Dear Editor,
In and around Kingman, there is a unique and often overlooked group of residents:
People who have a Kingman mailing address … who shop in Kingman, at Bashas’, Walmart, Smith’s, Safeway, In-N-Out Burger, Menchie’s, Grandpa’s Kitchen, Mattina’s, Circle K, Mother Road Harley Davidson, and The Rickety Cricket Brewing, and many other local establishments … people who work in Kingman … whose children go to school in Kingman, people who contribute to Kingman’s economy every single day, but do not live within the official city limits and therefore cannot vote in municipal elections for mayor or city council. For many, that frustration runs deep.
Understanding the frustration. Impact without representation. City decisions on utilities, infrastructure, economic development, and fees and regulatory policy often affect county residents who rely on city services or conduct business within city boundaries. Yet they are told, “You don’t live in the city, so you can’t vote.” That creates a very real psychological disconnect, “If I didn’t get a vote, why am I affected?
Identity conflict. When your address says “Kingman,” you naturally feel you are part of Kingman. You shop here. You dine here. Your children may attend school here. Your livelihood is tied here. Being told you cannot vote in city elections can feel like exclusion from a community you actively support.
The perceived lack of control. After years of dissatisfaction with leadership, management decisions, and accountability concerns, many residents outside city limits feel stuck. They see decisions they disagree with. They discuss the issues. They vent their frustration. But they conclude, “There’s nothing I can do.” That conclusion is the real problem.
The truth: You have more influence than you think. There are just as many residents living in the county surrounding Kingman as there are within the city limits. That is not weakness. That is tremendous untapped influence. While you may not cast a ballot yourself, you absolutely influence people who can, your friends and family members.
Political reality: Elections are won through conversations. Most local elections are decided by small margins, low voter turnout, personal relationships, word-of-mouth trust. Municipal elections are not won on national television. They are decided at kitchen tables, backyard barbecues, church gatherings, work breaks, and family dinners.
If you care about Kingman’s future, your influence may not be not in a voting booth, but “it is” in your conversations.
The self-defeating trap. If you say, “I live in the county. There’s nothing I can do.” Then you have voluntarily surrendered your influence. That mindset guarantees one outcome. You will continue to get the leadership you are complaining about. Doing nothing is not neutrality. Doing nothing is participation in the status quo.
The minimal-effort strategy that works. You do not need to knock on doors, spend money, attend rallies, or argue publicly. You only need to do one simple thing. Talk to people you already trust. If you have one sibling, one close friend, one coworker, one adult child in city limits, you have influence. If every county resident who cares speaks to just two people inside city limits, the collective effect is enormous. This is multiplication, not addition.
How to make an impact in three simple steps. Choose your candidate carefully. Do your research. Support the person you genuinely believe has the management ability, integrity, and courage to lead.
Have calm, respectful conversations. This is not about attacking others. It is about fixing the problems and explaining why you care and what you hope will change.
Ask, don’t demand. “Would you consider supporting this candidate? I believe it matters.” That’s it.
Minimal effort. Maximum leverage.
Why this matters now. When dissatisfaction continues year after year, it usually comes down to one thing. People who are unhappy talk to each other, but they don’t mobilize each other. Meanwhile, those satisfied, or those benefiting from the current system, quietly show up and vote. Silence favors the incumbent. Action favors change.
The power of numbers. If just 1,000 county residents around Kingman each persuade two city voters, that is 2,000 votes influenced. In a municipal election, that can determine the outcome. That is not theory. That is math. You are not powerless. You are strategically positioned. Use your voice. Kingman’s future may very well depend on it.
Mark “Doc” Berry
