Voters in the Coconino County areas of Sedona — Uptown, Gallery Row and the Chapel area — and voters in unincorporated Oak Creek Canyon will decide on Tuesday, Nov. 5, who will represent them in District 3 on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. 

The seat is held by incumbent Democrat Adam Hess, who is being challenged by Republican Tammy Ontiveros. In the race for the Republican nomination, Ontiveros won the July primary with 2,026 votes and 64% of the vote, ahead of her challenger Sean Golliher, who received 1,111 votes. 

In the race for the Republican nomination, Ontiveros won the July primary with 2,026 votes and 64% of the vote, ahead of her challenger Sean Golliher, who received 1,111 votes. 

“I feel like I was successful in the primary because I got out early and started meeting the voters, establishing relationships with community leaders in the unincorporated areas of Coconino County, and establishing relationships with the other leaders, be it fire department, fire chiefs, mayors,” Ontiveros said, adding that this would also be her strategy in the general election. 

Ontiveros said that she defines herself politically as a “fiscal conservative.” She holds an associate’s degree of applied science in paralegal studies from Yavapai College and later spent 14 years on the Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commission, with four years as chairwoman. 

Ontiveros said she plans to emphasize her land-use expertise, especially with regards to managing growth and experience as a small business owner for 28 years. She said that slow response times by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office have been the biggest issue people in the unincorporated parts of the county have brought to her attention and said that she would support increasing funding for CCSO. 

Hess was appointed in January after former District 3 Supervisor Matt Ryan retired in December after 27 years in office. 

Per state law, an appointee of a vacated seat must be of the same political party as the resigning county official. Hess ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, receiving 2,617 votes. He also completed an internship in Ryan’s office. 

“I’m a centrist, I want to do what’s right for everybody,” Hess said in a previous interview. “I’m not leaning left, I’m not leaning right, I really am here to help everybody. That’s important for me coming from a military background, I’ve always had to do the right. It’s always been black and white with me. And so I really just want to make sure everyone knows I’m here to support everybody.” 

Hess said that his campaign has involved holding community meetings and open houses and attending military-focused events. 

Both candidates expressed support for the Sedona Fire District’s proposal to relocate its Station 5 to Slide Rock State Park from its current location at a leased site at Indian Gardens, which district officials consider too small and outdated for SFD’s needs. SFD owns a 40-footby-40-foot portion of the current Station 5, with the Garland Family Trust owning the rest of the building and the land it sits on. The family leases the entire building to SFD. 

Both Hess and Ontiveros also said they would support the U.S. Forest Service’s proposal to impose a new 20- year ban on new mining claims within Oak Creek Canyon. 

Ontiveros said she would oppose paving Schnebly Hill Road and Hess said he remains undecided. 

“I think that that project would have to be widely needed,” Hess said. “And I don’t know if the people of Sedona are looking for that need, because that would be very expensive … I do care, I just want to make sure that we have to look at the pros and cons.” 

Both candidates agreed again on their support for Proposition 482, which is a county-sponsored proposition seeking to increase the county’s 1979-80 base expenditure limit by $7.7 million, which would increase the amount the county would be authorized to spend “by $61.1 million from $81 million to $142 million,” according to a county publicity pamphlet. 

Ontiveros said she would like to increase funding for rural road maintenance, while Hess subsequently said he would like to look at Coconino County Sheriff’s Office recruitment and improving public safety in Oak Creek Canyon for additional funding. 

“As a third-generation, Arizona native with genuine care for this county, my deep roots have motivated me to preserve and positively impact the scenery for future generations,” Ontiveros said. “I have three generations behind me buried in the Williams Cemetery; me, I’ve got kids and grandkids that are living in this area going forward. So I can see where we’ve come from. And I can see where we’re headed. And I care about where we’re headed.” 

“I just want people to get out there and support their local government and vote,” Hess said. “It’s really fun to be part of the process, and I’m so glad to be back in the community and helping wherever I can. My goal is to be here for a while … and I can’t wait to get more involved as my tenure continues.”