Flagstaff City Council Candidate Patty Hansen
Patty Hansen’s Responses to the Flagstaff City Council Candidate Questionnaire 2026
Regulatory Relief: Flagstaff’s building codes and zoning processes can add significant time and expense to commercial projects. What specific zoning reforms or streamlining measures will you champion to reduce these burdens for local businesses?
PH: Flagstaff needs a regulatory process that is predictable, timely, and easy for local businesses to navigate. I support streamlining the zoning and permitting process while maintaining the standards we need to protect our neighborhoods, environment, and quality of life.
I would expand administrative approval for routine projects that meet existing zoning and building requirements, while preserving meaningful public review for projects that require variances, rezoning, or significant exceptions.
I would support a true one-stop permitting process with a designated staff contact who can coordinate reviews across city departments and help applicants resolve problems before they become costly delays. Flagstaff already uses a single point of contact for major private development projects, and I would look for ways to make that approach more broadly available.
I would also support clearer, more predictable requirements, pre-application meetings, concurrent rather than sequential reviews where possible, and reasonable timeframes for City responses. The City’s published commercial review timeframes are 35 working days for commercial tenant improvements and 65 working days for commercial building/civil plan review. For small businesses, those timelines can represent a significant carrying cost, particularly when projects require multiple reviews or revisions.
Finally, I would regularly ask local businesses where the process is creating unnecessary costs and use that feedback to identify additional code changes. My goal is not less responsible development, instead it is smarter regulation that allows good projects and local businesses to move forward without unnecessary expense or bureaucracy.
Regional Plan Realities: With the city implementing the voter-approved Flagstaff Regional Land Use Plan, how will you balance strict environmental and smart-growth goals with the pressing need for affordable workforce housing and commercial expansion?
PH: I don’t believe we have to choose between protecting Flagstaff’s environment and addressing our affordable housing crisis. The voter-approved Regional Plan 2045 provides a framework for doing both, and I believe the City Council should follow it.
To me, smart growth means putting development in the right place—where infrastructure and public services can support it—while encouraging infill, mixed-use and appropriately scaled higher-density development. It also means creating walkable, connected neighborhoods, providing a variety of housing choices, and avoiding unnecessary sprawl.
I do not support weakening environmental requirements to build more housing or commercial development. Our water resources, forests, wildlife habitat, open space and other natural resources are fundamental to Flagstaff’s future. Environmental standards should remain strong.
When it comes to commercial expansion, I also believe we should respect the Regional Plan’s designated growth areas. We can support local businesses and a healthy economy by making better use of appropriately designated commercial areas, encouraging compatible mixed-use development and redevelopment, and making the permitting process more predictable.
Our goal should be responsible growth—not growth at any cost. We can build the housing our workforce and residents need, support locally owned businesses, and strengthen our economy while protecting the environmental qualities that make Flagstaff special.
Employer-Assisted Housing: Would you support city incentives or public-private partnerships that make it easier for local employers to develop or subsidize housing for their own workforce?
PH: Yes. I would support carefully designed City incentives and public-private partnerships that encourage local employers to help their employees afford housing.
Flagstaff’s housing crisis affects employers as well as workers. When people cannot afford to live where they work, businesses have a harder time recruiting and retaining employees. Employer-assisted housing can be one part of the solution, particularly when employers contribute toward down payments, closing costs, rental assistance, or other housing benefits.
The City has an Employer-Assisted Housing program that could serve as a model for other local employers. I would encourage employers to explore how similar programs could help their employees with housing costs.
Employer-assisted housing alone won’t solve Flagstaff’s housing crisis, but it can be one useful tool alongside building more affordable housing, preserving existing affordable units, encouraging a greater variety of housing choices, and pursuing policies that make housing more attainable for working families.
Minimum Wage Trajectory: Flagstaff's local minimum wage significantly exceeds the state standard, impacting low-margin industries like retail, hospitality, and dining. How do you plan to support small businesses navigating these high labor costs?
