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Mayor Spotlight: Mayor Roger Williams, Town of Pinetop-Lakeside
Name, title & city/town:
Roger Williams, Mayor, Pinetop-Lakeside
Year elected to office: 2013
Years served as mayor: A little less than one year
Hometown: Menlo Park, California; spent most of my life in Phoenix and Scottsdale
Town of Pinetop-Lakeside
Incorporated: 1984
Population: 4,282
Elevation: 7,200 ft.
County: Navajo
Area within Limits: 13.5 Sq. Mi.
Why did you decide to serve in local government?
I have an extensive business background and felt that I could use my business acumen to address some of the challenges that our community faces. I feel strongly that a government,
big or small, should be run based on sound business principles.
What are the biggest challenges facing your city today?
One of the biggest challenges facing our town today is that we are almost solely dependent on sales tax revenue derived from tourism during the summer season. We currently do not own
any utilities to stabilize our cash flow throughout the year. As we move forward we must endeavor to acquire or create utilities that would benefit our community and establish a
stabilized income stream.
Our town was hard hit during the recent recession because people stopped traveling. So to avoid this from happening in the future, we as a town need to embrace economic development and
court small businesses that treasure our outdoor beauty and the quality of life of our wonderful community.
What opportunities do you see for your community?
I see tremendous opportunities for our community going forward. We are without a doubt one of the most picturesque towns in the state. Our wonderful climate and clean air allow us to "Celebrate
the Seasons" outdoors 365 days a year. We offer a quality of life featuring recreational opportunities from fishing on one of 40 lakes to skiing on one of the best mountains in the southwest. Our
200+ mile trail system is recognized as one of the best trail systems in the United States.
What are you most proud of during your time in office?
I am proud of a number of things we have accomplished in my short tenure. I have always felt municipal government is in the service business, so the first thing we accomplished was putting the
town back on a five-day work week to better serve our residents. We are in the process of creating the first public-private partnership in our town with a community ice rink. This has all been
possible because of the generosity of the city of Williams mayor and council who agreed to donate their ice rink to Pinetop-Lakeside. This started the process and a fantastic group of citizens
has stepped forward and agreed to fund the operations and maintenance of the ice rink. We are looking forward to opening day in October of this year. This will be the first of many public-private
partnerships bringing amenities to our town.
Why is the League important to cities and towns in Arizona?
The League has been invaluable to me as a new mayor. The training I received has enabled me to hit the ground running. The networking at the League events has given me the opportunity to learn from
some of the best and brightest. The League also serves to protect the autonomy of government at the local level, which are fundamental constitutional principles and a cornerstone of American
democracy. As a small community we need to address the needs and best interests of our citizens, and the League provides us with the tools to help us meet those needs. I have been extremely
impressed at the involvement of the League in stopping future sweeps of the Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF). The sweep of those funds has been extremely devastating to rural Arizona and I applaud
the League for their tenacious battle.
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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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