|
|
Mayor Spotlight: Mayor Robin Boyd, City of Winslow
City of Winslow
Incorporated: 1900
Population: 9,655
Elevation: 4,880 ft.
County: Navajo
Area within Limits: 11.2 sq. mi.
Name, title & city/town:
Robin Boyd, Mayor of Winslow
Year elected to office: Elected to the City Council in May, 1997 to May, 2008, when I was elected as mayor in June of 2008. I've held that position for the last seven years.
Hometown: Tempe, AZ (Harry Mitchell was my government teacher at Tempe High.)
Why did you decide to serve in local government?
While serving on the Winslow Unified School District governing board for seven years, the city was going through a lot of conflict. One council member was recalled and another resigned. I
was asked to submit an application to replace the council member that resigned. I did and was selected by the council to replace him. I was hoping to be a calming presence on the council.
What are the biggest challenges facing your town today?
Winslow's biggest challenge is similar to most other cities in the state. We need a more diverse economy. Jobs that will allow our children to make a good living and want to raise a
family here. That means we need to create an environment that will attract business and industry to our area.
What opportunities do you see for your community?
For the last 20 years, the council has made a concerted effort to improve the infrastructure in the city. A new sewer system was constructed, 80 year old water and sewer lines were
replaced. Nearly all of the city streets were repaved. We have doubled the water capacity. In a nutshell, we have prepared the city for growth. Our permitting process has been streamlined
to allow businesses to open here as quickly as possible. We don't want to be the weakest link in the chain that allows a company open their doors in Winslow. We strive for a quick response
to any questions that anyone requires.
Winslow can be a major transportation hub. We have our largest employer, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, which runs through Winslow. Interstate 40 also passes through Winslow, and
we have one of the longest airport runways in the state. We don't have a water shortage and we are increasing our natural gas line from 4 inches to 6 inches in our industrial park. The
only thing we lack that our neighbors have are pine trees.
What are you most proud of during your time in office?
When asked what I am most proud about of Winslow during my time in office, I would say it is when someone that left Winslow or hasn't visited here for quite a while comes up me or others
and say they can't believe the positive changes that they see in town. We still have a lot of work to do in order to improve our image, but we're moving forward.
Why is the League important to cities and towns in Arizona?
The Arizona League of Cities and Towns has been indispensable for a small town on a small budget. The League's resources save us much time and effort, which in turn saves us money. We often
make calls to the League when writing ordinances and other legal matters. The League's conferences have great classes and getting to know officials in other cities help us realize that we
aren't in this alone. There are very few challenges that we face that someone else hasn't had to deal with successfully.
|
|
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
|
|
|
