Cottonwood Voters Approve Prop 425, Permanent Base Adjustment

COTTONWOOD, ARIZ.—Residents in the city of Cottonwood are breathing a sigh of relief after voters approved Proposition 425, the Permanent Base Adjustment.   

Had the vote not passed, the city would have been forced to reduce its current budget capacity by approximately 60% to match a time in 1979 and 1980 when the city did not fund a municipal water company, wastewater services, the Recreation Center, Library, Fire Department and Riverfront Park and Ball Fields Complex—a time when we had about 4,500 residents. The result would have been significant cutbacks in services to our residents and businesses, including programs and capital projects like streets.  

However, based on the fact the city of Cottonwood had been through a similar vote every four years since 1979 and “Home Rule” always passed with approximately 60 percent of the vote, we were very hopeful we would get the support of citizens again.  Nonetheless, this time was different because the city was asking for a Permanent Base Adjustment because of the new state-mandated change in election dates. This new law imposed on cities and towns by the state legislature caused Home Rule to fall through the cracks with no correction by the legislature for the problem that the new law caused. Plus, it seems many people have a pretty sour view of government.  These negative feelings may be a result of the partisanship at the federal and state levels. However, many citizens inadvertently equate that local government works the same way, or they simply express their negative feelings toward any governmental entity. Interestingly, an April 2013 poll by the National League of Cities and Towns shows that voters trust local government to address the issues that matter most to them more than any other level of government. 

"This poll confirms the strength of our nation's cities and towns and their efficiency in managing the various needs of our diverse communities," said Clarence Anthony, Executive Director of the National League of Cities. "Local governments are trusted to address the issues that are critical to the everyday lives of Americans."

Cottonwood had several things going for our community. The first was that many people were sharing the facts so our citizens were informed. A big thanks is owed to Cottonwood Administrative Services Manager Rudy Rodriguez, who spent many nights out and much of his time meeting with residents, neighborhood groups, and businesses. He was dedicated in getting the facts out to help voters with their choice. City Council members also answered residents' questions about the Permanent Base Adjustment.

Cottonwood employees were also willing during personal interactions off duty to explain how the Permanent Base Adjustment could affect municipal services, and they have a very good reputation with the public they serve. This is supported by the citizen satisfaction surveys sent out to residents every two years. Since beginning this regular survey in 2008, the surveys results indicate that our citizens are very satisfied with the service they receive from the city and our employees are primarily responsible for that response and support from our citizens.

Please accept this big thanks to all of you for the great work you do for this community and for your efforts to share the facts. We all need to say a special thanks to Mr. Rodriguez and his staff for their commitment to getting people educated, as well as the Cottonwood City Council for the leadership in providing Cottonwood with a high quality of life—a place our people are proud to call home. Collaborating with our citizens, we all "Make the Good Life Better."