Meet the candidates: Don Dent
The Williams-Grand Canyon News gave the four Williams City Council candidates, and the one mayoral candidate an opportunity to introduce themselves and explain their positions on important issues facing Williams. Three council seats are open, and the mayor seat has one candidate. Voter registration deadline for the primary election is July 5. Voter registration deadline for the general election is Oct. 11. Early voting begins July 6. The primary election takes place Aug. 2 and the general election is Nov. 8.
Don Dent
Why are you running?
I am running for mayor to give back to the community and people of Williams. I have always tried to listen and represent the majority of people and not any special interest. I have lived in Williams my entire life. I want it to be a place where families can live and be proud to call it their home.
What strengths can you bring to the council?
I have over 30 years of experience as a council member in Williams. My background as a business owner helps to run the city, which is a large business with many departments. I can be an effective leader for the city and work well with the other council members.
What are the biggest issues facing Williams?
The biggest issues facing Williams are (in no particular order)
Lack of affordable housing for our young families,
Shortage of volunteer firefighters and therefore need to go to paid positions,
Wastewater treatment plant nearing capacity may need expansion,
Sweetwater Well and Dogtown Waterline Projects need to be completed to have sufficient water capacity if drought continues,
Need to complete last four phases of upgrades to electric system to bring system to 12kv, and
Discussion and possible changes to our General Plan.
What do you see as the city’s greatest strengths?
Our citizens are our greatest strength. We may not always agree on different issues, but the people of Williams always step up to help when needed. I am always amazed with the generosity of our people when there is a need for someone or group in our community.
What is the best way to handle growth?
I have said in the past, that if you’re not growing some you are slowly dying. I have also supported controlled growth to bring new people and business to town. We needed this to help pay for the many infrastructure needs we have. I have heard from local citizens with concerns about the rapid rate of growth over the last five years. I agree that we need a community discussion about growth. That is why I said above we need to upgrade our general plan. The general plan would assess where we are now, and what our vision is for 10 years, 20 years and beyond. The plan looks at many factors to determine where we want to go from here. It is time to update our general plan with lots of input from the community.
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