PH: I strongly support Flagstaff’s minimum wage law. Flagstaff voters approved of it, and I believe they made the right choice. Our minimum wage should be higher than much of Arizona because the cost of living here is higher than most of the state. Workers should be able to earn a wage that provides a reasonable opportunity to live in the community where they work.
The people who work in our restaurants, retail stores, hotels, service businesses, and other local businesses are not just employees, they are members of our community. Their work has value, and they deserve to be compensated fairly.
At the same time, I understand that the higher minimum wage has created significant challenges for some local businesses, particularly restaurants, retailers, and other industries with tight profit margins. I don’t believe we should dismiss those concerns. But rising labor costs are not the only challenge businesses face. Commercial rents, insurance, utilities, supplies, equipment, other operating costs have also increased substantially.
I want to look at what other cities are doing to help small businesses adjust to higher minimum wages and operating costs. For example, St. Charles, Illinois, uses targeted business-improvement grants and sales-tax incentives to help local businesses make improvements, expand and remain viable. Some assistance is tied to measurable community benefits such as investment and job creation. I believe Flagstaff should explore similar targeted approaches that help locally owned businesses manage rising costs.
I also believe we should ask why Arizona’s state government has been willing to provide substantial tax incentives to attract large corporations and businesses to the state while doing comparatively little to help small, locally owned businesses. I would advocate for some of those resources to be directed toward tax relief for local businesses.
Supporting workers and supporting small businesses are not mutually exclusive. My goal is for Flagstaff to have an economy where people can afford to live, workers are fairly compensated for the value they bring to our community, and local businesses can thrive.
Tourism & Economic Diversity: While tourism initiatives drive significant revenue, economic volatility remains a concern. What concrete strategies will you pursue to attract high-wage, non-tourism industries (e.g., biotech, clean energy) to the region?
PH: Tourism is important to Flagstaff’s economy, but we should not rely on tourism alone. I would pursue economic diversification strategically, focusing on industries that fit our workforce, infrastructure, water availability, climate goals, and Regional Plan.
Healthcare is an area which provides us with a significant opportunity for growth. Flagstaff is already a regional medical hub for Northern Arizona, and we should build on that strength by attracting medical professionals, specialty practices, outpatient providers, and related businesses. I would work with NAU, Coconino Community College, and regional partners on workforce pipelines and recruitment. I also believe we should encourage greater competition in healthcare by identifying barriers that make it difficult for independent physicians and specialty providers to locate here.
We should also attract professionals who can work remotely. Flagstaff’s quality of life and strong sense of community make it an attractive place for people who can choose where they live. This can bring additional talent and income without requiring significant new commercial development.
Beyond healthcare, I would focus on clean energy, environmental technology, scientific research, and other high-wage industries that fit our environmental and water constraints.
Our goal should be a diverse, resilient economy that creates good jobs, supports local businesses, and strengthens Flagstaff as a regional center for healthcare, education, research, and innovation.
Commercial Property Tax & Utilities: High commercial utility rates and property valuations strain local operations. What is your strategy for keeping city-controlled fees and taxes predictable for business owners?
PH: For City-controlled services such as water, wastewater, trash collection, and solid-waste management, I would support long-term financial planning and rate-setting so businesses can anticipate future costs. Significant increases should come with advance notice, clear explanations of the costs involved, and opportunities for public input. We should also regularly review whether rates fairly reflect the cost of providing services and whether fee structures unintentionally burden small businesses.
We also need to distinguish between what the city can and cannot control. Property valuations are determined by the Coconino County Assessor, and property taxes support multiple taxing jurisdictions. While the City does not control a business’s valuation or the entire property tax bill, it should be transparent about its portion and carefully consider the impact of City tax decisions.
I would also look for ways to help businesses reduce operating costs through water conservation, waste reduction, and energy efficiency.
