Prescott is growing fast – which means it’s changing fast. We need to keep on top of the changes if we want our quality of life to stay great. This calls for leaders who are willing to consider new options and new solutions to the challenges that rapid change puts in front of us.

Jack Wilson offers this kind of leadership. You can read his background in detail at www.electjack.com. His years of management and contract negotiations at Amoco mean he knows how to dig up crucial information and get the best deals for us so that we can keep what we love about Prescott.

When Jack retired, he and his wife, Realtor Liz Wilson, chose Prescott for the same reason so many of us did: this is a great small town, with a great quality of life. Jack got involved right away, attending city council meetings, learning the local issues and realizing that without stronger, better informed leadership, we are losing this quality of life.

Water issues immediately grabbed Jack’s attention. He saw that the then-proposed annexation of the Granite Dells and Point of Rocks ranches rested on a bad preliminary development deal that would give away unwarranted amounts of water without asking much from the developer in return. Current Prescott Mayor Rowle Simmons initially supported this bad deal.

In response, Jack Wilson and others formed the steering committee for the Reasonable Growth Initiative (RGI). The initiative grew out of a grassroots effort to get citizens a place at the table when the council deliberates major development decisions that will impact how our little city grows. Mayor Simmons vehemently opposed the citizens' RGI at the time, and his 2005 campaign received support from a political action committee (PAC) that tried to defeat it. Former county supervisor Bill Feldmeier headed the PAC that worked to re-elect Rowle and other incumbents, as well as a second PAC against the RGI, an effort that received hefty support from out-of-town growth industry groups.

As Proposition 400, citizens passed the initiative in November 2005 with 57% of the vote.

Mayor Simmons continues to shy away from the essential issue of how the Prescott AMA will reach safe yield, and he fails to grasp the current situation: in candidate forums, he has stated that the City is waiting for the state to give Prescott a “number” that will define the quantity of its responsibility for reducing the groundwater overdraft. But that isn't how it works.

The state has made it clear that the responsible entities in the AMA, including the City of Prescott,  must reach safe yield by 2025 – and that they have to figure out, among themselves, how to do it. Mayor Simmons should understand this; he was a member of the committee that met, under state auspices, to clarify the issue and suggest next steps. That committee made its report last December. One of the proposed next steps was to form a stakeholder group to agree on possible policies, as well as legislation it could promote in Phoenix. Simmons has done nothing to get such a group together. Wilson will make it a priority.

It’s going to take political will, leadership and cooperation with others for the AMA to reach safe yield. It will take those same qualities to navigate the other challenges we face. Developing public transportation, assuring a supply of affordable housing, strengthening public services like the police and fire departments, maintaining infrastructure (roads, water, sewer), attracting the kinds of businesses we want, growing “smart” and resisting the tendency of Big Retail to push us around – it’s a lot.

Jack Wilson has the time and energy to devote to all of these issues, and he's already well-known to the leaders of neighboring communities. An active member of the cooperative Verde River Basin Partnership (promoted by Senator John McCain and which Mayor Simmons opposes joining), Wilson is committed to working on regional solutions to preserve our local river wilderness. Preserving open space (an area where Mayor Simmons also has missed opportunities for  vision and leadership) is another Wilson priority, and he joins Councilman Bob Luzius in pledging to keep our ridgelines and hilltops free of unnecessary scarring by developers.  

As a retired corporate executive and a real estate investor, Wilson understands the economic realities and needs of a growing community. Just think: if the credit market that has fueled our rapid growth is slamming shut, that’s going to impact how we grow, too. Wilson has the broad perspective and thinks creatively. Jack Wilson wants to keep Prescott the great hometown it is, and we’re voting for him.

