Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Dale Rogers is running for re-election to the Pima Town Council.
This is the 12th installment of the Gila Herald’s candidate series for the council races for Safford, Thatcher, and Pima, and features Dale Rogers, incumbent candidate for the Pima Town Council. Early voting for the Aug. 2 primary has begun.
Third in our series is the town of Pima, which has four candidates vying for two council seats up for election. The candidates include incumbents Dale Rogers and Brian Paull, as well as newcomers Teresa Bailey and Jed Bigler looking to make the cut. Each candidate was given the opportunity to provide their own editorial and picture. This is the second installment of the Pima series and features Dale Rogers.
Pima Town Council – Dale Rogers
I was born and raised in small, rural Holbrook Arizona, and am a fifth-generation Arizonan. I moved to the town of Pima 13 years ago and fell in love with this community on day one when a neighbor came to my door to welcome my family and me to the neighborhood and handed us a container of homemade soup because she knew we would be tired from unpacking.
Shortly after moving to Pima, I become a volunteer leader with Boy Scouts of America and I took a group of scouts to a town council meeting. On the agenda that night was a discussion about hiring a new police officer. The town had two candidates to choose from – one had five years of experience, and the other would be a new officer and would need to go through the academy. To bring the experienced candidate to Pima, it would cost the town $2k more. The council chose the inexperienced candidate in order to save money. It was at this moment that I became interested in being a part of the decision-making process for my town.
I was appointed to the Pima Town Council in 2013, and have served on the council since then. I did not join the council to push any agenda items. I simply wanted to give back to the community that had become my home. My reason for choosing to run again remains unchanged. I want to give back to my community with the hope that Pima will be a great place to live for my children and grandchildren if they choose to live here.
I think the town of Pima has made some great strides in cleaning up properties, attracting new businesses, and improving recreational opportunities. I would like to see some of these things that have been started continue to move forward. I think Pima has a bright future with the best days yet to come.
