When Rowle Simmons, current chair of the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, ran for election in 2012, he then thought he had a pretty strong background in financial management and budgets and all matters fiscal.
After all, he had earned a degree from Northern Arizona University.
Moreover, he had founded, owned and administered his own successful business for 35 years.
He had served as the Prescott mayor from 2001 to 2007, where he worked closely with city council members and senior city administrators and employees in managing the Prescott’s complex budget.
He has served on several prestigious community and county boards of directors and volunteer groups whose job it was to keep their organizations in the black.
“Know what? I found I had the steepest learning curve imaginable when I became a county supervisor,” Simmons said in an exclusive interview with Quad Cities Business News.
Simmons explained, “I earlier had studied the Arizona Revised Statues, which outline clearly the powers of the board of supervisors. I found out – and was astonished – that more than 66 specific duties and responsibilities are detailed in just that section of statutes, which defines the role of Board of Supervisors. And other statutes, and all the new laws – state and federal – keep changing the environment. All of us in county government really work to keep up with what is happening so we can in turn inform our constituents. We don’t make laws, but we have to uphold them and make sure the public is aware of them.”
Simmons emphasized, “My experience of the past two years has brought me to one major conclusion, though, about what we as county supervisors do. Our big role – our obligation to our constituents – is responsible financial supervision of county resources and personnel.”
Yarnell Hill Fire Example of Something No One Could Control
Simmons used the tragic Yarnell Hill fire of June 30, 2013, as an example of a horrifying incident in the county which no one could have predicted or prevented.
“Yet, the county has enormous financial responsibilities and expenses because of that appalling disaster, which claimed 19 lives and destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars in property. More important, of course, is the county’s social – its humane – responsibility and obligation,” Simmons said.
He noted that he and other supervisors and county employees cooperated and spent “…hours we can’t even begin to count…” in trying to help people in the Yarnell area.
“All of us knew we had to shift financial resources to that area. We adjusted. We did some belt-tightening. But we did the right thing to help when we could. We’d do it again. But the reality is, it took money we would have used elsewhere had the tragedy not occurred. Many departments made lots of sacrifices,” he said.
Many other things happen, too, unpredictably of which supervisors have no financial control, Simmons said. “Fires, floods, even laws and regulations passed by the state and federal government – we can’t control those. We really don’t have much influence over what the legislature does. For example, what it did to education. Yet, we often are forced to pay the consequences of their actions.”
Simmons, who represents District 1 in the five-district county, praised his fellow supervisors for their conservative, yet intense scrutiny of programs and projects through the huge county. The county, 8,218 square miles, is larger than three U.S. states – Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island, and also the District of Columbia. It is home to an estimated 212,000 people, census data indicate.
The County’s Three Immediate Big Priorities?
“Jail. Jail. Jail.”
That was Simmons’s prompt and emphatic response to the question of what he views as a major priority for the county this next year.
“The county supervisors are intent on using taxpayer money wisely. As a group, we believe in light taxation but comprehensive public service. After agonizing over the current state of Yavapai’s County jail, we’ve reached the decision that a new jail, located in Prescott, is an absolute necessity,” he said.
Simmons explained that current tax revenues are not adequate to fund expanding current jail capacity or facilities in Camp Verde. That is why, he says, supervisors are recommending a proposed sales tax up to a maximum of one-half of one cent per dollar for a 20-year period.
“Having a Jail District Tax is less of a burden on local taxpayers,” he said. “The proposed tax is a sales tax, and we know that about 35 percent of sales in the county are attributable to non-residents. That’s much better than a property tax, which would be paid only by county residents.”
Simmons grew reflective. “One of our major obligations – part of our vow – when we become county supervisors, is the pledge that one of our obligations is to protect and provide safety for our constituents. Public safety must be a fundamental priority, I think. I really hope voters will join me in supporting the Jail District Proposal.” QCBN
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