Mayor Doug Von Gausig
Town of Clarkdale, AZ

If you’re a resident of northern Arizona, you may have recently seen the Verde Valley be named among The Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Destinations in the U.S. for 2013. Those of you who have kayaked down the Verde River or explored our local vineyards through the Verde Valley Wine Tour know the beautiful vistas and spectacular tastes these attractions have to offer, as well as how proud they make the residents of our region.

Coupled with the local economy, scenery and your neighbors, these sites are part of what make you call your community home.” They’re why you choose to put down roots and why thousands visit our region each year. But, what probably didn’t come to mind when thinking about these regional treasures is the role your local government had in attracting and retaining these businesses for the betterment of our community and local economy.

While you may recognize some of your city council members’ faces or names, you may not be aware of the many things they and city staff do when they’re not speaking up on the dais. Sure, you’ve heard us talk about policy issues and different projects, but it’s the quiet, everyday services that often go unnoticed and overlooked that make our communities great places to live. Understandably so – in our busy lives, we’re often just focused on getting from point A to point B, helping our children make it to soccer practice on time and ensuring the report your manager requested yesterday is on his or her desk by 8 a.m.

While all of that is happening, our job is to provide the basic services residents depend on to make life in the desert livable. On Tuesday mornings, your garbage is picked up. When you turn on your faucet, water comes out. When you arrive at a stop light, a green signal tells you when it’s safe to proceed. When you want to celebrate a birthday, have a picnic or jog along a trail, a local park provides the space. When you want to read the latest installation of a J.K. Rowling series, your local librarian will help you check it out.

You may be aware of some of these services, but there are assuredly a host of others right at your fingertips, if you just know where to look.

On this site, we invite you to explore the many services cities and towns are entrusted to provide, as well as the innovative programs we’re developing to make your city or town an excellent place to live, work and play. We invite you to become involved and learn more about your local government.

After all, it’s your town. Watch it work.