KINGMAN, Ariz. – Mayor Ken Watkins, re-elected to two more years, was disappointed the four-year term limit for mayor failed.
Watkins said he was disappointed, but he did not take it personally. He believes it failed for a couple of reasons.
“I know that Councilman Smiley Ward did not support it from the beginning,” Watkins said. “His concern was if a bad or disliked mayor got elected. Very valid.”
“I think that as individuals, we all think, ‘Why mess with it? It has been working well for years, no need for change.’ All good reasons.”
This was the second attempt to get the four-year term limit for mayor changed, Watkins said. The first time was in 2020, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic.
According to Watkins, mayors or any elected official can be recalled just like a bad product on the market; maybe not as easily, but it can be done.
Recalling a mayor is governed by Arizona Constitution VIII and Arizona Revised Statutes, (A.R S.) Title 19, which states that a mayor must serve six months of their elected term before a recall can begin.
Petitioners must then file an application for an official Serial Number with the Kingman City Clerk’s office.
No grounds or reasons are required by Arizona law for the recall of a mayor or any elected official. Once the serial number is issued, petitioners have 120 days to collect and submit petitioner sheets with enough valid voter signatures.
Once signatures have been verified and the elected official notified, they have five days to resign. If they do not resign, a recall election is then scheduled not sooner than 90 days away.
Watkins said he checked about the possibility of getting the four-year term limit back on the ballot in November.
“It would be possible, but would cost the city $68,000 to do so,” he said. “So being fiscally responsible, we are not going to do it for the remainder of this election cycle.”
Watkins said he’s hopeful, however, to get it back on the ballots in 2028.
