Dear Editor,
At the February 12, 2026 “Coffee with the Mayor” in Kingman, residents once again heard a familiar message: our infrastructure problems are massive, they’ve been building for years, and fixing them will cost between $50 and $100 million, requiring higher rates on citizens.
One question from a former municipal employee captured the concern many of us share: Why are we repeatedly patching the same failing water service lines instead of replacing them correctly the first time? In neighborhoods like Shadow Mountain, crews dig up streets, patch leaks, and return days later to dig them up again. We’ve known for years that aging HDPE service lines are failing, yet we continue patching with the same material while proposing to spend over $500,000 on consultants to estimate costs our own staff should already understand. And why does Kingman have more leaks than Phoenix?
City leadership explained that the materials installed decades ago are failing citywide, that crews are “chasing leaks,” and that full replacements cost more upfront. We were reminded that the water system is an enterprise fund and that ratepayers ultimately bear the cost. What we were not told is why this issue has escalated under the same leadership for six years, why voter-approved financial safeguards were repealed in 2025, or why raising rates seems to be the first and only solution offered.
This is not just a pipe problem, it’s a management problem.
Good management anticipates infrastructure lifecycles, budgets proactively, and fixes problems permanently instead of patching them repeatedly. Kingman deserves leadership that prioritizes long-term planning over short-term optics and restores financial discipline.
That is why I am running for Mayor. Along with Elliot Chalew for City Council, we are committed to competent management, transparent budgeting, and fixing problems correctly the first time.
Kingman voters have a choice: real solutions, or the same old gravy warmed over.
Mark “Doc” Berry
Candidate for Kingman Mayor.
