MOHAVE COUNTY – Prominent Mohave County citizens residing in Kingman, Lake Havasu and Bullhead City are under consideration for possible appointment to serve the Arizona State Transportation Board. They include Mohave County Manager Sam Elters, Lake Havasu City Council member Nancy Campbell and former Bullhead City Mayor Tom Brady.
The county trio hope to fill the board seat held by Gary Knight, the Chairman from Yuma whose term of office expired in late Jan. Knight continues to serve until a successor is selected by Governor Katie Hobbs, subject to confirmation by the Arizona state senate.
Elters and Brady both said they believed their same-day Jan. interviews in Phoenix went well. They indicated they don’t know when Hobbs will make her decision.
Campbell is also upbeat about her interview and potential appointment.
“I look forward to being the nominee for District 6,” Campbell said in an email. “This will be the first time in 18 years Mohave County will have representation.”
District 6 includes Mohave, La Paz, Yuma and Yavapai Counties and they take turns rotating state board representation each time a six-year term runs its course. Former Lake Havasu City Mayor Dick Hileman served the District 6 State Transportation Board seat from 2000-2006 and now it’s Mohave County’s turn for a six-year run.
Maricopa County, District 1, has two representatives on the seven-member Board while Pima County has one in District 2. District 3 involves a single appointee rotation among Cochise, Greenlee, and Santa Cruz Counties.
Gila, Graham and Pinal Counties compose District 4 while District 5 includes Apache, Coconino and Navajo Counties.
The duties, responsibility and oversight of the Board is immense.
“The Arizona State Transportation Board, which is responsible for establishing a complete system of state highway routes in Arizona, is granted policy powers by the Governor and serves in an advisory capacity to the Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation,” its website states. ?The Board awards construction contracts, monitors the status of construction projects and has the exclusive authority to issue revenue bonds for transportation financing.”
Elters served the Board in District 1 from 2018-2020, when residency required his resignation as he moved from Maricopa County to Kingman to serve as County Manager. Elters said he plans to hold both positions if appointed.
The Board generally meets monthly, frequently rotating its sessions around the state. The next Board meeting will be held in Pinal County on March 15.