Priorities – Direct from Mayor Palguta

 

Business Values

I will work to make sure Prescott Valley is always "Open for Business"! We need to keep our taxes low, and our businesses strong by allowing business owners to be creative in how they run their business. We can reduce burdensome regulations while improving design standards for future economic development, balance our open spaces while nurturing our economic drivers, and NOT stand in the way of economic progress. By promoting the "Shop Local" mantra, even during COVID, Prescott Valley increased their sales tax revenue by 26% since I was elected in 2018, and I will continue to press hard to support small businesses that are the life blood of our community.

One goal that will not change is to persistently encourage more grocery store space in Prescott Valley. With the city of Prescott dominating Prescott Valley by a 2-to-1 margin on grocery store square footage, we will continue to put grocer attraction as one of our number one economic development goals in a Post-COVID shopping environment. 

Partnering With Our Schools

As a parent of three children in our local schools, I have a vested interest in the quality of our education and the value of our schools, which directly impacts our property values, our quality of life and efforts in attracting more medical professionals and higher paying jobs. The FIRST question that companies ask when trying to expand and relocate is “How are the schools?” I will continue to make supporting our educators a priority for our Town Council and ensure that we continue a symbiotic working relationship with all of our schools.

Safety in our and strong partnership with HUSD and PVPD are a must. I am saddened to read that there are school districts in the Valley that are discontinuing their school resource officer programs- I say NOT ON MY WATCH!!! Investment in our schools does not just mean our kids, it also means taking care of our valuable teachers. I have personally donated and encouraged others to drop school supplies off to our local neighborhood schools.  Additionally I will continue to look for ways to create entry level and affordable housing for our teachers because we all know they deserve it.

Healthcare and High-Tech Jobs and Services

I’m committed to maintaining our high quality of life and working towards ensuring our residents do not need to travel to Phoenix or Flagstaff for health care. We as a community must work towards attracting  these specialized medical professionals to help serve our current and future residents. My goal is to make Prescott Valley a self-sustaining community that does not need to rely on outside resources to be heathy and successful.

Health care and biosciences are resilient, recession-proof industries that need to be our focus. I will continue to work with the private sector and continue to work towards the goal of creating high-tech, high-paying jobs as well as developing and expanding micro/satellite companies to our area. We need to care for our residents of today and have a clear vision for tomorrow. The goal is to NOT think two or three years into the future but two or three decades into the future.

Managing Growth

As Mayor, my goal is to to make sure that our community continues to be the community that we all fell in love with when moving here. Will growth happen? Of course it will, but my goal is to make sure that we do not turn into the Phoenix of the North. If we are not careful, Prescott Valley may grow at a higher rate than the 1.2% it has since I was elected.  

Nothing will change the Development Agreements of the past that were approved years ago with the major subdivisions such as Granville, Quailwood, Pronghorn, and Stoneridge, we all must accept it and move forward. What we CAN change is the development standards, including architecture and landscaping and expectations moving into the future for any future growth that is going to occur. I’m confident with citizen input and new Town Manager leadership we will make it happen for the betterment of Prescott Valley.

Watch for more on this to come!!!!!!!!!!

Water Conservation  

Living in Arizona, our most precious resource is water and must always be on our mind.  As Mayor I will continue to make Water Conservation and Stewardship a top priority for Prescott Valley and will make sure that we listen to and follow the science behind ground water management. As a town we must be conscious of water management techniques for Prescott Valley and not only how they effect our community but also communities around us. I have a strong link to the Verde River and in my 25 years as a resident, I have spent many days enjoying the natural beauty of the Verde River and will NEVER do anything that would harm it for future generations. 

Prescott Valley is the water conservation leader in Northern Arizona with already one Injection Well in development and another in capital plans. Plus with the recent approval of Smart Water Meters to all homes, this added feature provides technology to all citizens to allow real time monitoring of their water usage and help reduce excess use or identify any water leaks early on.

As a member of Citizens Water Advocacy Group ( CWAG) I recognize that as a community we are responsible for not only our current generation but generations to come. I welcome all strategies to minimize the impact of over-draft and the goal of reaching Safe-Yield. 

Open Space- Trails-Hiking-Biking

Prescott Valley currently lacks a large amount of Open Space outside of Public Parks and Drainage Areas.  My goal is to work with our Municipal Neighbors to the West as well as State Land Department to acquire Glassford Hill. This partnership purchase would allow the Town of Prescott Valley to create many more hiking and biking trails as well as to connect Prescott Valley to Prescott with another hiking route that does not currently exist. The citizens of Prescott Valley deserve a central location to go and be able to enjoy the outdoors in any fashion that they choose. 

Currently this is an area that Prescott Valley is lacking in and with a Post COVID environment more and more citizens are looking for reasons to get out of the house and enjoy nature. The last thing I want to see happen is a developer come along and try and put homes up on Glassford Hill. 

 

Improve Roads

The Town of Prescott Valley has been working with a Chip Seal type style of road repairs for over 35 years. As we progress in to the year 2022 and beyond it is time that we as a town start to evaluate new approaches to an old problem. What can we as a town do to create safe, smooth roads that hold up to the varying weather conditions of Arizona while still being affordable?  Moving into the future I plan on making sure these hard conversations are had and that the citizens of Prescott Valley reap the benefit of the forward thinking of staff and Council.