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Executive Committee Spotlight:
Mayor Rivera of Thatcher
Name, title & city/town
Robert R. Rivera
Mayor
Town of Thatcher
Year elected to office
Councilman - November 1992
Mayor - May 2003
Years served on Executive Committee
8 years
Hometown
Bisbee, Arizona
Why did you decide to serve in local government?
I served on a number of civic organizations including the Boys and Girls Club of the Gila Valley as a Board Member and later as President; Mt. Graham Regional
Medical Center as a Board member and Officer; and I have also coached my daughters ASA Softball team for several years. Additionally, I serve as a member of our
neighborhood swimming pool association. I have always believed that giving back through service to community in any form is the right thing to do. The
opportunity to serve in the Thatcher Council came in 1992 when a vacancy was created after a councilman resigned. My wife encouraged me to petition for the
vacancy. The thought of petitioning for councilman had never crossed my mind so I just figured why not; it's time to enter this arena. The Town of Thatcher has
the reputation of being conservative and I wrote in my letter of petition that I believed I had much to offer in helping our town government stay the course. I
was appointed and sworn in on November 1992.
What are the biggest challenges facing your town today?
The state's budget cuts. This year will be the end of the Wal-Mart revenue sharing agreement with City of Safford to the amount of $500,000, which will affect
our budget and the state-shared revenues due to the loss in the estimated count in the 2010 census. Balancing the budget is the challenge.
What opportunities do you see for your community?
The Town of Thatcher has planned ahead to weather these last few years and now we are poised for growth. We see the economy trending in the upward direction. We
have an IGA with the City of Safford and the Town of Pima, which creates a partnership for economic development in our valley. Working together to bring new
industry and business will benefit us all.
What are you most proud of during your tenure on the Executive Committee?
It is a privilege and honor to be a member of the Executive Committee, I'm proud to be associated with caring and professional committee members and League
staff. I'm proud of the decision making process where everyone has input which in turn creates buy in. The synergy created by this process enables all members
as stakeholders to take ownership on decisions made on behalf of the cities and towns. There is strength in unity.
Why is the League important to cities and towns in Arizona?
The League is very active in training our newly elected officials, election workshops, educating/training us on the new Medical Marijuana Law. The League
provides us with legislative lobbying and the online monthly newsletter. The annual conference gives us an opportunity to meet and learn from the conference
speakers and our fellow colleagues. The League is a united Arizona.
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League of Arizona Cities and Towns
1820 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-258-5786
Fax: 602-253-3874
http://www.azleague.org
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