My approach is simple: plan, be transparent, listen to businesses, and spend responsibly. Essential services need reliable funding, but businesses also need to know what those services will cost so they can plan, invest, and create jobs.
Public Safety Ballot Measures: Local businesses rely heavily on a safe, accessible environment for both customers and staff. What is your position on upcoming public safety infrastructure bonds, and how will you ensure transparent use of tax funds?
PH: I strongly support maintaining a safe community. Businesses, workers, residents, and visitors depend on effective police, fire, emergency, and other public safety services. I respect the men and women who serve in our police and fire departments. They perform difficult and important work every day, and I appreciate their commitment to keeping our community safe.
The question before voters is not about the value of these departments. It’s about whether this is the right time to ask residents to take on additional taxes and debt when so many people are already struggling with the high cost of living.
We need to listen to what Flagstaff’s residents are telling us. The City’s April 2026 community survey found that 40.5% of respondents identified cost of living as the City’s top issue, and another 23.8% identified housing. In total, nearly two-thirds, 64.3%, identified cost of living or housing as their number one concern. Only 2.7% identified public safety as their top issue. That doesn’t mean public safety isn’t important. It means we need to consider it alongside the other pressing needs facing residents in Flagstaff and be thoughtful about how much financial burden we place on residents and businesses.
I also question combining the police and fire proposals into the same ballot questions. They are different services with different needs, costs, and funding options. Voters should have the opportunity to consider each proposal on its own merits rather than being asked to approve a large package of projects together.
Before asking residents for additional taxes and debt, I believe the City should explore other ways to fund appropriate projects. For example, a municipal infrastructure district could potentially help finance the construction and staffing of a new fire station in an area benefiting from new development, rather than placing the entire burden on existing taxpayers. We should examine whether similar creative financing approaches could be appropriate for other projects as well.
If the measures are approved, I would insist on strong transparency and accountability for how the funds are used. The City should provide regular public reports showing how much has been collected and spent, which projects have been funded, whether projects are on schedule and on budget, and any changes to the original costs or scope.
Public safety is an essential City responsibility, but responsible government means asking difficult questions about priorities, costs, and who bears the burden. I want Flagstaff to have the public safety services we need while also recognizing that affordability is one of the most important issues facing our community. We need to protect our community without placing unnecessary financial burdens on the people who are already struggling to make ends meet.
Transportation & Logistics: : Traffic congestion and winter road maintenance directly affect commercial logistics and customer access. How will you prioritize infrastructure spending to optimize traffic flow along major business corridors like Route 66 and Milton Road?
PH: Transportation infrastructure is essential to Flagstaff’s economy. Businesses need reliable roads, employees need to be able to get to work, and customers need safe and convenient access to commercial areas. But I also believe we need to be careful about spending millions of dollars on transportation projects without first identifying the most effective solutions.
Fortunately, we already have a strong foundation to build on. MetroPlan has developed a regional transportation plan and has secured grant funding to address important transportation needs. I support continuing to implement that work rather than creating duplicative plans at the City level.
The partnership between MetroPlan, the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, ADOT, and the federal government gives us an opportunity to address transportation challenges regionally and leverage local dollars with state and federal funding. I would work to strengthen those partnerships and pursue additional grant opportunities, particularly for improvements along major corridors such as Route 66 and Milton Road.
I would prioritize projects based on safety, congestion reduction, economic impact, and the ability to leverage outside funding. We should also consider the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and people with disabilities rather than designing transportation improvements solely around moving more cars.
Winter road maintenance is another important part of keeping our economy moving. Flagstaff’s weather creates unique challenges, and maintaining major corridors, transit routes, neighborhood streets, and access to businesses during winter storms needs to remain a priority.
My approach is to use the plans and partnerships we already have, make strategic investments where they will have the greatest benefit, and maximize state and federal funding. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel; we need to work together to get the projects we have already identified funded and built.