Republican Harvey Allen, Democrat Ann English non-partisan Matt Cook and Write-In “John Henry” are seeking the vacated seat for District 2 on the Cochise County Board of Supervisors.
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Below are capsules about each candidate.
Harvey Allen
• Age: 64
• How long have you lived in the local area/Arizona: Currently lives in Elfrida. Resident of Cochise County for 48 years.
• Marital status: Sandra, 42 years
• Education/military: Graduate of Valley Union High School, attended Eastern Arizona Junior College and Cochise College.
• Employment history: Owner/operator of Allen’s Well Service for 32 years; construction surveyor for the Arizona State Engineer Department and Cochise County Engineering Department; DC Contractors as a project engineer and was a superintendent building roads and doing job estimates in the Sierra Vista area.
• Community affiliations: Elfrida Domestic Water Users Association for 22 years.
• Previous offices held: Valley Union High School Board for eight years; Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Co-op Board of Directors for 15 years where served as treasurer, vice president and president.
What qualifies you for the supervisor’s position?
I have acquired a lot of knowledge in the past 44 years that would be useful in the position of supervisor.
My past experience and knowledge qualifies me for the position, having experience with water, electric, road construction, heavy equipment and solar energy, as well as the supervisory positions I have had.
Matt Cook
• Age: 63
• How long have you lived in the local area: Old Bisbee since 1993
• Marital status: Married to Jennifer “Ginger” Ryan. Married since 1997, in love since Jan. 15, 1993.
• Education/military: Bachelor of science degree, biology, Curry College, Milton, Mass., 1972; master’s of education, instructional media, Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Mass., 1980; U.S. Army, Sept. 11, 1968 to May 23, 1971, Korea
• Employment history: Taught biology, physics, photography at college level; technical, commercial and industrial photography; designer of experimental agricultural equipment for University of Arizona, U.S. Department of Agriculture; designer/Inventor of blood handling and blood analyzing equipment for Ortho Diagnostics, Johnson & Johnson; machinist, production control specialist, manufacturing engineer; Masoneilan International, heavy industry; Cochise County health inspector for Environmental Health District III for the past 14 years.
• Community affiliations: Have served in Bisbee as member and chairman, Bisbee Civil Service Commission; board member of Bisbee Community Y, Bisbee Food Co-op, Bisbee Radio Project (also served as president); and co-producer of the Dog Shows, Subway Gallery.
• Previous offices held: None
What qualifies you for the supervisor’s position?
I am qualified because I have been the Cochise County health inspector for Environmental Health District III for the past 14 years. I have been the directly responsible official for the regulation and enforcement of state law and county ordinances and policies. I understand the interaction between county government and the citizens and businesspeople who are trying to live and make a living in our county. I believe enforcement of regulation and maintenance of order is an educational process where citizens should be able to know how a regulation affects what they are trying to do, how it can help them accomplish their goals, and what their alternatives are if the regulation limits or disallows what they wish to do.
Ann English
• Age: 66
• How long have you lived in the local area/Arizona: McNeal resident. Lived in state 1963, Cochise County since 1964.
• Marital status: Married to Pat English, 43 years.
• Education/military: Master’s degree in educational leadership, Northern Arizona University; bachelor of science degree from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M.
• Employment history: Teacher in Coolidge, Elfrida and Douglas; school administrator in Douglas; superintendent in Elfrida; real estate sales for Sulphur Springs Realty and Bisbee Realty; Cochise County Board of Supervisors, eight years.
• Community affiliations: Douglas Woman’s Club, AARP Tax-Aide volunteer, Ocotillo Club, Douglas Democrats, Democratic Women of Southeastern Arizona, Mule Mountain Democrats, Rotary, Cochise Association School Administrators, Cowbelles, Douglas Youth Fair Chance Board, Charity Quilt Club.
• Previous offices held: Cochise County Board of Supervisors, 1985-92; Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.
What qualifies you for the supervisor’s position?
I have served eight years (two terms) representing my district as a county supervisor from 1985 until 1992. I know and understand the processes and procedures for doing business as a county. I understand and appreciate the unique relationship between the other elected officials and the board. I understand the dynamics of a three-member board and the importance of being informed when trying to convince the other members on any issue.
John-Henry Piotrowski
Name: John-Henry Piotrowski (writing in “John Henry” on the ballot will be accepted).
Age: 48
Residency: McNeal for 23 years
Married: 4/08 to Cheryl W. Walling
Education: Several different colleges, English major, no degree.
Employment background: Varied; to include bartending, carpentry, group home concealing, mining, oil-field work, guiding, industrial safety, management and grassroots politics.
Community affiliations: Numerous; some conventional, some less so.
Previous offices held: None
Web site: www.johnhenry2008.com/
What qualifies you for position?
First and foremost the fact that I only reluctantly volunteer myself to represent the people of District 2 (in many ways I’d much rather pursue my personal happiness and goals). I recognize that I have the education and life experience to perform the job, and to accurately represent the viewpoints and desires of the people who will elect me. District 2 residents want to elect someone who understands their lifestyles and values, and someone who can achieve consensus. I subscribe to the words of Captain McNally, the founder of the Texas Rangers, who said that, “You can’t stop a man who knows that he’s right, and keeps on coming,”
And I have the strength of character to represent what the people of my district believe to be right, even in the face of countervailing opinions. I’m able to work with others, and open-minded enough to recognize that different people can hold differing viewpoints without someone being necessarily “wrong” and someone “right,” but I believe that an elected representative is bound to represent the viewpoints of the people who elected that representative, as opposed to assuming an autonomy that is not theirs in a democratic system.
The county budget stands at nearly $200 million. What cost saving methods would you promote?
I would ask department heads to reorder their priorities with a view toward necessary services and cost-savings. I would encourage department heads to cut the fat and relocate employees to positions that serve the public. I would require department heads to balance their budgets to operate on money we have now, not money we anticipate “next year.”
When a position becomes vacant I would require careful review before filling the job, following a Libertarian theory that the simplest way to reduce the size of government is through natural attrition.
I would hold the department heads personally responsible; all too often responsibility becomes diffuse in any bureaucratic system and citizens become frustrated by their inability to find someone to hold accountable when government proves to be non-responsive or invasive.
I would monitor state budget discussions and lobby for the counties, opposing further attempts to raid local coffers to make up the shortfall.
And finally, I would make the budgeting process accessible to the citizens of the county; there is a wealth of ability among the residents of Cochise County, and given a chance to participate, I’m pretty sure that they could contribute to a vastly improved final draft.
Do you approve of power from renewable sources and what would you do to encourage such industries to set up shop in Cochise County?
I absolutely approve of alternative and renewable sources of energy.
A lot of farm land lies unused and could provide large areas for solar arrays. We have plenty of open space for building a solar plant and plenty of people who want to work.
While wind power generation is an option, location is critical — there are standards and not all vacant land is suitable. I would direct the planning department to work with a prospective solar plant builder so that the permit process goes easily and smoothly.
Alternative energy will become increasingly prominent in the coming years, and even with the massive Federal deficits that we have (and probably will continue) to accrue, I would expect that monies or tax credits or some other form of remuneration will be made available to municipalities and political subdivisions who are willing to develop alternative energy sources, and I would take care to position Cochise County to receive that type of remuneration.
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