Comments (7)

You cannot preserve a town by changing it. : Adam L. Rowling : http://Prescott My family moved to Prescott 24 years ago, at the time I entered 3rd grade at Miler Valley school (Mrs. Miles). I continued through High School and then joined the Navy, after returning I graduated from Yavapai College. My family has owned a downtown business for those same 24 years. It is my opinion that Jack Wilson represents the end of “Everybody’s Home Town.” as we know it. Prescott has not really changed as far as I am concerned. I see change in the future if Mr. Wilson is elected to office. Prescott has been great (with the exception of the historic preservation) to me and my family. Jack Wilson wants to change Prescott to preserve Prescott; that is a logical fallacy. The great town everybody wants to preserve is only great because people have had land rights, water rights, and smaller government. Mr. Wilson wants to create a town in his image and that is not Prescott. Our town is only as good as the people in it and the people that made Prescott great are not Jack Wilson. Mr. Wilson is for more government oversight of private property, that is in contrast to prop 207 which passed overwhelmingly in Prescott, Yavapai county and Arizona as a whole. (Prop 207 is the Private Property Rights Protection Act). I understand why some people want to “preserve” Prescott, but preserving a town is no different than trying to preserve your youthful looks. (Please see a recent picture of Joan Rivers). By legislating and controlling property to create an image of the past, the past will be lost. Jack Wilson and those like him are the change that is happing to Prescott. When I read Mr. Wilson’s election slogan I see the words, “Preserving the Past, Destroying our Future”. August 25, 2007 Preserving our past, Planning our future : Jack Wilson : http://Prescott Amusing! Adam Liberty Rowling is a 31 year-old county resident and cannot vote in the Prescott election. However, he is quite ready to spread his “Smear and Fear” demagoguery without a shred of evidence or any specifics. From his post I can assume he was not here when “Bill” the Elk was moved to Prescott Valley. He probably objects to me bringing it back to Preserve Our Past. He probably also objects to the effort to restore the Elk’s Opera House. However, he probably favors further strip mining of the hillsides as was done at Lowe’s. My campaign theme (Preserving our past, Planning our future) is easy for voters to relate to. Maybe that is the basis of his ranting; the voters understand the real issues too well! August 26, 2007 Rowling's Real Bone with Preservation, not Wilson : Leslie : http://Prescott While I applaud the fact that Mr. Rowling took time to comment on Jack Wilson's positions (we need more 32-year-olds to get involved in Prescott's community affairs!), he appears to have made some unwarranted assumptions. Clearly, he doesn't know Jack. I suggest he go to http://electjack.com and read Mr. Wilson's positions on all the issues. On careful reading of Mr. Rowling's comment, it appears that his real argument is with historic preservation. I learned through some quick Internet research that Mr. Rowling's father has been before Prescott's Historic Preservation Commission at least a couple of times, but it seems that he's gotten what he wanted. Perhaps Mr. Rowling resents having to go before the commission, but that certainly has nothing to do with Jack Wilson. I'm sorry that Mr. Rowling doesn't see the value in preserving Prescott's beautiful historic buildings. I've only been here eight years, but it's clear that a good part of Prescott's economic competitive advantage as a community is its unique atmosphere. We will not draw tourism dollars from the Valley if we become just another Phoenix suburb. Jack Wilson doesn't want to change Prescott. He just wants to make sure that sound planning is used to guide our future. If he is elected, he will form citizen committees toward that end. I hope that Mr. Rowling will participate. August 26, 2007 Thank you for your time. : Adam L. Rowling : http://Prescott Mr. Wilson, Thank you for taking timeout of your schedule to respond to my opinion. I was not alive when “Bill” the elk left Prescott in 1971. I was a bicentennial baby, as reflected by my middle name. I do not see the relevance of your statement concerning my location as to when “Bill” left town, considering your arrival to Prescott was 20 plus years after 1971. I applaud your willingness to purchase a piece of historic Prescott and return it to the city. I do not approve of using public money to restore anything that does not protect the safety and/or welfare of society as a whole. The Lowe’s construction site may be unsightly, but I’m sure that the land your house sits on looked unsightly while it was being constructed. As a Prescott novice, you are clearly ignorant about the value of the county residents. (I have recently secured a historic residence and will be a city voter soon enough). Although most of my family has lived a stones throw away from the city limits for almost a quarter century, it does not mean that we do not contribute to Prescott as much as anybody else. The first fact that comes to mind is the 200.00 a week our downtown property pays in property tax, not to mention privilege sales tax. For decades now, we have purchased virtually everything we buy from local establishments, secured our earnings