2024 CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE | matt zurcher
QUESTION 1:
As a Councilmember how will you include citizens in the decision making process and how will you ensure that the Town Council is responsive to the needs of current and future residents?
Residents already have the ability to be included in the decision-making process, to a degree, but I do feel there are limitations and that we can improve upon the process and enhance residents’ experience. I can't speak for the current council members, nor address their responsiveness to residents, but I can speak to my own record of responsiveness as an elected and an appointed official. I believe in having an open-door policy, and I welcome feedback and ideas from my fellow residents as to how they would like to be more involved. I will meet with residents, and I will work to find the best solution that balances the needs of the Town with the concerns of the residents. Every resident’s voice is valuable; we may not always see eye to eye, but I will always listen to you and hear what you have to say. I firmly believe that we can educate each other and work together to make a difference in our community.
QUESTION 2:
Please explain why you believe, or why you do not believe, that the Town of Prescott Valley would benefit from the establishment of a charter government.
I am open to studying the feasibility of Prescott Valley becoming a Charter City and a charter’s ability to improve residents’ involvement at a local level. However, I have a couple of reservations. First, according to State law, the Town of Prescott Valley would become the “City of Prescott Valley,” and I feel we will lose some of the uniqueness and charm that we have with “Town” in our name. Second, it depends on how the charter is written and the stakeholders involved who are a part of that process. If not done correctly, it could cause the opposite effect of protecting the residents.
QUESTION 3:
Explain why you are, or why you are not, in favor of a Code of Conduct / Ethics Policy for elected and appointed officials.
I am in favor of a Code of Conduct / Ethics Policy for elected and appointed officials. The Town has an existing, older policy that applies to Town employees that requires updating, and it is unclear how (or if) it may apply to the Town’s elected officials – in my experience, it is applied in varying degrees to appointed officials (“volunteers”), though they are not specifically referenced in the policy. The Town needs a clear, updated policy for all Town officials: elected, appointed, and employees.
QUESTION 4:
The construction of the Sundog Connector Hwy will likely come before the Town Council. As an elected Council Member, what position would you take on this issue and why?
The Sundog Connector will not come before the Town of Prescott Valley anytime soon, and the construction of the roadway will be far too expensive to consider. That said, I am a proponent of increased connectivity, specifically east-west connectivity, for public safety reasons.
QUESTION 5:
As an elected Council Member what type of plans would you support for the development of Glassford Hill?
Glassford Hill needs to be left as open space, with only minimal development that improves the existing trail system and highlights the history Glassford Hill has had in our region. Glassford Hill is also the most prominent natural feature of our Town and should remain unmarred.
QUESTION 6:
What ideas do you have for strengthening and/or improving the town’s development design standards?
While we do not need to be as stringent as Sedona, I do believe that the Town of Prescott Valley could benefit from improved design standards. I am in favor of studying the feasibility of strengthening the Town’s codes as they apply to development design, especially along the 69 corridor. This is the first impression many people get of the Town of Prescott Valley, and we have long suffered from nonexistent design standards that have allowed our main frontage to project an inconsistent and shabby façade.
QUESTION 7:
What are your ideas for achieving regional cooperation in the areas of water management, growth and development?
We need to work with all area municipalities – the City of Prescott, Town of Chino Valley, Town of Dewey-Humboldt, Yavapai County, and the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe – on water management, growth and development. We need to work with our Verde Valley colleagues, as well. Each municipality has operated within its own silo for far too long, and we need to realize that what’s good for one can be good for all, especially when there are good ideas and efforts being made. We need to continue to facilitate open lines of communication between jurisdictions in a way that benefits the entire region. We and our neighbors cannot continue to jealously guard innovative and beneficial concepts – we need to share them for the benefit for the greater good. Regional cooperation is critically necessary for the needs of our area – not just the Town of Prescott Valley, but the region we inhabit.
QUESTION 8:
Have you, or will you, accept campaign contributions from major landowners, developers, builders/building supply companies or realtors?
The popular answer is to say, “no, I will not accept any contributions” from members of the stated professions. However, I am willing to accept campaign contributions from any family member, friend, or respected colleague, regardless of their profession. I think it is short-sighted and irresponsible to paint every person within any given profession in only one way, or under the assumption that they are out to “own” a candidate. To be clear, I will not accept contributions that I feel are offered with “strings attached.” I am very much my own person, with my own opinions, and I have never, and will never, craft my opinions or cast a vote that is dictated from anyone other than myself.
QUESTION 9:
Describe a policy or initiative that you feel so strongly about that you would stand up and defend it publicly.
Public safety infrastructure. As a current representative of a first-responder agency, I am huge proponent of improving our infrastructure to ensure faster response times and fire hydrant accessibility throughout the Town. Public safety encompasses police, fire and medical response, and all residents should feel confident that their emergency call will be responded to quickly and will provide them with the best possible service. I will always stand up and publicly defend our first responders and whatever they need to serve our community.
QUESTION 10:
Please list any of your past civic / community involvement or volunteer work.
Yavapai County Board of Adjustments
Member, General Board
July 2021 – Present
Central Yavapai Fire District Board
Elected Governing Board Member, 4-year term
November 2016 – Present
Chairman
December 2019 - Present
Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority Board (appointed)
December 2016 – Present
Chairman
December 2020 - Present
Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce
Treasurer, Board of Directors / Executive Committee
July 2016 – July 2017
Member, Board of Directors
July 2011 – July 2017
Chairman, Governmental Affairs Committee
August 2009 – July 2017
Prescott Valley Planning & Zoning Commission
Member
February 2014 – September 2023
Chairman
April 2017 – September 2023
Yavapai County Planning & Zoning Commission
Member
July 2013 – December 2016
Secretary
December 2015 – December 2016
Prescott Valley Early Bird Lions Club
Member
October 2011– Present
2nd Vice President
July 2015 – July 2016
Treasurer
July 2012 – July 2013
Prescott Valley Police Foundation
Immediate Past Chairman
June 2015 – June 2016
Chairman
June 2014 – June 2015
Vice-Chair
July 2013 – June 2014
Yavapai County Workforce Development Board
Member, General Board
2007 – 2015
Member, Executive Board
June 2008 – June 2013
Chairman of the Board
July 2008 – July 2010
Prescott Valley Citizen's Academy
Class of 2013