Government Affairs
2008 Election Candidates and Candidate Survey Responses back to main Candidate page
CITY COUNCIL Candidate
Micole Shorty
Micole has a B.S. degree in Business Administration. He’s serving as the Administrative Assistant for the Coconino County’s Clerk for the Board of Supervisors. Micole has lived in Flagstaff for 40 years.
Candidate Survey Responses – On The Issues
1. Please list and briefly describe the three most important issues you intend to address if elected in May.
A. EQUALITY- if we can’t move ahead together then we shouldn’t move ahead at all. The Wayside Horn is an example of this.
B. True sustainability- it takes more energy to transport recyclables than it actually saves. Therefore we need our own recycle station.
C. Higher paying jobs- encourage businesses to expand.
2. Describe your commitment to solutions related to the growing homeless problem in Flagstaff.
I intend to bring a sincere commitment to our homeless situation in order to keep this statistic as low as possible.
3. Outline your opinion of the Flagstaff housing market and what role you feel local government should play in attempting to influence that market. How specifically would you use local government to affect our housing market?
There is a huge chasm from second homeowners and first time homeowners and the government should take a two pronged approach: 1) support non-profit organizations that assist working families purchase a home. 2) facilitate cooperation between developers and these first time homeowner agencies.
4. What is your position regarding Development or “Impact” Fees in Flagstaff?
Impact fees will ultimately be passed on the consumers and will make purchasing a home even harder. If we are trying to get working families into homes, we need to make it as painless as we can. Lets exhaust all other options before committing.
5. The City of Flagstaff’s Historic Overlay Zoning District has generated a high profile lawsuit on behalf of citizens who seek to improve their properties, but are not restricted by the Overlay Zoning. What is your opinion of the Overlay Zoning? Would you have voted for/against this zoning change?
I would have voted for the Overlay Zoning because the downtown area is part of Flagstaff’s character and should be preserved.
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6. What role do you feel the City of Flagstaff should play with respect to economic development? Specifically, what should local government do or not do to influence economic development?
The local government should spearhead economic development by actively engaging in the search for businesses that compliment our community and the environment.
7. Do you support/oppose the adopted Downtown Management Plan? Why or Why not?
Home owners that live in the downtown area should be able to upgrade their homes if they have the means to do it without any constraints placed on them by the city.
8. Describe your level of commitment to our City’s airport and its needed improvements beyond the airport runway extension.
We need to focus on citizens that live here first before we even think about airport expansion. This will only contribute to our housing gap, as it will attract more people that are able to purchase their summer home here. We should think of all the repercussions beforehand.
9. What opinion do you have of the City’s approved plan to end train horn noise downtown and mitigate noise on the east side of town?
The train horn is a part of this city’s character. If we as a community can not afford to install the horn silencer at each of our city’s intersections, then no intersection should benefit. This is another example of the inequality that exists in our community.
10. Would you support/oppose the City offering financial incentives, including infrastructure improvements that may assist in attracting new employers to Flagstaff? Why or Why not?
Supporting financial incentives in infrastructure improvement to accommodate more business will enrich a more respectable wage earning pool. It will be beneficial to us all having those business dollars flow into our economy.
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11. What are your priorities to improve transportation in, around, to, and from Flagstaff?
I would like to see us taking advantage of the railroad to alleviate our traffic by having one or two passenger express cars that make trips to outlining areas. This will help unclog the traffic congestions especially during rush hour.
12. What is your position regarding the City’s new energy-efficient building codes? Specifically, do you understand the codes? Do you feel they are overreaching and unnecessary or a necessity for development in our community?
We have come to a fork in the road to choose sustainability. I’m sure the code entails more than I know but from what I understand these codes will be the framework to make all buildings that are constructed in the future more sustainability compliant.. Nothing that is worthwhile is ever easy and it will take sweet & sacrifice to help bring it to fruition but it is the only way to ensure a future for our children.
13. What is your opinion of local government competing with local, state or national businesses for services in our community?
All governments (no matter at what level) should cooperate to provide the best service to the public we must cooperate and not compete.
14. Do you have an opinion on storage boxes and their use in our community?
storage boxes?
15. What are your specific thoughts about residential and commercial development in Flagstaff?
Although due process is very important in our community’s development (residential and commercial) there comes a point where we get a diminishing return. Facts need to be acquired in a situation followed up by implementation of an action. Development is far too slow.
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16. How would you address commercial redevelopment opportunities in areas like Fourth Street/Sunnyside and Southside/Downtown?
In Sunnyside commercial businesses and residential homes should be separate dividing each to one to a designated side of the neighborhood.
17. Are you committed to maintaining the Arizona Cardinals summer training camp in Flagstaff? Do you view the partnership with the Chamber and NAU on this issue as a priority or not a priority?
Absolutely, I think it is imperative that we continue to provide the opportunity to expose our youth to the positive role models that are on the team.
18. Do you support the City’s contract with the Arizona Snowbowl to sell Snowbowl reclaimed water for snowmaking? Why or why not?
First of all let me remind you that this issue is not in the hands of the council but the courts. We will not be the first to use reclaimed water in this fashion and it will benefit our economy tremendously. Let me also say that it will only use 2% of the land in question.
19. What are your specific thoughts on the City’s Public Works yard? How would you work to improve the current Public Works yard? Do you support relocating the yard?
The public works yard is bursting at the seams and it has a difficult time servicing the community. There needs to be an expansion of the current yard or relocating it at a bigger spot so they can do a more efficient job in accommodating the needs of the public.
20. What major capital projects does our City need? How would you propose funding these projects?
Parking in the downtown area is next to impossible. A parking garage needs to be constructed and have an express shuttle to take citizens downtown. This will also alleviate the traffic congestion in that area. A municipal bond specifically for this should be implemented.
21. How do you feel about the size of Flagstaff’s government? Do we need more employees/departments? Less employees/departments? Just right? What do you feel we need to add/subtract?
Right now there are roughly a thousand city employees, I would like to keep this number unchanged except for the Public Works dept. Right now there are approximately one person servicing 60 of our citizens compared to Glendale Arizona “they have over a thousand citizens to every one employee.”
22. Would you support/oppose adopting the attached “Small Business Bill of Rights” three page document attached with this survey? Why or why not?
We must do everything possible to support small business, (it is the single most important thing that drives our economy). When they flourish our community as a whole benefits. I agree whole heartedly that we need to encourage business enterprise to take risks. |