in local banks, attended school, raised our families, and provided employment. Your plans for the future that prevent the use of ridge tops, stop or limit annexations, your objections to five story buildings (summit bank), and spending tax dollars on empty faux opera houses are contrary to the Prescott I grew up in. I bought my first pellet gun at Yellow Front by the 5-points intersection, when I was a student at PHS students could still smoke on campus, and my family shopped at the Bayless grocery store. I remember when Mario’s moved into the car dealership, and another car dealership turned into a fire station. Gurley street used to run like a river on the 4th of July and the Rodeo was only a side attraction. I remember when the nice lady was murdered behind the Circle K. I remember the only way to get to downtown from Iron Springs road was Miller Valley road or turning left at Ted’s Rosary. I can still hear all complaints about the new Sheraton hotel. In elementary school we took a field trip to paint pictures on the construction barriers that surrounded the Hassayampa Inn while it was being restored. Mr. Wilson; implying that Prescott is not my hometown only exposes your lack of understanding of Prescott and its citizens. My original statement still stands; I do not think Prescott has changed and Mr. Wilson represents the gate that will soon block Prescott from its people. August 27, 2007 Another Local View of Prescott : Erica Ryberg, publisher : http://Prescott I remember the Yellow Front, 5 points, PHS smoking, the lack of a way to get downtown. I, too, shopped at Bayless. In fact, I grew up a few blocks from the High School and rode my bike to PJHS when it was safe for a child to do so. Prescott IS changing, like it or not, and I'm voting for thoughtful change rather than placing greed or private-property rights (which are important, but balance man!) above all else. As a local, the scrub that Lowe's bladed off that hill is as precious to me as the air I breathe. Steve Blair might think that progress means replacing of the dirt and antelopes with tax base, but that dirt is actually a short-grass prairie unlike anything else that exists in the world and that scrub is actually chapparal - it's more beautiful than the increase in our tax base could ever indicate. Feel free to play the I'm-a-local card, but keep in mind that some of us locals would like a fresh set of opinions, especially seeing as how the vision of some old-town Prescottonians are incredibly short-sighted. August 27, 2007 Oh, I participate : Adam L. Rowling Ms. Ryberg et al, This is from the Yavapai GIS website for Mr. Wilson’s Home: SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING -HILLSIDE, 6174 total floor area, Built in 1995. I am sure his home was built on a hill devoid of any precious plant life. My point being, Mr. Wilson is against 5 story buildings that would maximize land use, but enjoys his land freely. I also question Mr. Wilson on his objection to a large office building (old York building) when he himself is in the office rental business. Mr. Wilson is a real estate investor and as such is fully aware that limiting the amount of office space in downtown only increases the amount he can charge in his downtown office building. As for Historic Preservation meetings I have attended each meeting for well over a year and going on two, I have never seen Mr. Wilson there. I attend more meetings that the commission members themselves. I have attended numerous P&Z meetings and no Jack Wilson, I have attended Board of Adjustment meetings and no Jack Wilson, and I even attend the Unified Code Deployment Meetings from time to time, and of course no Jack Wilson. My family has a problem with the Preservation Specialist, that is no secret. If you want I can show you the preservation specialist email’s [public document request] where she rejoiced about personally ruining escrow on a women’s house simply because she changed the windows. Or how the Preservation specialist uses her government paid position for commercial financial gain without compensating the tax payers, (book writing). Of course the emails where she references her “Sheldon street spies” is one of my personal favorites. The preservation specialist and Jack Wilson have similar goals and they scare me. August 27, 2007 Jack's House : Erica Ryberg I remember the dirt and scrub up where Jack's house is now. It was my playground. As was Prescott Lakes. I'm sure some poor kid in PV lost some playground when StoneRidge went in (even though that's a pretty nifty development). It DOES happen. It WILL happen. But can we include some quality along with that? Parks, open space...um...historic preservation? I'm not in total agreement with all the choices those guys make. They're like an HOA for the historic overlay. I'd have some real problems if I had to ask them how I could engage my own property. So I'm with you there. It's just that without a little give and take, our cute little town might turn into a fast-food pocked, speeding car infested strip mall wonderland. FYI - the historic preservation movement in PRC started after the Jack in the Box decided to supplant an old Victorian house. People sat up and said..hmm..maybe we ought not to let life, liberty, the free market, and private property rights run TOTALLY unfettered. And so your difficulties began. August 27, 2007

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