it’s an approach in how the job gets done that’s really a difference between us,” Check said. “That difference I see [is] that Michaels has taken more of a top-down approach, and kind of had a one-way conversation with a lot of constituents. I probably wouldn’t be running for the seat if many constituents hadn’t come to me saying they’re not happy with their current leadership — and that’s as respectfully as I can say that.”

Check added that several constituents have reported that they have had issues getting appointments with Michaels and have had several meetings canceled, claims that Michaels denied.

During the February meeting of the Verde Valley Yavapai Democrats, Check stated that she had reached out to area municipal leaders “to understand, is there something missing and has the current supervisor really showed up? Not a single one has come to me and said, ‘We’re really happy [with Michaels].’”

“I have a personal endorsement of Nikki Check,” Sedona Mayor Scott Jablow said following the event. “I feel that [Check] is more transparent, and I’ll leave it at that.”

“What issues do you plan to address that your opponent has not now addressed?” an attendee asked.

Check suggested that Yavapai County follow Pima County’s model and create a conservation plan that would identify potential conservation easements, wildlife corridors and ways to protect the Verde River.

“We are already doing that,” Michaels said in response. “Every two weeks, we have a regular mayors managers meeting. … We have a model that we talked about in our joint session yesterday, regarding the Diablo Trust, which has a wonderful pamphlet. I am a member of that, I meet regularly with them, it’s important that we collaborate with all of these entities to ensure conservation is at the top of our list. And I think you’ll see that in our updated comprehensive plan.”

Watch the Democrats of the Red Rocks’ Educational Forum in the player below:

Big Park Community School

Michaels again attempted to place the blame on the Sedona-Oak Creek School District for not advancing her proposal for the county to take over the shuttered Big Park Community School campus.

“I’d love to have the school district come to us and say, ‘We’re ready to talk about selling it for this much, and let’s figure out how we could structure it,’” Michaels said. “As matter of fact, we are meeting with them as we have been regularly, this coming week to discuss and keep that collaborative conversation and partnership, irrespective of what you read in some newspapers, alive and well. So stay with me, work with me, the future is real.”

Check noted that she was in attendance at the SCOSD Governing Board meeting March 5, at which the school board voted to have Superintendent Tom Swaninger research the option to have voters in November decide if the district should have the ability to sell the campus to a private third party.

“One of the things that was brought up several times in that meeting was that [Michaels] had brought a proposal to the school board a couple of years ago with a proposal to have the county use that building, which I think is a fantastic idea,” Check said. “But I think the way that it was done, it speaks to her propensity to go beyond her normal limits of authority. And so the way she was presenting it to them, it was as though the county’s support was there, when truly it was several years out from being there. And that wasted the school board’s time. They could have been seeking out other lessees for that space.”

When asked for comment on Sunday, March 17, SOCSD Governing Board President Randy Hawley stated, “I agree with [Check’s] statement,” but disagreed with her comment that she felt it was “slightly short-sighted to sell the building that may still be the best decision at this point. But in 30 years, there could be another population of children needing school assets.”

Hawley pointed out that the capacity of West Sedona School is roughly four times greater than its present enrollment and the administration building located on Brewer Road currently leased to the city of Sedona could potentially be used for classroom space in the future.

Michaels met with SOCSD administration on Tuesday, March 19 to discuss her proposal but no decisions were reached at the meeting.

One attendee was curious about the candidates’ positions on the ongoing remediation of copper slag piles in Cottonwood and how they plan to inform the public about the issue. Michaels replied that “what we need is an outside assessment, so that we know what the next step can and should be.”

Check commented that “it’s an issue that hits home for me because I personally have suffered heavy metal poisoning … it’s not confirmed but I believe that it came from a domestic well that I was using at the time [in Clarkdale] … But luckily I got my short-term memory back. That happened right after my legislative race and was a reason why I didn’t run again straight away.”

Another attendee asked, “Should the Dells be annexed by Sedona or remain in Yavapai County?”

“It’s way premature at this point to discuss any kind of commitment, but why wouldn’t you invest in regenerative [agriculture] processes?”

Michaels responded, repeating that she is working with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension to look into the topic.

“I think regenerative ag[riculture] is one good potential for that area,” Check said. “I also think that the annexation of a property is truly up for discussion. But that process doesn’t start at the county level; it would have to be Sedona’s true interest in annexing the property and so that’s the process that I would look at first.”

In the Republican primary, Lori Drake, the president of the Mingus Union High School District, has filed a statement of interest to run for the District 3 and will not be seeking another term on the school board. Cottonwood resident Steve Gesell has withdrawn from the Republican primary.