Blowback on elections issues continues to mar relations between officials

KINGMAN – Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman chastised Mohave County at the December 15 meeting of the County Supervisors Association at the CSA building in downtown Phoenix. Hickman was clearly irritated by criticism from several Mohave County supervisors and other elected officials from northwest Arizona over problems with the administration of the general election in the state’s largest county.

Some local officials previously focused criticism on Maricopa County and the local Board of Supervisors twice postponed certifying the general election vote to make political statements. Chairman Ron Gould called and canceled a December 15 meeting to consider taking Maricopa County to court to attempt to force a brand-new general election in the valley.

While Maricopa County Board Chairman Bill Gates and PIO Fields Moseley had declined previous invitation to comment on the Mohave County criticism, Hickman held nothing back at the CSA meeting attended or viewed by scores of officials across the state.

“I am sick of coddling and catering to Mohave County all the time. We are supposed to just smooth our hair, listen to it and deal with it. It’s not going to happen anymore. Not with this guy,” Hickman said. “I’m not going to keep putting up with this. It’s either they take their ball and go home and do crazy shit (expletive deleted, if preferred) in their own boundaries or we take our ball and work on our issues and not really care what Mohave has to say.”

Mohave County Supervisor Jean Bishop, who served as CSA President for a year before Navajo County Supervisor Jason Whiting assumed the leadership role last month, told CSA that she was not in favor of postponing local vote canvas or suing over the election.

“I saw no reason to reach out and question anything that was going on in Maricopa County. This has become political for Mohave County,” Bishop said. “I too want to seriously apologize to Maricopa County Supervisors.”

“I’m sorry Jean. I don’t know who the political leaders that you are following or some of your board is following,” Hickman said. “It looks to me that you’re following the leadership of Kelli Ward and Timothy McVeigh.”

Hickman personally called out Mohave County Supervisor Hildy Angius, referencing her radio talk show and board meeting comments while inviting her to explain her Maricopa hostility. There was only silence and no response before someone at the meeting said Angius had dropped off her remote meeting monitoring position.

“That says it enough to me because that’s what I’m used to,” Hickman said. “They say crap and then go silent.”

Contacted the day after the CSA meeting, Angius said she dropped out following Bishop’s comments and well before the Hickman rant started.

Angius said the dispute should have been addressed privately between parties and that the CSA meeting was an improper venue.

“It was an ambush. It was not appropriate,” Angius said. “I was livid.”

Angius said some supervisors from other smaller counties objected as well and also dropped out of the meeting.

A number of supervisors from various counties also expressed support for Maricopa County officials and threats they and their families have endured. President Whiting said it’s important for the 15 counties to attempt to work through the current angst.

“Most recently we’ve experienced some tensions around the elections that have challenged us and our partnerships in ways that we’ve previously not experienced,” Whiting said. “It’s important that we have a past that allows us to productively work through these situations and allow us all to remain strong.”

Whiting noted that its Executive Committee is working to develop a “Code of Partnership,” to bring back to CSA to have a better framework to deal with inter-county conflict and divisive issues.

Dave Hawkins