Dear Editor,
The Kingman Miner’s series of question-answer type articles featuring the Kingman Mayor and City Council candidates is a fabulous example of community engagement, but it is limited to 150 words from each candidate due to space limitations. This is understandable. However, the people of Kingman have a right to know a little more in-depth reasoning behind those answers. Some candidates may choose not to elaborate further, or to engage with the community at all after they have been elected and have been in office for years. But I do, because the people of Kingman deserve to know as much as possible about who they choose to represent them and their mindset on advocating for the voters. What follows is the full article that the 150 words of answer to week number two’s question were excerpted from:
QUESTION: What does responsible growth look like to you?
ANSWER: Responsible growth begins with responsible leadership, and that requires competent management skills. Kingman does not currently have this. Growth is not simply about approving more housing developments, attracting more businesses, or increasing city revenue. True responsible growth means managing growth in a way that protects taxpayers, preserves quality of life, strengthens infrastructure, and ensures the city government is competent enough to make sound long-term decisions.
Kingman is no longer a small rural town operating on a modest budget. Today, our city is responsible for managing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, critical public infrastructure, public safety operations, water planning, economic development, roads, zoning decisions, and long-term financial obligations that will affect residents for decades. Those responsibilities require more than good intentions. They require leadership with strong management skills, financial understanding, strategic planning ability, and the discipline to make informed decisions under pressure.
In my view, one of the biggest challenges facing Kingman today is that too many local government decisions are being made without sufficient real-world management experience guiding them. Running a city is similar in many ways to running a major corporation. Every decision has consequences for families, businesses, employees, infrastructure, and future generations. Poor planning, weak oversight, or short-sighted financial decisions can create problems that take years to correct and millions of taxpayer dollars to fix.
Responsible growth means understanding that government cannot simply “learn as it goes” when the stakes are this high. If an airline hired untrained mechanics to maintain a commercial jet carrying hundreds of passengers, no one would accept “we’ll figure it out as we go” as an acceptable standard. The same principle applies to city government. Residents deserve leaders who are prepared, informed, and capable of making decisions that affect the lives, safety, and financial well-being of the entire community.
In next week’s edition, I’ll discuss what responsible growth means for Kingman’s infrastructure, financial planning, transparency, and long-term future.
Mark “Doc” Berry
Candidate for Mayor of Kingman
